U-M finds students with alphabetically lower-ranked names receive lower grades (record.umich.edu)

Article summary

A study found that students with alphabetically lower-ranked names tend to receive lower grades, possibly due to graders' fatigue or changing expectations as they grade papers in alphabetical order. The effect is significant, but some commenters argue it is relatively small. The study's findings have implications for how grades are assigned and the potential for bias in the grading process. The discussion revolves around possible explanations and solutions to this issue.

Main themes

• Grading bias
• Alphabetical order effect
• Grader fatigue
• Randomization as a solution
• Subjective grading
• Educational fairness

What commenters say

• Randomizing the order of papers to grade can help mitigate the bias against students with alphabetically lower-ranked names, but it may not completely eliminate the problem.
• The effect of grader fatigue and changing expectations as they grade papers in alphabetical order is a significant contributor to the observed bias.
• Some argue that the effect size of the bias is relatively small and may not be noticeable in individual cases, but can still have a significant impact when accumulated over multiple assignments and classes.
• Enforced randomization of the grading order may not be a perfect solution, as it only distributes the problem evenly, rather than addressing the underlying issue of grader fatigue and subjective grading.
• The use of clear rubrics and calibration tests can help reduce the subjective nature of grading and minimize the impact of bias.
• Others suggest that the problem is not with the grading order, but with the fact that grading is subjective and prone to bias, and that a more fundamental change in the grading system is needed.
• Some commenters argue that the bias can be mitigated by re-randomizing the order for every assignment, so that no student is consistently disadvantaged.
• The issue highlights the need for educators to be aware of their own biases and to take steps to minimize their impact on the grading process.