Do you think lecturers are biased in marking essays?

Often lecturers in highly contentious areas like politics, philosophy and sociology, will teach modules they support rather than critique. For example, often theology lecturers are religious or gender lecturers are feminists or animal ethics lecturers are vegans, etc. Is it possible to be completely impartial in these very topical, highly debated and subjective areas? Wouldn't there be something in you, even sub-consciously, that would give a lower mark to someone who brilliantly critiqued your views than someone who brilliantly supported them?

I suppose the flip-side is also worth asking: as a student, are you better off choosing modules with lecturers that support your opinion? If, say, an MA Politics student is counting on a distinction for hope of PhD funding, is it really in his best interest to choose a module on feminism taught by a feminist or philosophy of religion module taught by a Muslim if he disagrees with many of their fundamental positions?

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Reply 1

beautifulbigmacs

Damn good question.

It's all subjective but you do have a point.

Reply 2

Desi_Scotsman

In my personal opinion, writing style, writing eligibility and general engagement/participation in tutorials plays a somewhat role in essay marking.

The rest I would assign to knowledge and experience in essay writing.

Reply 3

Little Popcorns

I would say so yeah. It's pretty obvious but still covert in the sense that if you asked a lecturer are you biased they'd likely give you a look of scorn and carry on and ramble on in a biased yet informed way. Being biased isn't necessarily a bad thing though depends what you're biased for/against and whether you're so focused on your argument that you are basically narrow minded about the topic but that's obviously rare in academia as you can't make it to the top if you lack the ability to at least acknowledge and discuss alternative positions.

Reply 4

SophieSmall

I have heard of quite a few "horror stories" if you will of students being unfairly marked down or even failed on work for having differing beliefs/opinions to the marker as opposed to not actually producing good work. And I think it is an issue that needs to be seriously addressed when it comes up....unfortunately universities often don't want to discipline their staff for unprofessional behaviour.

Thankfully I do a STEM course, so there are very few biases or opinions I have to worry about when it comes to work. It's either scientifically sound or it's not. We also have anonymous marking at my university so lecturers can't bias towards student they like or mark down students they don't like.

Reply 5

macromicro

Original post by SophieSmall

What do you think the solution is?

Another concern is not simply the grading but the teaching beforehand. Lecturers may impose their own views on their students - almost a form of indirect indoctrination. If a lecturer shows intolerance for critique, then it's a breeding ground for imposed views. It has become such a problem in US colleges that the University of Chicago had to explicitly state in its welcome letter to new students that it did not support "trigger warnings" nor "safe spaces" - two concepts borne out of these subjects like gender, sexuality, religion and race where professors may be showing a bias and limiting freedom of speech.

I'll be teaching my first undergrad module this year (Political Philosophy) and the first thing I will do is reiterate these concerns to the students, i.e. that my class will involve endless critique, defending of your position with evidence, and you may say anything you please so long as it is rational, evidenced, and not fundamentally hate speech. I wonder how many lecturers do this on the first class of their module? I've only been inspired to by Chicago and seeing how much bias can have an impact on how students learn and how they are graded.

Original post by SophieSmall

We also have anonymous marking at my university so lecturers can't bias towards student they like or mark down students they don't like.

Although that goes out the window as soon as a student sends them a draft or hands in a formative version. And at masters level, at least for my subject, anonymous marking no longer occurred because we developed our own essay titles with the professor's supervision, plus it is obvious for them to know whose work an essay is due to the small groups.

Reply 6

macromicro

Original post by Little Popcorns

Being biased isn't necessarily a bad thing though depends what you're biased for/against and whether you're so focused on your argument that you are basically narrow minded about the topic but that's obviously rare in academia as you can't make it to the top if you lack the ability to at least acknowledge and discuss alternative positions.

Biased means "unfairly prejudiced". It can only be a bad thing for academia.

Reply 7

ChaoticButterfly

That's why I did a physics degree.

It takes it away from the human to an extent.

Although ti still exists. I dunno what would happen if you answered all your quantum mechanics stuff in a none Copenhagen Interpretation way.

