Since we had a lot of discussion about how should we assess in our EDCP 441 class, while I was reading the paper, I found a lot of similar/resonating points that link to our discussion.
I had a love-hate relationship with grades when I was in high school. I loved them because they seems to validate my efforts; I hated them because I didn't believe that they can really represent my efforts. I've always worked hard. And I know that my test score doesn't necessarily reflect that.
The article pointed out that often students want to be pushed by marks, and I was exactly a mark-driven student, although I didn't enjoy being pushed that way. Connecting to what I learned in EDCP 441, less "marks" doesn't mean less assessment and feedback. I think as long as I am aware that the teacher is keeping their eyes on me and assessing my ability, I will be driven by the expectation. Basically I am a very anxious person, and I think being assessed without having a percentage grade (as if the number represents me) will really reduce my anxiety. However I guess there will be a decrease in motivation, for the students who want to compete with scores.
In EDCP 441, I was really convinced by our instructor Kevin, in his philosophy of "less about marks, more about learning" (which echoes the article). I am very motivated to give that philosophy a try. Recently, I am frequently simulating how can I de-emphasize tests and convince my student and their parents to care less about a percentage mark in my head. For example, something I thought was, if a student asks me "Is this going to be on the test?", I could answer, "Yes. Unless I specify, what we are doing is what we want you to be able to do, and you should expect that you will be assessed on them."
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