Why cant we use grades as assessment of our students learning?
Sometimes you can use gradeswhen they are direct evidence of student learning of a particular goal. However, course grades are usually based on a number of behavioral objectives (attendance, participation, etc.) as well as on how well the students have learned the content of the course, so those grades may not fully reflect the students learning of a particular course objective. Grades on individual assignments are often based on how well the student has achieved specific aspects of the course objectives, but they do not necessarily reflect the students full achievement of a program goal. Another problem with using grades in program assessment is that grades are normally awarded by a single rater. It is a methodological problem when the rater is the teacher of the students. For greater validity and reliability, assessment generally requires a more collective and collaborative structure for establishing program goals and assessing the students achievement of those goals at the conclusio
