Research Proposal on "Today's Education"
Research Proposal 4 pages (1537 words) Sources: 2 Style: APA
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Grade InflationToday's education
Straight talking on straight as: Alfie Kohn's essay on "The dangerous myth of grade inflation"
Straight talking on straight as: Alfie Kohn's essay on "The dangerous myth of grade inflation"
Every student is familiar with the chant: 'it was so much harder when I was a boy or a girl.' Not only did said grandparent have to trudge through five feet of snow -- school was harder, too. However, it is not only irritating but loveable relatives who are 'harrumphing' about the fact that 'back in my day, an A was an A.' Many well-respected publications similarly endorse the idea that grade inflation is epidemic in the hallowed halls of American academia. According to Alfie Kohn, in 2001 the Boston Globe published an article that stated in breathless horror that grade inflation was epidemic at Harvard. This was proven by that fact "that a lot of students at Harvard were receiving A's and being graduated with honors" (Kohn 2002, p.B7). Yet Kohn's essay demonstrates that much of the data regarding grade inflation is self-reported, anecdotal and unreliable -- just as when such hand-wringing occurred back in the 1960s -- and the 1860s. Kohn implies that whenever there is anxiety about social change in the demographics of students attending institutions of higher learning, charges of grade inflation emerge. By questioning the validity of student grades, critics of multiculturalism critique the right of students of diverse backgrounds to be in college at all.
That is why Kohn calls her 2002 essay from The Chronicle of Higher Education: "The dangerous myth of grade inflation." No data supports
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Moreover, as Kohn points out, more people are taking the SAT. The population taking the exam is more academically diverse and consists of many people who would never have dreamed of going to college at all, years ago, and who do not have the money for expensive test preparatory courses. The similar complaint that remedial classes have grown more common in colleges also reflects the more diverse population of students attending institutions of higher learning. Moreover, it is not the students of the Harvards, Yales, and Princetons of the world who are taking remedial classes in greater numbers, but rather the new influx of students attending community colleges -- the types of students who would never have dreamed of attending college at all, once upon a time. The presence of these students is what makes critics of modern universities so uncomfortable, and there is a suggestion that they are getting As because of lower standards, not because they are meeting the previous standards of the schools they are attending. Of course, an A at a community college is not likely 'the same' as an A at Harvard, so it is conceivable that both the community college student and the Harvard student are earning their As, not that professors are lowering their standards.
The charges of grade inflation raise the question: what is exactly meant by 'grade inflation'? Does it mean that students are getting As for work that would once qualify as B-level work, presumably at the same institution? Does it mean that students are working less hard? The rhetoric of grade inflation is often a mask for complains about 'political correctness' in the schools, namely that students' self-esteem is being unduly protected by teachers, and that students who were once thought not to 'belong' in the schools are now gaining university degrees. The assumption is that diversity and higher grades do not 'mix,' suggests Kohn.
The assumption is also that professors have a duty to 'sort' students, competition for scarce rewards is a universal good, and harder grades are inherently motivational to do higher-quality work. Kohn argues that there is no empirical data that substantiates this claim: moreover it could just as easily be argued that rewarding excellence gives students confidence. Also, shouldn't the delights of learning be the motivation, not grades? And what if students are better-prepared and doing higher-quality work at institutions such as Harvard -- should they not be rewarded?
Kohn's arguments are persuasive. However, there is one slight flaw in her essay, not in her central contentions, but in the way that she grapples with her opponents' points-of-view. She seems to accept their blanket, generalized reference to 'grades' as a given, without considering different grading standards within the disciplines. Because, given the increasing complexity of fields like computer science and engineering, it is very difficult to argue that such fields are getting easier to study. Most of these majors have grim jokes about 'weeding-out' courses, given the level of difficulty. If all of the institutions of America were substantially easier in these subjects than they had been ten or twenty years before, America would not have some of the premier research universities in the world, foreign nationals would not vie for scarce places to study technology at American schools, and America would not be a competitive power in these subjects. While it is possible to argue that American high schools are not rigorous enough in scientific subjects, it is unlikely that the nation that spawned Microsoft, Apple, and Google and staffed these companies with many American graduates has entirely 'dumbed down' these areas of study. Anecdotally, I must confess that of my friends who are science and engineering majors, even the smartest must work hard to stay afloat, and the letters 'C, D, and F' are willingly given to students who fail to perform.
