Zip, zero, zilch . . .
The impact of a zero on a student’s mark can be huge! In some cases a single zero can prevent a student from successfully completing a class. What does a zero tell us? Most obviously, it indicates that a student neglected to hand in an assignment, but little else. Is there a way we can minimize the disproportionate impact that awarding a grade of 0 has on student success and still foster accountability?!! This topic is discussed in depth in the following article: 0 Alternatives. What are your thoughts about incorporating these ideas into your practice?
April 23rd, 2007 at 4:08 pm
The author of this article is certainly passionate about his thesis, using such strong diction as when he says that zeros have “overwhelmingly negative effects”. I’m afraid that I would have to “overwhelmingly” disagree. Most students are absolutely aware of the consequence of not turning in work on specified due dates. They have been shown, by teachers, the effect that “zeros” have on their overall grade. For various reasons, they choose not to complete assignments. Mr. Guskey maintains that “a single zero has more influence on an average than any other score in the group”. He was referring to the practice of Olympic judges “throwing out” the lowest and highest scores to have a more realistic assessment of the athlete. This may be true in Olympic sports, but in a typical mark pool of my classrooms, the total of the assessment instruments is in the range of 500 marks. It would take several zeros to significantly influence the student’s final grade. In that case, the student has clearly shown that he/she is not achieving a large percentage of the objectives for the course. If their mark is lower, it is a reflection of their mastery of the objectives, not that they are badly behaved (although this may also be true). In the pool of my overall marks, I allow for a cross section of learned and performance behaviors. I’m confident that with zeros, or not, the overall grade is reflective of the student’s standing in my class.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
The thing with a zero that is unclear is whether or not it is an academic or behavioral issue. Is a zero mark an indication that students have learned absolutely no objectives from the unit? In the case of an incomplete essay does it suggest the student absolutely cannot write and essay? Or, is it a behavioral issue? For me, this is where this question gets murky. If it is a reflection of behavior then the role of zeros seems in question. Professionally speaking, we are encouraged to separate behavioral expectations from our grading practices (attitude marks, etc.) and attempt to make measures of achievement as objective as possible. On the other hand, not fulfilling course requirements must have some kind of influence on their standing (academic or otherwise).
As PT French stated, in the overall “big picture” of the marking do a few zeros completely ruin a student’s resulting overall grade? Perhaps in the extreme cases of students who refuse to do any work. However, as Seinfeld stated, “Everything will even out (Even Steven episode)”. For the majority of students, a couple of zeros may not misrepresent their overall academic standing.
Maybe the issue is not one of whether or not to assign zero marks. Instead, it is a question of how students, parents, and teachers can assist, accommodate, and encourage students to complete their work in the first place.
April 25th, 2007 at 1:39 am
Is there value in using incomplete rather than 0? As Dustin states, “…a zero mark and indication that students have learned absolutely no objectives from the unit?”
If an assignment is not handed in, should a student be able to move on? It seems to me that if the assignment was important enough to give out, the student needs to make an attempt to complete it. Maybe we are over assessing?
How many trades people or professionals receive certification by not completing major portions of their assessment? I’m guessing none. Most of those programs would deem all assignments as critical and would never accept incomplete work.
…just adding fuel/flavour to the fire.
April 26th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Notes on “zeros”
I do not like the use of zeros, often it is punitive, “I’ll teach them…”
The biggest problem is, those who are willing to “take a zero” often don’t care if they get one.
Which is more educationally sound, assigning a zero, which SHOULD teach responsibility and self reliance, or keeping the student back after class, nagging, (or in Dustin’s words, “encourage” ) or even phoning home, which demonstrates teacher tenacity, (if nothing else) and lets the student obtain a mark, even if reluctantly?
I would generally advocate honey over vinegar, but using a personal example, on Monday a student just refused to finish a poem, and the solution that seemed to work was not being allowed to join the class in the computer lab, well, that plus the help of a certain guidance counselor.
As adults, we can take the long view, teenagers, being teenagers, often cannot adopt this perspective.
Although I have not used it, I think the presence of Structured Support in the school is a valuable adjunct to our options for work not done, or incomplete.
fin