From The Sports Economist —
Here are the facts. President Swinton of Benedict, a historically black college in Columbia, South Carolina, instituted a grading policy whereby 60% of a freshman’s grade was to be based on “effort,” and 40% on performance. Effort is a subjective basis on which to grade, but elements which could be factored in were “attendance, completion of assignments and class participation.” One of the professors refused to change an F for a “student whose highest exam score was less than 40 percent”, claiming he could not pass a student who had clearly demonstrated he did not learn what was taught in the course.
Makes sense to me. We pay doctors and auto mechanics for effort (by the visit or by the hour) and not for results. Why not grade students that way?