Science Court

SciCourt is a science-based mock trial system designed to promote democracy by investigating controversial societal issues in front of a citizen jury. #scicourt

[Science Court @scicourt]

The final blog post is now up! For more details on the trial and verdict, check it out here:

https://t.co/DPuJFx2Abz

[Science Court @scicourt]

And the verdict is...

The jury choose their own proposal! Using rubrics and blind assessments where possible. Retaking any courses for a better grade, increasing Pass/Fail credits, banning normative grading, and recommending a more diverse student and instructor body!

[Science Court @scicourt]

I'll note that it is Ileana, not Illeana. Sorry for the previous misspellings.

[Science Court @scicourt]

On to closing statements for the day!
For Reform, Ileana summarizes the proposal by saying the science shows A-F grading isn't perfect, and reform has been needed throughout history. Blind grading and rubrics, Yale grades, and retaking failed courses are the changes we need.

[Science Court @scicourt]

On that note, thanks for following along with our trial!

Stay tuned as we'll be posting the jury's final deliberation on Tuesday April 26th!

[Science Court @scicourt]

For Refine, Keegan starts off by explaining his thoughts on why Reform plans won't work, and why Refine's package can make a meaningful difference in the lives of students at UMN.

[Science Court @scicourt]

In their final summary statements, both Thomas and Taylor brought the focus back to their original points and how they are still effective for graduate schools and employers.

[Science Court @scicourt]

Our final session, from Jaxon Hill, focuses on how grades function with higher institutions, such as graduate schools and employers.

[Science Court @scicourt]

From the first economics session, Thomas highlights the fact teacher training hasn't been covered in depth and may not be backed up by science.
Whereas Taylor says the Yale Model and Blind grading would be unfamiliar to faculty as well. "You need to be taught the basics."

[Science Court @scicourt]

What affects the reputation of a university? Would having an alternative grading system impact accreditation or reputation?
Intelligent students and professors, prestigious programs, and other factors are all on the list. But grading system is not.

[Science Court @scicourt]

And now to look at the feasibility of some of these proposals, Manashri Bhor wil discuss grading on a 50k student scale.

[Science Court @scicourt]

According to Brindavani's research, this is because student performance relies on overall class performance.

[Science Court @scicourt]

"There is not much of a pedagogical benefit to grading on a curve. It's inherently unequal."

[Science Court @scicourt]

And now, Brindavani Mudhapati will speak about the intersection of ethics and current grading policies.

[Science Court @scicourt]

Taylor: "I fully acknowledge that the research does not support a change in behavior, however this is more of a societal issue, which cannot be done with a single approach to grading. But this is considered a step in the right direction."

[Science Court @scicourt]

Thomas: "The research does not support that bias training is effective in terms of grading."

[Science Court @scicourt]

However, this might not necessarily change behavior in the long run.

[Science Court @scicourt]

Since the Refine Team is proposing an increase in funding for bias training, is it going to be helpful?

Claire: "Poorly designed implicit bias training can actually increase it, but a well-designed training can be effective."
And there's a lot of literature on how to design one.

[Science Court @scicourt]

For the first of our Equity/Ethic sessions, Claire Lister will discuss how the current grading impacts everyone in different ways.

[Science Court @scicourt]

Illeana: "Which grading styles are correlated with higher intrinsic motivation"

Roj answered that question by explaining since descriptive grading methods are more structured and detailed in their feedback to students, they tend to be associated with higher motivation,