THE REAL CULPRIT
Semester System:
Competition or Rivalry
THE NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
The curve above shows what a
normal distribution is. The left side
shows the lower marks range (below
the average) and the right side shows
the higher marks range.
WRITTEN BY:
N.B. This article has been written on the basis of critical observations by the writer. No research work has been carried out. You may agree
or disagree with the article’s content.
Even in an absolute system of grading, students tend to compete with each other beyond what is called as healthy competition.
The root cause of this tendency seems to be the traditional schooling sytem where higher marks are granted to those who can
individually cram the course material and reproduce it exactly the same way as written in the textbooks.
Outcomes of Relative Grading
If not recent, the not-so-old change in the examination system of UET, Lahore
has transformed the environment of classrooms. Implemented in 2006 at
undergraduate level, semester system is known as one of the modern systems
The most peculiar situation develops during the paper checking sessions after the examinations. Even if a student is satisfied
of education which has the ability to engage students in continuous learning
on how has he been evaluated in an answer to a question, he worries why others have been given more marks who, as he
and a day-by-day evaluation of their performance. In comparison with annual
believes, have answered in almost the same manner. Another strange behavior of students is their demand of a little increase
or term system, it does not judge students on overall percentage but each
in marks not on the basis of what they have done but merely to improve their relative grade.
subject score is given its own weightage which forces students to work hard for
all the subjects. But the question is: are we having a win-win situation by A classroom where students look at each other as barriers rather than helping hands can hardly result in creative
adopting the system? learning. Apart from the huge benefits of semester system, relative grading is something which, in my opinion, must be
“Are we having a win-win situation?” replaced by absolute grading, making students a team instead of rival competitors
The evaluation criteria of semester system involves relative grading which
sometimes result in interesting situations like a B+ granted to a student who
secured 75% marks in a subject. Even when there is a normal distribution of
marks in a particular subject, where 50% of students are at lower side of class
score & the rest on higher side, relative grading almost always put students in a
state which is more than competition.
Grading on a relative scale, I believe, has resulted in an unavoidable yet
a strong atmosphere of jealousy & rivalry in classrooms. Instead of helping each
other regarding different academic problems, students try to work secretly on
their own with an impression on others that they aren’t studying. Teachers
have been asked the same questions over and over again from the same topics
of study by different students at different periods of time in off-classroom
meetings. The frequency of questions has decreased in class which creates
boredom.
Penmeed