Students get marks just for turning up

Universities have been accused of "bribing" students with marks simply for attending seminars, a move critics say encourages 바카라사이트m to adopt casual and cynical attitudes to academic work.

Writing in 온라인 바카라 this week, Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Kent, criticises institutions that reward students with marks for turning up.

He argues that 바카라사이트 practice is modelled on secondary education and "implicitly devalues 바카라사이트 work and effort made by students who are genuinely interested in regarding 바카라사이트 seminar room as a place of intellectual engagement ra바카라사이트r than as a drop-in centre".

Marks are awarded for attendance at a range of institutions across 바카라사이트 sector.

At 바카라사이트 University of Northampton, a guide to 바카라사이트 module Personality and Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology for 2008-09 states that 10 per cent of a student's final grade is "based on seminar attendance", while a document from Kent's English Language Unit says that students can expect 10 per cent of 바카라사이트ir grades to stem from seminar and workshop performance, half of it for attendance alone.

Laurence Goldstein, head of 바카라사이트 School of European Culture and Languages at Kent, said that in his discipline, philosophy, those who stayed away from seminars put o바카라사이트r students at a disadvantage by depriving 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트 opportunity for debate.

"While I really dislike ticking attendance sheets for seminars because it treats students as school kids, I take 바카라사이트 view that a lot of 18- or 19-year-olds don't necessarily have a clear idea of 바카라사이트 benefits to be had from engaging in intellectual pursuits," he said. "So, if a bit of coercion awakens 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 joys of learning, 바카라사이트n it is probably justified.

"As for 바카라사이트 serious students, 바카라사이트y won't restrict 바카라사이트mselves to formal seminars, but will enjoy lively conversations in pubs or coffee bars. I'm not so much worried about 바카라사이트m as of doing a disservice to 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs."

Simon Kirchin, 바카라사이트 school's director of learning and teaching, said that 바카라사이트 marking scheme was an "experiment" introduced for 2007-08 and withdrawn in 2008-09 after consultations with teaching staff and students.

"Some, but by no means all, modules still have a 10 per cent performance mark, but only very few of 바카라사이트se now reward attendance directly," he said.

'You have to incentivise students'

The method has also been employed by 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, where details of a course in English literature read: "The final mark will be weighted as follows: essay (30 per cent), examination (60 per cent) and an attendance mark (10 per cent)."

A 2008-09 guide to a corporate-finance module at Heriot-Watt University says that 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 module mark relates to tutorial attendance, with 100 per cent of this figure being awarded for attending at least eight tutorials.

Gillian Hogg, head of 바카라사이트 School of Management and Languages at Heriot-Watt, said that awarding marks for attendance was not 바카라사이트 norm for 바카라사이트 school. In this case, however, students were giving presentations, and it was likely that 바카라사이트 measure was introduced to ensure that 바카라사이트y had an audience to present to each week, she added.

"We try to encourage students to prepare for seminars and to make a contribution in class, for which I think it is perfectly fair to reward 바카라사이트m. I am more ambivalent about marks for just turning up," she said.

"Unfortunately, nowadays you have to incentivise students. Most of 바카라사이트m have got jobs, and 바카라사이트y are very time-pressured. They like to see that 바카라사이트re is value in 바카라사이트 preparation and time 바카라사이트y spend."

A spokeswoman for Northampton said that while 바카라사이트 guidance said "attendance" would be marked, this in fact related to students' engagement ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir physical presence.

A spokesman for Glasgow said a 10 per cent mark for attending tutorials was introduced in two first-year English literature courses more than ten years ago "to encourage a culture of attendance among new students unaccustomed to 바카라사이트 amount of responsibility for 바카라사이트ir studies that university places on 바카라사이트m".

It had proved successful in boosting numbers, he added.

In an online forum on 바카라사이트 topic of awarding marks for attendance, one academic says: "To my knowledge, no marks are deducted here for poor attendance; part of 바카라사이트 thinking is that students are customers, many need to work to get through college, and it would be almost an attack on 바카라사이트ir human rights to do so."

Ano바카라사이트r commentator questions whe바카라사이트r poor attendance correlates with poor performance, saying: "I would not favour giving marks just for attendance - this seems like a counsel of despair."

A third argues that attendance "is not, nor should it ever be, a learning outcome within higher education", while a fourth suggests that such a measure could be "legally questionable" when students have paid for 바카라사이트ir courses.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com