Why Group Assessment Is Immoral

[ALS]

In an individual assessment a pupil is rewarded for his efforts, he knows that if he puts in the effort he can reach his goal and be proud of his work.

The individual grade signifies whether the pupil has achieved his goal and acts to guide him in his actions, if he receives a lower mark than expected he knows he has to work harder. If however he receives a high grade it signifies he has achieved his goal and the grade is justly earned.

In group assessment this is different, a pupil is no longer rewarded for his efforts, his grade depends on the unearned effort of other group members which comprise of the following:

unearned (reward + punishment)

1. unearned reward (good performance of other group member(s))

2. unearned punishment (poor performance of other group member(s))

A grade is an indicator of success/achievement of understanding, but when the grade belongs to the group, it does not belong to any individual, it does signify an individuals understanding of the module, it signifies "the group" understands or doesn't understand.

A group mark therefore does not indiciate whether an individual has achieved his goal, it does not evaluate an individuals understanding and cannot guide him in further action.

If the group recieves a high mark it signifies the group has developed an understanding, but since the group is a collection of individuals, and since individuals have not been given marks it can mean several things.

1. An individual has developed understanding (which one nobody knows) and the others have not.

2. More than one individual has developed an understanding but less than the one individual in case 1.

The result of this is a loss of pride and self esteem, since the definition of pride is feeling of satisfaction of one's actions, and since an individual does not know his grade, therefore he doesn't know if his actions led to the achievement of his goal, or the actions of other group members led to the goal, the members who may have contributed more to the final grade.

The other result is an increase in anxiety and depression as with group assessment an individual no longer can control his life, he cannot control what mark he gets, therefore becomes dependent on others.

There is no moral reason for group assessment, I have only heard a rationalization such as " In business you have to work as a team, the group assessments prepare you for the business world " etc to defend it.

This is wrong, in business all employees aren't paid the same wage becuase employees have different abilities and the wage rate is a recognition of this fact.

In group assessment intellectual abilities of individuals are not recognised, it is collectivism of the egalitarian variety as all individuals of the group are treated as having the same intellectual abilities, and rewarded as 1 entity, ignoring the fact that a group is made up of individuals, that only individuals think, that a brain subsides in one person and is not a collective organ belonging to more than 1 person that can function as one.

END

Grade and Mark mean the same, forgive me for using both.

Anyway as you may guess I am back at University, first week back and I'm hit with a group based assignment for Business Studies, it is assessed collectively and each person recieves "equal" marks no matter what they do and how well they do it.

[DavidOdden]

I almost agree. I totally agree when an instructor freely chooses the easy way out; but instructors don't always have that liberty, in which case it becomes a matter of what the instructor's highest value is. If I were coerced into such a system, I wold either have to abandon the career that I value, or swallow another load of collectivism that punishes the able. My first concern is number 1.

[GoodOrigamiMan]

I agree with you and I think teamwork is defiantly being labeled as 'good' by default. However I haven't yet decided on what the ideal system of teaching would be though.

As of now I think primary education should consist of individual assignments; for the purpose of letting kids think for themselves and develop pride in their own work. Letting them understand the value or working in teams should come after they understand the relationship between effort and reward and would therefore be a more advanced part of their education. If students could get that far then you could actually give them a choice to work in groups.

[ALS]

"A grade is an indicator of success/achievement of understanding, but when the grade belongs to the group, it does not belong to any individual, it does signify an individuals understanding of the module, it signifies "the group" understands or doesn't understand."

That should read doesn't.