Grading System in Higher Education During The COVID-19 Pandemic
An important note:
The assignment instructions is quite simple, the objective is to talk about an issue and
outline two theoretical approaches to understand the issue better. Another objective as well is to
talk about the theories in depth, so I don’t expect you and it is a big NO for you to add more
theories out of nowhere or sources in Theory A, Theory B, and Argument of Preference sections.
You will just fail the course! Also please pay attention to whatever you’re writing, don’t make
statements or assumptions, everything you present have to be based on theories! I will provide you
the theories you can use so you must read them in depth in order to be able to write in depth.
The only time you can source from other sources of your preference apart from what I’ve given is for
the introduction and issue part (I expect you to add more sources of news and or sources if
necessary). Please read all of the materials I attached, you wouldn’t be able to go in depth if you
don’t read them all, take your time please.
Please read everything below before you start to comprehend the outcome and expectation! Also
pay more attention to the bold and red sentences.
Instructions:
The assessment for this course will consist of a critical essay of 4,000-4,500 words
(maximum) addressing the following task:
Choose a contemporary educational issue that interests you and explain why it matters with
reference to social justice and equity models and principles. Draw on both primary and
secondary sources to outline two theoretical approaches from the course that could
contribute to a deeper understanding of this issue. Explain how each theory’s concepts and
arguments might relate to your issue. From this analysis, build an argument for why one
approach offers more explanatory power for this particular issue.
This assessment task is designed to walk you through the phases involved in theoretical work
behind any good piece of educational research or scholarship. This kind of thinking might
help in your dissertation as well.
We can break this assignment into three steps:
• Step 1 Choose a contemporary educational issue that interests you and explain why it
matters with reference to social justice and equity models and principles.
• Step 2 Draw on both primary and secondary sources to outline two theoretical
approaches from the course that could contribute to a deeper understanding of this
issue. Explain how each theory’s concepts and arguments might relate to your issue.
• Step 3 From this analysis, build an argument for why one approach offers more
explanatory power for this particular issue.
It will help to structure your paper into these sections, using headings and sub-headings and
paragraphing to organise clear purposeful steps in your argument.
Here’s some guidance for each step: Step 1: Choose a contemporary educational issue that
interests you, and explain why it matters with reference to social justice and equity models
and principles. Think about educational questions or problems that intrigue or worry you.
Choose an issue that involves some dimension or problem of social justice and equity. Social
justice and equity were presented in the first lecture as the core values and ever-present theme
that cut across all other theoretical themes in educational theory. However, don’t forget that
the topic of social justice and equity has its own theoretical debates, and competing models.
Any thinking in educational research will need to consider social justice and equity and
reflect on how to theorise these values as necessary context for this first step.
In your paper be sure to briefly outline your particular issue of interest, how social justice and
equity are implicated, then explain or justify why both your problem matters in the field of
education.
“So, for this assignment I am interested in the grading system in higher
education during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether now would be the time
to implement a pass/fail assessment. This is social justice and equity problem
because not only today’s grading system creates a border to the access to
employment; it also creates competition, stress, and loss of innocence. These
outcomes are not likely in line with the purpose of education in general. What I
have in mind is to find out about these questions; Can we really expect to grade
people under the current conditions, and if, not is it appropriate to move more generally
to pass/fail in HE? Surely if all have met the entry requirements, a further grade is not
necessary? Or is it, does it reflect hard work and ability?”
Step 2: Draw on both primary and secondary sources to outline two theoretical approaches
from the course that could contribute to a deeper understanding of this issue. Explain how
each theory’s concepts and arguments might relate to your issue.
Select two or more theoretical approaches that have been introduced in the course under the
same theme. Use the recommended course readings to get started, before branching out.
Remember, it’s not how many references you include, but how deeply you understand the
theory. The word count does not include your references for this assignment.
It is important that you include both PRIMARY sources and SECONDARY sources:
• Primary sources (the primary texts) are the original texts by the theorists we have
studied, such as Bourdieu, Nussbaum, Durkheim, Marx, Foucault, and Ball. These can
be difficult but it is important at Masters level that you start to work with primary
texts.
