An Immanent Machine: Reconsidering grades, historical and present

Abstract

At some point the mechanics of schooling begin running of their own accord. Such has become the case with grades (A's, B's, C's, etc.). This article reconsiders the history of grades through the concepts of immanence and abstract machines from the oeuvre of Deleuze and Guattari. In the first section, the history of grades as presently written until now is laid out. In the second, the concepts of immanence and abstract machines are described, and in the third section, problems are raised by reconsidering grades as machines (grade-machines).

Transfer Student Experiences and Identity Navigation in STEM: Overlapping Figured Worlds of Success

“…Likewise, high school students who feel pressured to do well on quantitative metrics of academic achievement may enact agency that rejects other opportunities for academic enrichment. High grades are a norm of success that rewards competence and mobilizes students toward the next stage of their educational trajectories (Tocci, 2010;McMorran et al, 2017). However, the pressure to achieve high grades may reduce student creativity, critical thinking, and the motivation to invest time and energy toward developing authentic academic and career interests.…”

Losing As and Fs: What works for schools implementing standards-based grading?

“…Several researchers credit Yale University as the first example of marking or grading systems, a 4.0 scale believed to influence the modern day grade point average system (Durm, 1993;Schneider & Hutt, 2013;Small, 1973;Weller, 1983). Prior to these more modern marking systems, colleges initially listed students by their family names and re-arranged order based on accomplishments and punishments (Tocci, 2008).…”

“…Fast forward to the mid and late 19th century, institutions such as the University of Georgia were beginning to sort students into categories such as high, medium, and deficient (Cureton, 1971). In 1877, Harvard began the practice of grading students using a 100-point scale (Durm, 1993;Tocci, 2008;Weller, 1983).…”

Imagined Worlds and Classroom Realities

“…Perhaps one of the biggest differences is a shifting understanding of performativity, which has become less about practising what one preaches and more about providing evidence that one is meeting externally generated standards (Ball, 2003(Ball, , 2012Connell, 2009;Kostogriz & Doecke, 2011;Ryan & Bourke, 2013;Tocci, 2010) [Ball, 2012 #569]. I like the language of the Australian Professional Teacher Standards, agree with the values that inform them and am pleased about moves to increase the professional standing of teachers.…”