2.8 Mark Inflation

A 2021 newsletter discussed mark inflation in India. The newsletter has some shocking statistics; how average marks are often 100% now. However, mark inflation is not new. Using our own data from the 1960's and 70's, the average in a typical Ontario high school with a post-secondary trajectory for its students was in the 68-72% range and only 4% of the students had a graduating average of 80+. Compare this to what happens today. The averages of the same schools (comparing apples to apples) are now all 95+. Here's a new flash, the human brain has not evolved, nor improved that much.

Mark inflation has also happened at the university level. In the 1970's, the average in a course was around 68-72 and only around 10-15% of the students could expect to get 80+. Compare this to the numbers you are familar with in today's situation.

A key point to consider is the difference between the high school inflation and higher education inflation. Both started out about the same in the 60's, but the slope is different and this creates an ever increasing gap in expectations. There was a gap in the late 80's and it was a little shock to the students to find a few marks being different. The gap is now quite large and it can be quite difficult for both instructors and students to deal with.

The key problem with mark inflation is that it comes down to poor standard setting and it arises from different sources - pressure from students, parents, instructors, and institutions. There are many forces at work that initiate, facilitiate, and sustain mark inflate. Some of the influences are outside of an instructor's control. However not all are. For example, we dislike those who take the easy road and never really set a standard for the student to try and achieve - somewhere above their level when entering the course. Everyone gets an A ultimately cheats students of the experience of being given a challenge and then discovering that they are able to reach it. This has to be balanced with those instructors, we also dislike, who set the impossible standard because they want to make sure that the students have it rough; they are equally cheating students of the discovery that rising to a challenge brings because they have done nothing to prepare the student for the challenge but have rather set them up to fail.

Additional thoughts...

• There are times when the students will petition and argue. If you have done the appropriate due diligence and believe that the assessment is fair and accurate, stiffen your spine. You might need to use the same rule as with children of a younger age. You make an adult judgement, and then they have the opportunity to provide more information that is relevant. This information is taken into consideration and the decision possibly changed. After that, the decision is final, and it doesn't matter how much kicking and screaming that happens.
• Pandemic events seem to be contributing to even more mark inflation in secondary, and in post-secondary education. It is not commonly discussed, but is the quality of education REALLY, REALLY the same or close? What corners are being cut? Does soft marking take place?
• Even in Canada, we are hearing from incoming students that there were higher averages, lots of 100%'s.
• Students will struggle with different expectations when there is a large gap with respect to marking; the amount of red ink.
• It is hard for an instructor to give appropriate red ink and feedback about what could be improved and still give 100%. Mark inflation limits the critical feedback to the student, and the student does not really know if something is good, bad, or otherwise. Most will learn to believe that their thoughts and deliverables are right, but not only right, perfect or near perfect. They believe that they are awesome thinkers. This creates emotional and mental health problems when they start getting critical feedback at university, and discover that they are not as awesome as they think.
• It is not easy for a first year instructor to deal with the incoming mark inflation gap. Students will struggle, spiral down, and there are no clear answers. You can tell them that the whole class is in the same boat, standards are different, etc., but in their head, they have been programmed to shoot for the 100% and in most cases, get it.
• They also do not have experience with the types of exams and exam situations we give them at the university level. While not directly related to mark inflation, it is another factor when it comes to marks and mark expectations. They know how to get their high 90's and 100's the high school way, and we have thrown out the baby with the bath water on that one. Another contributor to mental health issues.

• Not all students go through high school without good, critical feedback. Some are lucky and are in programs with high standards and realistic marking. Some are lucky and have teachers who are not afraid to use lots of red ink, and who also know how to work with the students when they get red ink. There are not enough of these programs and teachers. To develop thinking skills, it is important to have a mentor or teacher for multiple years (e.g., same teacher for most of high school) and these situations rarely are possible.
• Students who have inflated marks can be shocked and quite upset when they get marks deducted for what they honestly believe to be perfect, awesome work. They were told it was brilliant and great in high school. You do not know what you are doing. How dare you not see their genius!
• Another way to get marks up is spoon feeding. Spell everything out, so that the students know how to succeed and never fail. They are told what to do and how to do it in recipe style. This does not help the students in many post-secondary courses. They do not know how to make decisions, and have never had the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to make reasonable judgement calls. Unfortunately, this can also happen in higher education situations. Should not happen, but spoon feeding also occurs at the university and college level.
• As an instructor what can you do? Do you simplify assignment questions, specify more information, give them longer to do things? Hard call. We need standards, but we must also recognize where the students are coming in from and we have to transition them, carefully and appropriately, to a different standard. We need to have a plan in first year that takes them in with their world view, and in a controlled way introduce them to the new world. It is not fair or right to suddenly expect students to make the leap without help and support. As academics, we expect some relief when we start off as new faculty members. Same idea. We like it for ourselves, a transition time before being judged on a status quo level. We should also do the same for students. This will require the instructors, department, faculty and institution to work together. It is not possible for single instructor to fix this or handle it. However, it is not all doom and gloom, hands thrown up in the air type situation. As an individual instructor, you can set standards, set reasonable and fair challenges, and make your students' situation better!

Further reading

• Finefter-Rosenbluh, I. and M. Levinson (2015) What Is Wrong With Grade Inflation (if Anything)?, Philosophical Inquiry in Education, Volume 23 (2015), No. 1, pp. 3-21