Performance Prisons

My "student bird" gets both motivated and extremely stressed about assessments and grades. I completely relate to the student comments in the Sarte and Hughes paper as grades and peer competition being a powerful motivator. I remember always wanting to know what everyone else got on an exam seconds after I received my mark. However, I've become increasingly aware of the stress the grading process puts me under and how that stress is related to the methods of assessment. A continual assessment approach, and especially assessments that are done in your own time, e.g., essays, give me much less stress compared with formally constructed assessments given under a time constraint. It's significant that my knowledge of coursework, or even interest and enjoyment of the work, has little effect on my stress level as compared with mode of assessment. However, I also find that when I'm told nothing will be assessed, my intrinsic motivation is crucial on what effort I put in, not external duty to complete the course.

As a teacher I do recognize the importance of using assessment as a measure of my effectiveness, and a gauge about my pacing and content. I am acutely aware, however, how a grade may not be a reliable representation of a student's knowledge or ability. I agree with the authors in that we should think carefully about why and what we are assessing and its effects on students. Though I find assessment necessary I do think we can do a lot to reduce its negative effects by seeking student input in how they want to be assessed and giving them qualitative feedback over quantitative. I do think that the article has an inherent bias towards high performance and highly motivated students because it was conducted on grade 11 physics students. This selection bias may minimize the motivator concerns, as all of these students were interested in pursuing post-secondary education. In another group of students, removing assessment altogether may remove significant motivation to participate in the course.

The more I learn about assessment, its lack of equality and negative effects on social and emotional health, the more I am inclined to rely more on learning maps and track my students' individual learning journeys. I do not agree with ranking students, even though some students may use this as a strong motivator. I think ranking students based on some particular aspect of their abilities, or their ability to display that ability, is not humane and does not fit in with the type of world I want to work towards building. While I anticipate resistance, I do hope to minimise marks and letters grades in my teaching and focus on effort and understanding.