Colleagues - this discussion is taking place out of context and I don't see
that it is getting us anywhere.  It was, if you notice a journalism course,
so I assume that following style guides is an important aspect of the
course.

I do however think that sometimes we are happy to knock of marks for vague
things like 'lack of analysis' but not for specific things like failing to
make sure that all the references are in the bibliography, or that you have
followed a convention about using first names - assuming it is an assessment
criteria.




David Andrew
16 December, 2002, 3:39

Programme Leader: MA Learning and Teaching in Higher Education


Centre for Academic Professional Development
London Metropolitan University
The Learning Centre
236-250 Holloway Road London N7 6PP
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-----Original Message-----
From:   The Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Edwards R M (CeLL)
Sent:   16 December 2002 15:31
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: marking

Nic,

I am judging this issue solely on your brief description, of course, but
this sounds absolutely ludicrous!

It seems that the marker you describe is actually deducting 10 marks from a
total mark if the student's work contains text such as "Marx's views were
based on his concern for social justice ...", but would not deduct any marks
if it contained "Karl Marx's views were based on his concern for social
justice ...". Is this really correct?

In my opinion there can be only one justification for such an absurd
practice, and that is that the students have been explicitly told, "You will
lose 10 marks every time you refer to Marx as Marx, and not Karl Marx."

Any other justification must be a cruel and immoral joke.

Robert


Robert Edwards
Combined Studies Academic Tutor
Centre for Lifelong Learning
University of Glamorgan
Pontypridd, CF37 1DL
Tel:  01443 482981
Fax: 01443 482170
email: [log in to unmask]



-----Original Message-----
From: Nic Groombridge [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 16 December 2002 12:55
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: marking



I'm doing a lot of marking like most colleagues at the moment but have come
across - not at my Institution - some very steep gradients in a marking
scheme.  That is in a journalism exercise with one hundred points at stake
the marker has taken 10 marks off for each failure to mention a first name
(of Marx, Gramsci and Weber!) so reducing the student's mark by 30 points to
26.

I have made it clear to the marker that I don't believe any such scheme can
be justified but am having difficulty laying my hands on something other
than my own feelings about such marking.


nic groombridge
st mary's college