http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/education/18college.html?em
1. Is Professor Grossman off the mark when he says "I tell my classes that if they just do what they are supposed to do and meet the standard requirements, that they will earn a C," he said. "That is the default grade. They see the default grade as an A." Why?
Professor Grossman attributes these beliefs to students sense of entitlement. He feels that many students come into his classes with the mind set that if they work hard in the course and do what is "required of them" they then deserve a higher mark then just the default grade of a C.
2. What do you think is causing students to feel entitled to receive a good grade? Is it because a grade of A is now the expected default for "average" work where in reality a grade of A denotes "above average"? Are the students prior experiences in high school or earlier the cause? Are parents to cause "my child is perfect so it must be the instructors fault"?
I have to agree with James Hogge who states that he feels that "students often confuse the level of effort with the quality of work. There is a mentality in students that 'if I work hard, I deserve a high grade.'" I do believe that students feel that the default grade should be "A" if they are putting in effort and completing the expected work requirements from their instructors via the syllabus. The article believes that students prior experiences in high school or even earlier education is to blame. I feel that the belief comes from the "entitled lifestyle" that has been created for students over the last 10 - 15 years by education, sports and parents. It is unfortunate that we as parents have looked to blame others more often then we should be doing regarding the area of "fault" of our children's educational or sports aptitudes at least in my opinion.
3. Give your honest opinion of the article. Do you feel you deserve grades based on your effort or is it that you earned the grade you receive because of your effort? Anything else you would like to add?
It is my hope that if I do the work required (reading, notes, lectures, attend classes, etc) and put in as much effort as I have the ability to do that my grade should reflect this effort as well as be the grade I deserve. If I put in 100% effort and just am not able to grasp the requirements of the particular task or assignment then it is up to me to discuss this with my instructor and we together try to format some solutions to make the information more clear to me as the student. If I do not let my instructor know I am struggling or not grasping the information, then how can I expect he or she to help me? I as the student in college have to be able to communicate and relay this to my instructor for my future.
