Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on grade inflation in higher education in Turkey

Karadağ, Engi̇n

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0256688

Cited by 50 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Supriya et al (2021) [21] conducted a study in the United States comparing a traditional online biology course to an in-class biology course that transitioned to on-line; grades were slightly higher for both compared to previous semesters. Karadag (2021) [22] noted a small amount of grade inflation during COVID-19 as compared to previous semesters. Although students' grades were higher, students reported a negative impact on their learning, interactions with peers and instructors, feeling part of a campus community and career preparation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

College faculty experiences with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rogers

Reid²,

Byers³

et al. 2022

JNEP

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Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapid transition in operations for higher education institutions. The delivery of traditional teaching methods shifted to online instruction. Much of the research has explored student experiences during COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this project was to explore faculty experiences with COVID-19 in a Midwest state within the United States.Methods: The team utilized a convenience sample of faculty employed at colleges and universities in a Midwest state that taught in the spring of 2020. An email was sent to the faculty, informing them about the nature and purpose of the study and the criteria for participation along with a link to the survey. The survey was a 33-item online survey utilizing Qualtrics®.Results: The sample size for this study was N = 329. Majority of respondents (n = 89) felt that the transition to online learning was difficult. Lastly, common challenges reported were communication with students and peers and isolation.Conclusions: Understanding faculty experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential to future teaching curriculum. The majority of faculty felt that transition to online learning was difficult and affected their mental wellbeing. Communication with students was identified as the biggest challenge for faculty. Yet, faculty felt as though student grades were not affected. As future curriculum and faculty experiences are explored, an emphasis on improving student-faculty communication must be priority. Exploration regarding mental wellness services and resources should be considered for faculty within higher education institutions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

College faculty experiences with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rogers

Reid²,

Byers³

et al. 2022

JNEP

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“…Grade inflation has been reported across many aspects of higher education. With instructors potentially compensating for unforeseen negative circumstances (Karadag, 2021 ). Grade inflation has been a topic of conversation and academic study for many decades now (Astin, 1998 ; Eiszler, 2002 ; Popov & Bernhardt, 2013 ), but it is difficult to assess whether student attainment may have improved due to a reduction in their social life and other factors or due to differences in assessment grading.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID‐19 on student attainment and pedagogical needs when undertaking independent scientific research

Jeyapalan

James

Gardner

et al. 2022

Anat Histol Embryol

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Research is often an essential component of completing a veterinary medicine degree, with universities worldwide aiming to teach students a variety of techniques and general research comprehension and skills. As universities worldwide navigated the COVID‐19 pandemic, it was often necessary to move towards distance learning, this was employed for the research module at The University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science. Following completion of their independent research project, each student cohort was sent a student evaluation of the module questionnaire and quantitative and qualitative analysis was undertaken. In addition, assessment outcomes based on dissertation grade, supervisor grade and overall module score were analysed quantitatively. This was conducted on both the individual cohorts and between the pre‐ and peri‐pandemic groups, ranging from 2017–2018 through to 2021–2022 cohorts. The students received increased dissertation and supervisor grades (by nearly 6%) during the 2021–2022 peri‐pandemic cohort, when compared to the pre‐pandemic cohorts, but did differ significantly compared to the 2020–2021 cohort. The pre‐ and peri‐pandemic Likert‐scale ratings for module organisation and assessment criteria were similar, workload management and the ability to explore concepts and ideas was reduced in the peri‐pandemic cohorts, whereas the accessibility to resources was increased in the peri‐pandemic students compared to those taught prior to the pandemic. Student feedback can provide essential information when designing and managing research projects and when compared to assessment grades it can help us understand attainment, essential information when providing a quality university level education whilst supporting student welfare following the COVID‐19 pandemic.

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“…Nevertheless, recent findings related to the Covid-19 situational context of online teaching suggest an inflation of grades during this period. In a study by Karadag (2021), he found that the pandemic caused a marginal increase in grades in higher education in Turkey. Similarly, in another study, Sparks (2022) reported that students' grades ratcheted up in 2019 and the pace accelerated during the pandemic.…”

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 Online Instruction On Students' Gpa Scoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Dichotomization of Objective and Subjective Outcome Measures of Academic Performance in an Online Learning Environment

Singh

Anthonysamy

2023

Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction

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Purpose – Various recent studies are perplexed with the situation if subjective measures such as perceptions of learning reflect knowledge gains and whether they can be used as a surrogate for evidence of actual learning in an online learning environment. Due to a rising trend in current research studies interpreting perceptions of learning compared to actual learning as a measure of success, this study investigates the dichotomous measures of objective and subjective measures of academic performance in an online learning environment with selected predicted variables. This is followed by an investigation on the effect of online learning on students’ academic performance prior to and during the Covid environment. Methodology – This cross-sectional study employed a correlation design for the purpose of data collection among 382 universitystudents. The dependent variable of study comprised objective measures of CGPA scores while the subjective measures was basedon a composite score from perceived items in a questionnaire. The predictive independent variables included, i) satisfaction towardsonline learning, ii) online learning self-efficacy, iii) social interactive engagement in online learning, and iv) online learning environment. Findings – The findings showed an extremely weak and nonsignificant relationship between actual academic performance(GPA) and perceived academic performance in an online learning environment. A statistically significant increase was notable instudents’ academic performance through GPA scores before and during Covid-19 academic semester and this increase was prevalentamong low and intermediate achievers. Apart from environment, all other predictors were significant predictors of perceived academic performance. Engagement was a predictor for the subjective measure of CGPA scores. Significance – Subjective measures data should not be considered as knowledge gain, and it should be used cautiously as a surrogatefor evidence of actual learning. Educational research studies should be designed using more objective measures of learning ratherthan subjective measures in isolation as dependent variable. This should be seen as a caveat by policymakers in decision-making topractise consciousness in terms of judgemental modes employed in measurement and to exercise caution in collecting, analysing, andinterpreting subjective data.

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Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on grade inflation in higher education in Turkey

Cited by 50 publications

References 48 publications

College faculty experiences with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

College faculty experiences with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

Impact of COVID‐19 on student attainment and pedagogical needs when undertaking independent scientific research

The Dichotomization of Objective and Subjective Outcome Measures of Academic Performance in an Online Learning Environment

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