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Originally Posted by Elphaba
Even so, I prefer specific standards of performance to determine a grade, rather than using a bell curve.
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Absolutely. When I taught at the local college, I told my students from the first day what it would take to make an A in my class, and there was none of that "well, I've already given 3 A's, therefore you don't get one" thinking. I wasn't bothered to give one A or 10 A's--it just didn't matter to me. The individual was judged against MY standard, not that of others.
It's discouraging at best and sadistic at worst to use a strict curve--only a set amount of A's and a set amount of D's--and while I agree that gradeflation is out of hand, a skilled teacher can make individual judgments that don't rely on an unfair system of evaluation.