Premium
THE PASS‐FAIL GRADING OPTION AT A STATE UNIVERSITY: A FIVE SEMESTER EVALUATION 1
Author(s) -
STALLINGS WILLIAM M.,
SMOCK H. RICHARD
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of educational measurement
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.917
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-3984
pISSN - 0022-0655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-3984.1971.tb00919.x
Subject(s) - grading (engineering) , first pass , mathematics education , psychology , mathematics , arithmetic , engineering , civil engineering
To evaluate the pass‐fail grading option, course and grade data were generated each semester. Faculty and student attitudinal data were obtained once. Because pass‐fail students were not identified to instructors, all students were given traditional A‐E grades. During administrative data processing, the A‐E grades of pass‐fail students were converted to pass or fail. In comparison with traditionally graded students in the same classes, pass‐fail students received lower grades on the average. The pass‐fail option proved to be popular. Students favored the pass‐fail option, although their reasons for electing the option were not necessarily in accord with the official rationale, to foster exploration. Perhaps because they perceived students as abusing the option, the small faculty sample had somewhat negative attitudes toward the pass‐fail system.