All across the world, up until recently, many educational institutions have been operating with the traditional grading system, which utilizes different letters such as A, B, C, D, E, and F to determine a student’s academic performance. This has worked for quite sometime, and while I strongly believe that it does have a purpose to serve at some educational levels, it should be scrapped from tertiary institutions.
A lot of people may argue against this position, considering that the letter grading system has fostered competition amongst students. But there’s a reason most medical schools across various countries have long moved from the old system to the Pass/Fail method.
It’s simply because research done in top institutions such as Ivy League schools has found it more beneficial to students and their various fields.
The schools that have adopted this Pass/Fail kind of assessment did it with the well-being of students in mind, and I can support this position because of my observations in the university.
Back then, a lot of us were focused on getting good grades. Before our exams would commence, we would have already started calculating what our grades would be like. Our assessments were mostly a total of 30 points, and the main exams were graded over 70. So most of us would go through the mental calculation of saying that if we could get 15 points in the tests and 50 points in our exams, it would mean that we had gotten a B in that course.
This made a lot of us prioritize grades over long term knowledge. We studied majorly to pass our exams rather than assimilating information for the purpose of retaining it for practical use. This is the reason most graduates cannot remember or explain certain viewpoints related to their course of study, even though they knew them offhand at the time.
This letter grade system also caused us great disappointment when we ended up with anything less than our expectations. Even when we didn’t fail, we would beat ourselves up for not getting an A like the next person, and that’s because we had all subconsciously attached our worth to A grades. Parents also have a role to play in this, as they rarely encourage a child who has passed with a C. Instead, they compare them with someone else with higher grades. Then you begin to wonder, if a Pass remark indicates that the students have satisfied their examiners, why is it necessary to use differing grades? I’m sure the point is pretty clear now.
Now, with the Pass/Fail method, there are no ifs and buts. Your pass is considered proof of competence, while a fail is an indicator that you need to put in more effort. Nobody cares about the 0.9 difference between an A or B student as long as you have proven yourself competent.
A research done by Mayo Medical school found this system less intimidating for students, and that is true. Many of us prefer a learning environment where the focus is on genuine learning and less on competition. For example, many STEM courses already come with high pressure to excel, and removing the pressure to get an A helps students focus more on acquiring knowledge than just passing.
Some mention that the letter grading system motivates them to study harder, which I think is great, but if students cannot find intrinsic motivation in their course of study, they likely won’t be happy practicing in that field.
That being said, I believe foundational learning can continue with the letter grading style for students, but tertiary institutions should all adopt the Pass/Fail system since we are more focused on producing graduates who will be more competent and excellent at their work. By the way, the institutions with this approach already present students with the option of accessing the actual breakdown of their performance when requested. So the arguments against this might not be enough to shut it down.
To conclude, I believe the Pass/Fail method will shift the focus from grades to deep learning and also help alleviate students’ mental health burdens by reducing the pressure attached to grades.
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