It started with this IVLE announcement: (any subsequent indented lines are from his IVLE announcements)
(If you are lazy to read the whole thing just read the lines in red)
3) The essay assignment grades will only be announced (on the IVLE) some time before the module's exam. You could collect the essay if you wish to, after the exam. I have decided to use such a system because of the complications and problems I encountered when I tried to return student's essay during term time (in the previous semesters). Students wrote to me to question about the grading and argued that they should have been given a higher grade after comparing what they wrote with their friend's who got a better grade. They also complained about what they perceived as biasness during student's feedback. It is all rather disheartening and defeats my aim to let students know their grades as soon as possible. Thus due to the unpleasantness that arise from the competitiveness of certain students, I have no choice but to delay the feedback.
In case you didn't know, (if you haven't read that previous post where we emailed him, we encourage you to read it, other people seem to like it) the essays for this module were released in a staggered format, such that the first essay could be submitted in about week 4-5. (And the rest about week 7, 10, 13 accordingly)
However, he doesn't want to reveal how the students did until after term ends because, to paraphrase, 'he doesn't want to deal with students begging for better grades'.
Firstly, this is a poor reason to not release the grades. I would think a simple announcement stating 'Begging of marks will STRICTLY not be entertained' or 'The decision regarding your essay grade is FINAL' would suffice. Or 'I'm too lazy to talk to anyone just suck it up and accept your grades lamerzzz!'. Ok maybe not the last one.
Next, if students really wanted to question the reliability of marking, why would they not do so even if he released it after Week 13? Emails still exist, his office still exists, and it's not as if students don't return to NUS during Reading Week, if they were as 'competitive' as he says.
We won't harp on this for too long because recently, he made another series of announcements:
"Finally, look for the essay grades to be released on IVLE around the eve of the Social Psych exam"
Gives a definite date... but wait, next announcement 3 days later:
I received an email from a student asking me to delay the release of the essay grades and not to do so 1-2 days before the module's exam, please see the student's mail and my reply, and write to me if you have any objection.
Student's email:
I am a student in PL3235 module. You made a recent announcement saying that you will release our essay results on the eve of our exam. I am writing to ask if maybe you could delay the release. If our results are released just the day before our finals, it would be very very demotivating for the students who did not do well.It would be better if you released the results after the exam is over in the morning.This way, students who perform poorly in the essay won't be affected.However, if you do need to release the essay results before the exam, then will it be possible to release it a few days earlier? At least this way, the negative emotions will be less intense by the exam. I hope that this is not too much to ask. But I think the other students will also appreciate this. Thank you very much.
Summary - whine whine I am a sad person boo hoo whine whine can you not release the results just before the exam because when(if) I see my crappy grades I'll be emo and can't do well for my finals boohoo. thank you! you are very handsome!
Prof Cha's reply:
-----------------------------------------------
Thanks for letting me know what you think about the date to release the essay grades. I understand what you mean and I could do that. But following your argument, releasing the grade on the day after my module’s paper could also affect students in their preparation of other exams that are scheduled after my module. This means that to address this concern, I will only release the essay grades when the entire exam period is over. In short, we will try to release the results 3 days before this module’s exam, but if this is not possible (the tutor and I are dealing with a huge marking load, and we are doing our best to rush -- not taking any time off during this period, the beach thing is just teasing you all ;)), then we will do so only after the entire exam period. I will announce this on the IVLE, but if more than 5 students write to me in the next few days (by 20th April) to express their objection of waiting till after the exam period is over, and want to know the essay grades whenever it is ready (even on the eve of the exam), then I will revert this decision. Cheers,ys
Summary: You are right I will release it after the entire exam period instead if we can't release it 3 days before the exam, unless more than 5 people come and whine and slobber at my pants and want to know it ASAP, then I will admit I'm dumb and release it ASAP. Also, I'm only 24 years old. (Ignore this last line if you're not a PL3235 student, it's a recurring 'joke' he likes to make)
There is an obvious solution to the student's supposed predicament which he doesn't yet realize, and instead decides to release the grade after the entire exam period -_- Might as well just release it together with the exam results. It's only 3 weeks later. Moreover, won't releasing the grades then dampen the moods of students in their temporary 3 weeks celebration?
The thing is, if you are one to get affected by a bad grade, don't check your damn grade at all -_-
Anyway, we wrote in to inform him of the obvious solution, which he states in the next announcement:
"that is, for those who do not wish to know their grade (for fear that it will affect their morale, concentration, motivation, whatever...), they could simply delay the checking of grades till a later time that they find more suitable. There is no reason to hold back the rest who want/need to know asap."
CORRECT. Grats on the revelation Mr Cha.
Oh look, he admits his stupidity in a veiled insult to the students too:
I should have thought of it in fact -- must have been made stupid by all the stuff that I am marking currently.;)Tsktsk.
Sorry about this distraction to all of you too!No problem, you gave us content for a blog post.
P.S. We welcome any content for blog posts. Just email realfass@gmail.com with your content and you will be acknowledged if published. Or DM us anything you want us to blog about. Or just keep reading what we write and tell all your friends about us. Or .. we should probably stop this is getting too long.
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