Reply 8

john2054

Original post by macromicro

They are biased, but this can work both ways. If you lecturer doesn't think you are up to scratch, you can expect a d cap. Conversely if you make friends with them, the skies the limit! PS I know that essays are double marked, but generally speaking the second marker agrees with the first. This is what i have found anyway with my ba.

Reply 9

macromicro

Original post by john2054

Do you think this is acceptable though?

Could it be improved?

Reply 10

john2054

Original post by macromicro

Do you think this is acceptable though?

Could it be improved?

Yes i think it is fine. You just have to learn how to work the system, that is all.

Reply 11

macromicro

Original post by john2054

Yes i think it is fine. You just have to learn how to work the system, that is all.

You don't think it's better for your work to be assessed on merit alone rather than influenced by your ability to brown-nose?

Reply 12

john2054

Original post by macromicro

You don't think it's better for your work to be assessed on merit alone rather than influenced by your ability to brown-nose?

I am just talking from personal experience. Obviously it also helps if you have an industrial work ethic! Which seeing as i attended 99% of my lecures, and read most of the required reading, i did. What year are you in btw mm?

Reply 13

Klix88

Original post by macromicro

What do you think the solution is?

My current uni last year introduced "perceived bias" as grounds for an academic appeal by a student. Before this, they could only appeal a mark if they felt that the formal process (marking scheme etc) hadn't been observed.

Whilst no silver bullet, this at least allows students to have their claims of bias examined by a team of academics from a different department. They are deemed less likely to be 'distracted' by *what* is being said and will concentrate purely on the academic aspects of *how* it is being presented e.g. quality of argument, referencing etc. They can compare their assessment with the original marker's comments to understand why they may have diverged and whether a full independent remark is justified.

Anonymous marking via electronic hand-in has removed an element of potential personal bias for or against particular individuals, but there are still things like presentations and group work where anonymity isn't feasible. The appeals process applies to that type of situation as well.

The Student Union were involved in putting the policy together, they're permitted to advise and support students (as they would in any other appeal) and they promote the new policy with the support of the uni. Whilst it's never going to be perfect, it seems to be a major step in the right direction.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 14

Asolare

Original post by SophieSmall

We also have anonymous marking at my university so lecturers can't bias towards student they like or mark down students they don't like.

I haven't been to uni yet so sorry if this is a stupid question, but if your essays are marked as anonymous how do they know who to give the grade back to? :tongue:

Reply 15

macromicro

Original post by john2054

Sorry, I didn't mean that as an insult - I'm sure your work produced was of a high standard, but the question still stands: generally, isn't it better that our work is only graded on its own merits and not at all from external influences like our relationship with our lecturer?

Starting 2nd year PhD.

Reply 16

john2054

Original post by macromicro

Did you have to do a masters, and what is the title of your Phd? pm me if you like?

Reply 17

macromicro

Original post by Inexorably

I haven't been to uni yet so sorry if this is a stupid question, but if your essays are marked as anonymous how do they know who to give the grade back to? :tongue:

Student number.

Reply 18

Klix88

Original post by macromicro

often theology lecturers are religious

"Often" they aren't though. I've known five and they were all on a sliding scale of polite agnosticism to raging atheist! They didn't see it as their job to promote or impose their world view, but to allow their students to develop their own.

To be human is to be biased and a professional lecturer will be sufficiently self-aware that they can overcome their own bias when teaching. If they can't, then students should be complainng formally through their Student Union. The level of bias you describe wouldn't have been tolerated at my unis. Indeed, there was a member of staff who left under just such a cloud the year before I started my undergrad degree and caused a major legal stink - the uni was so keen to get him out of the door as fast as possible, that they didn't follow the letter of employment law.

Reply 19

Klix88

Original post by Inexorably

I haven't been to uni yet so sorry if this is a stupid question, but if your essays are marked as anonymous how do they know who to give the grade back to? :tongue:

When you start, every student gets their own unique student number. You submit your coursework electronically using that number instead of your name, and your mark is returned to you using that system. Lecturers only find out who has which student number, when final degree grades are issued.