Forums → WEPR → Do Grades Prohibit Real Learning?

students only focus on homework and cramming before tests and they don't really absorb the material

Actually, if we check the learning circle, schools have been through a pattern for years now. What has been the major breakout in learning so far? I don't know about your country, but here, aside from revision in material, the major class diagram has always been the same, for like years. And such break in the evolution system always will have a factor that will charge it sooner or later. Taking by example the classes we've taken in the past, when we wanted to, we actually learned things.

But society nowadays broke people's interest in such matters. Take by example the crammers. They actually don't care about learning the subject, just to pass, and as Sonavatarius wrote:

This system has been in place for how long? If billions of other people have found a way to make the system work now and in the past, then I'm sure you can too... if you can't, then, again,... rethink your life. We are responsible for our own education. You have to learn how to adapt to your situation. The situation shouldn't have to always adapt to you.

Also, I'd like to add that even though I live in a 3rd world country, I don't see many improvements in the Teachers status here. I guess in other educated countries, people actually respect teachers for their hard work. But in here? It's getting harder and harder to find someone to fill in the shoes of a teacher. And the ones who actually take the challenge, most of the times aren't really the ones who were meant to fill the shoes - they're just not it.

Right, so I did not have the patience to read 70+ posts, so consider this a response to the OP.

Grades aren't fun, I'll give you that right of the bat, in fact they suck because they encourage any almost unhealthy level of obsession in students especially those with high ambitions. And frankly we have been conditioned to just aim for grades, I find it hard to argue with the validity of all of these points. However, it is not the grades that are bad, it is the way in which they are applied, tests and quizzes count for so much that we as students approach with apprehension regardless of how much we think we know. On the other hand, some teachers grade purely on participation levels, do you know what happens on those classes? People learn. Yes the grade still plays a paramount role, however one cannot cram for a discussion, in fact in most discussions all you have to do is share and defend your opinions. Provided you pay attention in the class there is no difficulty in this.

After a certain point it is the students responsibility to learn, you cannot teach the unwilling.

In America, a first world country, children don't care about their teachers. Also, it is rumored that they are paid little. Maybe in Europe, where teachers are paid more... there is more respect.

The point is, how to actually fix the flaw? We all know that the crammers only learn their assignments well enough so that they can go through their exams, and probably in 1 month time or so, they're most likely to forget all of it, to concentrate in more "important" things, such as parties, video-games, and all kinds of stupidity.

I actually can understand, since we always end up working harder under peer pressure.

But don't you agree that in order to actually learn something in a good way, you'd have to take a little more time than to cram?

Of course, you will learn a good part of it, but would you retain it all if you actually took time studying for it in more yet shorter bits of studying?

Besides, you know that sometimes even if you cram real hard, there won't be enough time because somethings take more than pure grinding, they need time for assimilation (I don't know in your area, yet in mine I can relate to this) in order to a better understanding.

Bottom line, what I'm trying to say is, grades don't show the ones who really learn something, it just show the ones who could prepare better, could be by taking exercises that would be similar in a test, or just by a good memorization of the subject, which most of the times (and it has been proved, that short-term knowledge (in this case, specially if you try to stuck lots of information in one time) gets forgotten easier and more often than long-term knowledge) just tends to make less interested people, which denial to the proper learning is evolving.

grades don't show the ones who really learn something,

when you realy learn what you have to learn then your grades will be good aswell.

I believe school systems rely too much on memory than actual learning. It was said (several years ago) that kids forgot 30% of what they 'learned' over the three months of summer. I don't really blame the kids for that.

when you realy learn what you have to learn then your grades will be good aswell.

Yeah, but consider the fact that sometimes people who often understand about something and have actually learned it, can't properly fit the questions that sometimes enroll a test, even though they know how to apply their knowledge.

I'm not trying to justify failure or anything like that, but I think that only grades that are solely based off tests aren't the correct way.

I liked the way another used described with his teacher who gave a good chunk of the grades based off the presence of the student in class, like if he pays attention, actually asks his doubts... things like that also should be taken in consideration, IMO.

well, if you want good grades you must learn, if you dont care you get bad grades but then you cant get a good job to get enough money to have a house.

My take:

Grades? They are okay IF and only IF they represent the students learning.
Example: I took Physics HN as a junior, my quizzes and test scores reflected my grade, and: as chance would have it, the smarter kids pulled through with the highest scores.
BUT, when I took Biology HN as a Freshman, or English throughout all of High School, my grades were determined by pointless things like homework, or if I put my name on my homework. Very tiresome.
Even in my Pre-calculus course, homework reflected a very small portion of the entire grade.

In easier, less engaging courses, homework fills a much higher portion of the grade, and is more of a 'do busy work and not learn anything class'.
Example: Human Anatomy [in my school]. Our teacher allows us to cheat with a 4x6 index card on tests, and we learn so little we fill the cheatsheet up. The class average is 90%. And although I may sound very arrogant here, but I think it is safe to say my class is full of idiots.


This failure of grades to accurately express what children are learning, along with the fact that teachers are paid lousy, especially higher level teachers [Making the job more unattractive, less qualified people on the job], creates an environment where a student simply has to grade-grub and learn less and be taught by people who are trying less.

There's that argument out there that the US spends more per student than most other countries -- but that argument, to me, seems invalid. The question is where that money goes. A fancy laptop is useless if there is someone who doesn't know how to use the computer teaching the course.
Grade reports sent to parents are useless if a student can get F's on his tests, do all of his homework, and still fly by with a C or a B.

Grades CAN prohibit real learning.

In my 3.5 years of highschool, I can say that I think the system isn't great.
You have the students that are smart and try, doing well. [And can probably see that some of their teachers are just as dumb as they are]
You have the students that just do all the work, doing okay.
You have the students that are smart and engaged, but may be busy/not do all that pointless crap, thus getting hurt.
And then you have the unengaged, who are failing just because they don't care, and if they do decide to care, they'll be very far back on things like math.


I truly think the best way to fix this issue is to find more qualified teachers, and to do that -- you need higher paid teachers, and a better way at gauging who is doing well and who is not.

In the US, it seems really hard to fail. Take my cousins in Pakistan, or my close friend who lives in Korea, and they will both tell you that it is very tough not to fail in those areas. Their grades reflect their performance.

Here? I see kids not try at all, not know anything, just do the homework, cheat/get by on tests, still graduating thinking everything will be A-ok and they'll just go to a not as good place to learn.

You know, to me I have ADD which is an atenttion disorder and I really need to be chop chop with homework and tests. However, I just learn what is in the books, I don't question further. If I had the time, I would probably absorb the knowledge that matters to me the most. What I can use to shape my life is what I learn and live, and right now it shows a great difference. If you really want to learn something, the only thing that you can do is to learn it by heart, and absorb every molecule of it that you can.