School without grades? A novel thought!

At colleges and universities lately, officials have been toying with the unthinkable: Should we do away with a grading system that's been around for decades? Most are saying a move like this is long overdue, according to a recent article from Inside Higher Ed.

Some schools have already implemented a new system where students evaluate themselves. The only problem is that it means a whole lot more work for professors, which most are traditionally unwilling to consider.

In contrast, CollegePlus! students and others using accelerated distance learning have already dispensed with grades for the most part. They still receive letter grades from online coursework but their credit by exam studies are pass/fail. And they pass the exams with little trouble when given the tools to study with.

Some have wondered if having few grades on college transcripts are prohibitive to entering graduate programs. Those using credit by exam haven't run into any problems getting into the master's programs of their choice. In fact, according to Inside Higher Ed, "Most prestigious law schools have moved away from traditional letter grades." Once again, accelerated distance learning is a cutting edge technique that outdistances America's obsolete college system.

Posted by Shawn Cohen