On Grades & Mastery Learning

Brandon University subscribes to the historic letter grade system.  Letter grades are not inherently bad, but many departments superimpose a normative grading policy on top of the letter grade system.  This latter aspect I find incompatible with the constructivist / mastery learning approach to which many in the field of education subscribe.  However, what I do find more troubling is that our educational system has created students whose self-esteem is grade-driven; students who are externally driven by grades rather than internally driven by learning. “How can I do well if you don’t tell me what you want me to know and just how to say it?”

I find the students’ grade-driven tendencies to be a distraction from true learning.  If something isn’t for marks, it is seen as being less important.  In such an environment, activities and group work are seen as a waste of time because they aren’t for marks!  In an effort to promote mastery learning, the undergraduate courses I teach are graded on a Pass / Fail basis.  It is unfortunate, however, that many equate the ‘Pass’ portion of the ‘Pass/Fail’ grading scheme to the meager 50% required to ‘Pass’ a traditionally graded course and the associated connotation of mediocrity.  Bluntly stated, I will not enable mediocre teacher candidates becoming classroom teachers!   To this end, most courses I teach are mastery based, which many letter grade scales equate to a standing of approximately 80%.  As such, a ‘Pass’ in these courses is more akin to a minimum B+/A- achievement.

In order to achieve a ‘Pass’ in courses I teach, you must not only demonstrate mastery of individual skill sets, but inculcate them as part of your teaching repertoire as exhibited via course tasks.  My expectation is that individuals will strive to hone both their teaching skills and their pedagogical knowledge. Moreover, in that each person has unique teaching strengths and weakness, the emphasis each individual places on the various components of a course may vary.  But while the course path individuals take may differ, the destination will be the same for all – master teachers!