Premium
Should Pass/Fail Grading Be Used Instead of Traditional Letter Grades in Dental Education? Two Viewpoints
Author(s) -
Jham Bruno C.,
Cannella Dolores,
Adibi Shawn,
Austin Kim,
Allareddy Veeratrishul,
Petrie Cynthia S.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1930-7837
pISSN - 0022-0337
DOI - 10.21815/jde.018.131
Subject(s) - grading (engineering) , viewpoints , counterpoint , mathematics education , objectivity (philosophy) , medical education , psychology , computer science , pedagogy , medicine , epistemology , engineering , philosophy , art , civil engineering , visual arts
Discussions about which grading system (letter grade or pass/fail) is more effective in dental education have been occurring for several decades. As more institutions continue to consider the change from the traditional five‐tier letter grading system (A/B/C/D/F) to a two‐tier grading system (pass/fail), this debate will likely continue. This point/counterpoint article examines arguments for and against each type of grading system, taking into consideration academic performance, learning outcomes, psychological well‐being, learning environment, acceptance/performance in postgraduate educational programs, and student motivation. Viewpoint 1 supports the position that a pass/fail system improves learning experiences for dental students, whereas Viewpoint 2 argues that the traditional letter grading system provides for more objectivity and reliability in student evaluation.