I had an experience this week that left me questioning the value of grading as a system of assessment. As the second marker on a student essay, I assessed it at a B-. The first marker strongly felt that the essay should receive an A-. Since we could not agree, a third marker was asked to review the essay. Without seeing our comments or hearing our assessments, the third marker graded the student at a C-. There may be various reasons why grades shift during the marking process, but in this case, it was particularly striking. This was my third year delivering this unit as a second marker, while the first marker held a permanent role in the team. The third marker was the course leader. All three of us had marked at least 20 essays from this unit, had agreed on grades with a second marker in the past, and had participated in annual benchmarking meetings where we discussed our grading strategies extensively. Given these factors, I found myself asking: what is the true value of grades if three experienced markers can have such vastly different assessments of the same essay?
I was particularly interested to read Kate Brooks’ study, ‘Could do Better?’: Students’ Critique of Written Feedback (2008). The student responses collected in this study were not surprising, but they did resonate with my own experiences. The text examined written feedback on student essays, identifying thematic patterns in the feedback and considering, in a balanced manner, what could realistically be done to address students’ concerns.
One comment that stood out to me was the expression: “It’s too late now to do anything about it, so why bother?” (p.2). Brooks raised an important question about the purpose of feedback. When delivering summative feedback, some students may not see it as part of their learning—especially if they do not have another essay due in the near future. Recently, I wrote feedback for 23 students’ final dissertations. I found myself wondering how many of them would actually read the feedback and how useful my comments would be. Though I knew this was not the right perspective to adopt, it sometimes felt more practical to view my feedback as a justification of the grade for the second marker, since they were the only person guaranteed to read it.
Brooks highlighted that in an academic system where the emphasis is placed on achieving the highest possible grades rather than valuing learning for its own sake, students may not engage meaningfully with feedback. This raises concerns about how feedback is perceived and whether it truly supports student growth.
What can I take away from both my experience and Brooks’ study? First, grades offer only partial value. As a teacher, it is crucial for me to hold onto my conviction in the learning process. Second, I must strive to create a culture within my classroom that nurtures students’ curiosity and fosters a genuine desire for growth. Rather than focusing solely on grades, my role should be to encourage students to engage deeply with their learning, see feedback as an opportunity for improvement, and develop a mindset that values knowledge beyond assessment scores.
Refs
Brookes, K. (2008) Could do Better?’: Students’ Critique of Written Feedback