Grade inflation in the humanities may be a more valid charge, given that subjectivity is inevitable in some subjects, such as English and history. But rigor is likely to vary between classes, and it is unlikely that an English major can graduate without taking some highly challenging courses. Moreover, at a remedial level, the basics of grammar and mechanics are often not subjective at all, and it would be difficult for a student to 'fake it' through a composition course without knowing how to read and write. Some classes may be easy 'As' in some humanities and social science 'guts' but that does not mean that the disciplines overall practice consistent grade inflation.
Additionally, regarding the humanities, arguments about grade inflation are frequently paired with complaints about students studying popular and modern culture. Every now and then, I hear a story about a school in California giving a class on something like the semiotics of video games, and this is used as proof that academics are getting easier, overall. However, a hundred years ago, educators mocked any type of education as second-rate that did not include Greek, Latin, and the ancient classics of history and literature. Few people would say that learning about Plutarch is necessary for every single student today -- rather, because students need… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Today's Education" Assignment:
Essay 1: Narrative Argument about Education
Instructions
Draft an approximately 1000 word 4 pages narrative essay in response to the following prompt: Use a personal narrative to state your views in response to one of the assigned readings on education. You may use one or more of the authors for the readings in the course up to this point. Be sure to cite fully all quotations, summaries, and paraphrases used within on the essay.
As you compose your essay, be sure to:
*****¢ Follow the appropriate formatting style for your degree program APA.
*****¢ Use signal phrases and proper in-text citations, and make sure you include a References or Works Cited page.
*****¢ Use the Grading Rubric, Outline Suggestions, and Proofreading Checklist to draft and revise the essay.
*****¢ Include your thesis statement and outline on a separate page at the end of the document.
*****¢ Type your degree program and which style is APA in the *****Submission TitleThis
The essay is based on this two article.
Aticle 1 The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation
http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/gi.htm
Article 2 What Does it Mean to Be Well-Educated?
http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/welleducated.htm
I. Introduction
A. Interest-catcher that relates to your thesis
B. Sentence that connects your interest-catcher to your thesis
C. Your thesis, which identifies the topic and reveals the central claim you are making
about the issue
D. Overview of your main points (optional)
II. Several Body Paragraphs with Main Supporting Points (Remember that these should support the claim you*****ve made in your thesis!)
A. Topic sentence introducing the focus of the paragraph in some clear way
B. Specific example(s), facts(s), story(ies) that support your point (When necessary, use
properly cited quotes, paraphrases, or summaries.)
C. Your explanation and analysis of example(s)
D. Summative sentence
*Remember to provide transitions for your reader!
III. Body Paragraph(s) Discussing Opposition (This could also be addressed before your supporting points. There are other possibilities for organization, but it takes great care to make the flow of thoughts understandable to the reader, so we will just start with these.)
A. Topic sentence identifying opposing viewpoint
B. Explanation as to why you disagree
C. Examples, facts, stories that support your reason for disagreement
D. Summative sentence
*Remember transition(s).
IV. Conclusion
A. Sums up what you talked about in your body paragraphs
B. Reiterates your thesis in different words
C. Drives home any final thoughts or call for action
1. Clearly shows my opinion
2. Tells a story that reflects my opinion
3. Contains pathos (emotional) appeals
4. Contains ethos (values/belief) appeals
5. Contains logos (factual) appeals
6. Title reflects my issue and opinion
7. If using APA, contains properly formatted title and abstract pages
8. Double-spaced
9. Margins are 1 inch wide on all sides
10. Font is New Times Roman 12
11. References/Works Cited page includes all sources used for this essay.
12. Spellchecked
*****
How to Reference "Today's Education" Research Proposal in a Bibliography
“Today's Education.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2009, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/grade-inflation-today-education-straight/8422. Accessed 28 Sep 2024.
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