Absolute Grading vs. Relative & Philosophy of Grading
Grading in education is the alternative of numbers given to students on the basis of their performance in the tests or examinations. Grading is a new term in the education system. In which instead of numbers, letters are assigned as grades on a performance of students. Absolute grading is one such way of grading.
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Education system attempted to introduce standardized evaluation of varying levels of achievement in a course through grades. Letters are allocated instead of numbers such as A to F means 1 to 6 numbers out of total numbers. However, not all teachers or experts openly accept the concept of grading. According to them, performance of students should be taken into consideration.
Assigning grades can be done using various methods or grades in form of letters can be assigned based on points or percentages scored in a classroom. They tend to fall under absolute grading or relative grading. Absolute grading vs relative grading is a significant debate in educational assessment.
Absolute Grading
The grading system in which grades are awarded to students on the basis of established standards of performance decided already by the institute. Simply, it means grades are given as per the cutoff levels decided even prior to the start of the process of allocating the grades. This is known as the absolute grading system.
A letter grade is assigned to a group of points. The students get only that grade which falls under their score limit. Lately, the absolute grading system has been followed by many schools across the globe. These grades depend on the academic achievement of learning objectives or academic benchmarks.
Let’s understand with an example, under an absolute grading system, numbers ranging from 90 to 100 come under A grade, B grade is given to numbers between 80 to 89, C grade to 70 to 79, D grade for numbers between 60-69, and an F grade to points below 59.
For example, a commonly followed absolute grading would be:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 0-59
These absolute grades are assigned on the basis of students’ performance. If more students in the class perform well, more students will get A and others will be awarded B, C, D, E, or F. Absolute Grading can reduce the class performance if all A’s get wiped out in the final exam.
The system is so rigid that it can miss out actual abilities and possible achievements of some students. Sometimes, every student of the class scores the same grade whether it is B or C, so it makes it impossible to find the information about each student and their performance for further improvement. This highlights the challenges of the absolute grading.
Relative Grading
The system of assessment in which students’ grades are determined by comparing them against their peers of the class. Teachers of some universities and colleges use this relative grading system to evaluate students’ performance. It is not similar to absolute grading in which grades are granted based on given tests or assignments and then converts the scored number into a letter grade.
In relative grading, students’ scores fluctuate which is dependent on how they performed compared to others students in their class. In this grading system, teachers convert the result of students’ test, project, exam or assignment and prepare the final grade after evaluating others’ grades. Relative grading works like bell curving or grading on a curve. The grading system of relative grading considers the highest score as the baseline (A+) and prepares others’ grades after comparing with it. Absolute grading and Relative grading provides a framework for understanding different assessment strategies.
For example, a commonly followed relative grading system would be:
A = Top 10% of students
B = Next 25% of students
C = Middle 30% of students
D = Next 25% of students
F = Bottom 10% of students
Also, sometimes, some institutions would set the structure for relative grading like mentioned below:
A = top 60%
B = next 30%
C = next 10%
D, F = Should never happen
The reason behind following this system in graduate school is the students of graduate schools are expected to perform brilliantly. And if they are getting C it means they are equal to “F.” Relative grading vs absolute grading is crucial for understanding different approaches in grading systems.
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How Does Relative Marking Help Evaluate Student Performance?
Relative marking helps educators and learners in the following ways:
Eliminates Any Discrimination
In the absolute grading system, students are evaluated using a predetermined norm, for example, a bunch of rules or a grading scale. This standard, however, may be out of line with some student gatherings, for example, those from a specific financial foundation or individuals who show a certain level of intelligence.
By contrasting a student’s performance with that of their classmates, the relative grading system, conversely, eliminates this inclination. This is crucial for understanding what is relative grading and its benefits.
Offers Accurate Feedback
A relative grading system can give students more precise criticism since it permits them to perceive how they are performing in comparison to the remainder of the class and assists them with identifying areas where they need to improve by comparing their performance to that of their friends. This method highlights the importance of relative grading meaning in providing meaningful feedback.
Encourages Healthy Competition
A relative grading system can empower solid competition among peers, motivating them to study harder and work on their scholarly performance. At the point when students realize that their performance will be compared to that of their mates, they perform better, in this manner achieving improved results. This aspect of relative grading fosters a productive learning environment.
Supports Class Ranking
Class ranking can be a precise impression of student performance. Relative grading can be utilized to rank companions within a class based on their performance, providing an obvious sign of who is excelling and who needs extra help. This technique gives a transparent method for ranking students and further eliminates inclination. Understanding relative grading vs absolute grading is essential to appreciating how class ranking functions in different grading systems.
Gives A More Holistic Perspective on Student Performance:
Relative marking, which compares student performance to that of friends, offers a more complete assessment of a student’s accomplishment by considering the performance of the whole class rather than essentially one student’s performance in comparison to a predetermined norm.
Customizability
Relative marking is an adaptable and versatile technique for assessing student performance as meeting the prerequisites and goals of a certain institution or class can be custom-made. Students’ learning encounters could turn out to be more viable and customized, therefore.
Thinks about Individual Advancement
Instead of focusing just on a student’s performance corresponding to a predetermined benchmark, the relative grading system likewise thinks about the student’s development over time. Students who might have started the course with less knowledge or skill but have gained significant headway after some time can profit from this help.
What is Relative Grading as per NEP 2020?
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 empowers an all the more comprehensive and interdisciplinary way to deal with schooling that could be more suitable for the overall evaluating framework. Instead of concentrating fundamentally on high-stakes tests, the NEP 2020 encourages the need for continuous and formative assessment.
This approach is in line with the relative grading system, which does not rely on a single test or exam but rather continuously evaluates student performance. Additionally, the NEP 2020 recognizes the meaning of encouraging value in training and discouraging bias.
By ensuring that students are evaluated based on their own achievement rather than on external variables like socioeconomic status or access to resources, the relative grading system can assist in accomplishing this. Relative marking in the context of NEP 2020 ensures that assessment practices are equitable and reflect true student capabilities.
Grading Philosophy
Nobody can be able to decide how to grade exactly and which is the best way of grading. Everybody comes with different perspectives and their beliefs. Their different backgrounds and thinking make it more challenging. Some people pressure on summative exams while others are not in its favour. Some people pressure on self-assessment while others are not in its favour. Some people pressure that the educator should prepare the students for exams while others are not in its favour.
Moreover, for many of them, grades are just objective and it has little evidence to get support in academic research. So, there must be one grading system after deciding the best between absolute grading Vs relative grading. The choice between these systems often boils down to preferences for either relative grading system approaches or traditional absolute grading methods.
Conclusion
In this article, we learnt:
- What is absolute grading and relative grading
- How do both these help
- NEP guidelines
- The Grading Philosophy
The relative grading system is a broadly utilized technique for assessing a learner’s performance. It tends to be a preferred choice over absolute grading in specific circumstances. Likewise, it gives an all the more fair and viable method for assessing the pupil’s performance.
Digital Class’s assessment platform can be a useful resource for schools that want to use a relative marking system for their exams. The portal offers a far-reaching aid for establishing a fair and effective relative grading system with customisable evaluating scales, automated reviewing and feedback, analytics and detailing, adaptability and versatility.
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