Berkeley's Grade "Deflation" Is A Myth?

sentimentGX4
Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:51:01 +0000

For example, one exam question in American Studies could be to list every single US President in chronological order, and for every wrong answer, points are deducted.

But an exam question such as that seriously detracts from the purpose of the American Studies major. You can list all the presidents in chronological order and know nothing about American history.



Similarly, engineering exams could be a matter of having students design the best possible piece of technology given X number of hours in the lab.

In a similar sense, this seriously detracts from the purpose of an Engineering major. Its even worse than the former because a student actually has to use these skills in his career. Engineers often work in a hazardous work environment and mistakes can be dangerous. I would know, my father being a technician for a chemical plant. Instructors need to be objective and test on important concepts.

All in all, these “corrections” to the grade deflation of specific major compromises the academic integrity of the university. I don’t think they’re warranted given the minor problem it has now and the major problems it would cause.