Fifteen years ago, Omega University implemented a new procedure that encouraged students to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of all their professors. Since that time, Omega professors have begun to assign higher grades in their classes, and overall student grade averages at Omega have risen by 30 percent. Potential employers, looking at this dramatic rise in grades, believe that grades at Omega are inflated and do not accurately reflect student achievement; as a result, Omega graduates have not been as successful at getting jobs as have graduates from nearby Alpha University. To enable its graduates to secure better jobs, Omega University should terminate student evaluation of professors.
Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
The speaker makes an excellent case that Omega University’s students have not benefited from the new evaluation procedure. She asserts that the Omega graduates have not been as successful at getting jobs as those from Alpha University, referencing statistics to back her claim. However, before one can discuss whether or not grades at Omega are indeed inflated, it is necessary to take a closer look at how Omega has implemented this new evaluation procedure.
According to the speaker, Omega implemented a new evaluation procedure in 1995 that encouraged every student to evaluate all the professors who taught classes. The evaluations were graded on a 1-5 scale that determined whether or not a professor should be included on the Honor Roll. This evaluation form was anonymous, which, according to the speaker, led to perfect grades for professors. However, the speaker does not provide evidence to support her claim, and her argument cannot hold water without evidence. An examination of Omega’s enrollment statistics over the past fifteen years shows that, although the student population has increased significantly, the number of professors has also increased. Thus, the number of professors who have received positive evaluations may have improved enough to outweigh decreased student evaluations.
Furthermore, the speaker does not provide any evidence that students generally enjoy evaluating their teachers. While students may perceive this process as beneficial, many professors may not welcome being judged by their students. The evaluation form that Omega used, for instance, contained several sections that students could fill out regarding how much they enjoyed a particular professor. Perhaps students did not fill out those sections, resulting in a biased evaluation of professors. Also, students may have filled in the evaluation form as a favor to a professor or filled out the evaluation form to curry favor with an administrator. In such cases, students’ evaluations might not be as accurate as they should be.
The speaker also asserts that grades at Omega have risen by 30 percent. While that statistic may be accurate, it does not tell the whole story. One of the ways that professors at Omega could improve their teaching is to assign more complex work. However, if students are being graded more harshly, that increase in difficulty may not increase grades. Instead, students may decide that they do not want to put in any more effort in the course, resulting in a decline in grades. Alternatively, if students are receiving higher grades, that is likely to result in them taking more challenging classes in the future.
It is apparent that the speaker does not present enough evidence in her argument. Without evidence, it isn’t easy to make judgments regarding the validity of her assertions. Without evidence, the statistics that she cites do not prove that grades at Omega are inflated. Furthermore, her claim that students are not benefiting from this evaluation procedure does not hold water. On balance, the speaker’s assertions do not prove her claim that grades at Omega are inflated.