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Grade Inflation: Rescuing Students from Unrealistic Expectations

Grade inflation has been a drag on the quality of education for sometime and sets students up for future failure . The artificial , and often accidental , inflation of grades persists and does n’t appear to have an immediate resolution . Professors feel pressure to continue providing high grades despite its long-term damage to the student , the university , and future employers . Looking out for students requires holding the line on grade pressure . Its easy to give high grades when the benefits significantly outweigh the costs of holding students accountable for learning . Professors mentioned that grade inflation is a result of poor student evaluations, poor student-teacher relationships , financial aid requirements , and excessively high student expectations (Caruth & Caruth, 2013). Giving accurate grades comes with internal and external pressure to lower the standards. On the first day ,

Streets of Gold or Pathways to Poverty: Reviving America's Cities

Streets of gold look a little more like pathways to poverty . American cities have been on the decline for decades as investments diverted from urban areas to emerging countries that rolled out the red carpet . The infrastructure that was built when American cities were at the height of their economic might is still mostly intact waiting for visionary investors. Getting investment interest and better city governance can lead to mutual growth for business and job-hungry residents if the two can come to a mutual understanding . Pick any major city in the country and follow its historic rise and fall . You may notice that as people moved to the city , built homes , and invested their resources these collections of people grew in wealth and influence . The collective action of small and large investors created a synergy of growth that pushed profit margins to higher levels. Money , gove

Using Validity and Critical Thinking On a Daily Basis

On a daily basis , we hear claims of how this product leads to weight loss , how we should support someone’s awe-inspiring cause , and where we should be spending our time. Invalid arguments are familiar and knowing how to determine whether or not an argument is truthful can help us make choices that lead to better outcomes . Life is full of people who want you to buy something, sell something, get on a team , and convert to their cause . The list of invalid arguments are nearly endless.  Most of us come across inaccurate and invalid arguments that are designed to stir our emotions but have little substance . Knowing valid from invalid arguments helps us see the truth behind the words . An argument is valid if the premises are true , and the conclusion is not  false . Main points should lead to and support the conclusion . In situations where the premises are true but the conclusion is false th

Drop Out Rates: Should Traditional and Online Schools Have Their Own Rates?

Dropout rates are a primary concern for universities and governments that want to create accountability in higher education . How dropout rates are defined has a large impact on the future success of schools and may influence those that will be around in the future . Some have argued that the timetables and lack of understanding put online schools at a disadvantage under definitions more in tune with the needs of traditional schools . How Drop Out Rates are Defined The way in which dropout rates are set can make a large difference in the final rate . For example , if a dropout rate is by course level it will have one value while if it is calculated over a year , or two years , will have another . If calculated over longer periods of times the rates may capture students who bounce in and out of classes but have not given up on their education . When a student drops is confusing . The