An A or Your Life!
This paper focuses on the issue of assessments, i.e. requirements and grading, in an American university. It addresses the following questions: What are the main features of assessments in the English department at the University of Texas at Austin (UTA)? Are there any factors that put pressure on p...
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| Publicado no: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles, |
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| Autor principal: | |
| Formato: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Idioma: | Anglais |
| Publicado em: |
Angles
2021
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| Acesso em linha: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_3517 |
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openedition |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_3517 https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.3517 urn:doi:10.4000/angles.3517 en https://journals.openedition.org/angles/3517 2021-02-02T01:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/9n1c https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ An A or Your Life! Angles Société des Anglicistes de l'Enseignement Supérieur info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2274-2042 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles Tardieu, Claire éducation humanités université évaluation enseignement supérieur américain exigences notation port d’arme education humanities university assessment American higher education requirements grading firearms This paper focuses on the issue of assessments, i.e. requirements and grading, in an American university. It addresses the following questions: What are the main features of assessments in the English department at the University of Texas at Austin (UTA)? Are there any factors that put pressure on professors and force them to raise grades? Methodologically, we first analyzed the online descriptions of all the English courses offered during the 2019 Spring semester. This quantitative analysis highlights the main features of assessments in the context of this university and makes it possible to confront them with the issues of reliability and fairness (McMillan 1999). Then, we conducted a qualitative analysis of six interviews of professors who explained how they evaluate and grade their students. This second type of data analysis allows us to discuss the issue of validity (Cronbach & Meehl 1955; McMillan 1999), as well as that of fair grading. To what extent do the interviewees feel forced to raise grades and why? Is the firearm issue in Texas a relevant factor? Finally, a case study focuses on an upper-division course of English Romantic Poetry given by the present researcher to a class of 26 undergraduate students (of all levels: freshmen and seniors) majoring in English or other subjects, which investigates the possibility of formatting a valid course that generates higher grades. Cet article traite de l’évaluation, en termes d’exigences et de notation dans une université américaine. Il aborde les questions suivantes : Quelles sont les principales caractéristiques des évaluations dans le département d’anglais de l’Université du Texas à Austin (UTA) ? Y a-t-il des facteurs qui exercent une pression sur les professeurs et les forcent à augmenter leurs notes ? Du point de vue méthodologique, nous avons d’abord analysé les descriptions en ligne de tous les cours d’anglais proposés au cours du 2ème semestre 2019. Cette analyse quantitative met en évidence les principales caractéristiques des évaluations dans le cadre de cette université et permet de les confronter aux enjeux de fiabilité et d’équité (McMillan 1999). Ensuite, nous avons mené une analyse qualitative de six entretiens avec des professeurs qui ont explicité leur manière d’évaluer et de noter leurs étudiants. Ce deuxième type d’analyse des données permet de s’interroger sur la question de la validité (Cronbach et Meehl 1955 ; McMillan 1999), et de la notation équitable. Dans quelle mesure les personnes interrogées se sentent-elles obligées d’augmenter les notes et, si oui, pour quelles raisons ? La loi sur les armes à feu au Texas est-elle un facteur pertinent ? Enfin, une étude de cas se concentre sur un cours de poésie romantique anglaise donné par l’auteure à une classe de 26 étudiants de la première à la quatrième année de licence, spécialistes ou non spécialistes, qui étudie la possibilité de formater un cours valable qui génère des notes plus élevées. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
éducation humanités université évaluation enseignement supérieur américain exigences notation port d’arme education humanities university assessment American higher education requirements grading firearms |
| spellingShingle |
éducation humanités université évaluation enseignement supérieur américain exigences notation port d’arme education humanities university assessment American higher education requirements grading firearms Tardieu, Claire An A or Your Life! |
| description |
This paper focuses on the issue of assessments, i.e. requirements and grading, in an American university. It addresses the following questions: What are the main features of assessments in the English department at the University of Texas at Austin (UTA)? Are there any factors that put pressure on professors and force them to raise grades? Methodologically, we first analyzed the online descriptions of all the English courses offered during the 2019 Spring semester. This quantitative analysis highlights the main features of assessments in the context of this university and makes it possible to confront them with the issues of reliability and fairness (McMillan 1999). Then, we conducted a qualitative analysis of six interviews of professors who explained how they evaluate and grade their students. This second type of data analysis allows us to discuss the issue of validity (Cronbach & Meehl 1955; McMillan 1999), as well as that of fair grading. To what extent do the interviewees feel forced to raise grades and why? Is the firearm issue in Texas a relevant factor? Finally, a case study focuses on an upper-division course of English Romantic Poetry given by the present researcher to a class of 26 undergraduate students (of all levels: freshmen and seniors) majoring in English or other subjects, which investigates the possibility of formatting a valid course that generates higher grades. |
| author |
Tardieu, Claire |
| author_facet |
Tardieu, Claire |
| author_sort |
Tardieu, Claire |
| title |
An A or Your Life! |
| title_short |
An A or Your Life! |
| title_full |
An A or Your Life! |
| title_fullStr |
An A or Your Life! |
| title_full_unstemmed |
An A or Your Life! |
| title_sort |
a or your life! |
| publisher |
Angles |
| publishDate |
2021 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.3517 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/angles/3517 |
| _version_ |
1877293731610099712 |