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Group coursework awarded very low mark due to Lecturer bias

Hiya,

I received the mark of my group coursework and I was not very pleased. Providing the effort put in to it, I know for a fact it is not worth a 3rd class.
Especially when the module leader didn't provide valuable information on how to approach the piece of work, we were clueless going forward.

Also, I missed a group presentation (no one else in my group could make it) and I emailed the day before, as I was ill. The module leader replied and the tone of the email was very rude (was expected tbh).

Anywho, we got zero for that part and that was a small % of the overall mark, which was fine. The plan was to do well in the report anyway.

The report was completed with help from a previous group and I'm sure they received at least a 2:2 for it.

So the only possible explanation for such a low mark is that the module leader who marked it directly or may have had some influence over the marking, marked it with some sort of negative bias.


I know this is a big accusation, I just want to know what can be done in this situation.

Thanks
Original post by MelaninOverload

So the only possible explanation for such a low mark is that the module leader who marked it directly or may have had some influence over the marking, marked it with some sort of negative bias.


Or that it wasn't very good?

If you haven't already, ask for feedback on the work to help you understand where you went wrong.
Original post by MelaninOverload
Hiya,

I received the mark of my group coursework and I was not very pleased. Providing the effort put in to it, I know for a fact it is not worth a 3rd class.
Especially when the module leader didn't provide valuable information on how to approach the piece of work, we were clueless going forward.

Also, I missed a group presentation (no one else in my group could make it) and I emailed the day before, as I was ill. The module leader replied and the tone of the email was very rude (was expected tbh).

Anywho, we got zero for that part and that was a small % of the overall mark, which was fine. The plan was to do well in the report anyway.

The report was completed with help from a previous group and I'm sure they received at least a 2:2 for it.

So the only possible explanation for such a low mark is that the module leader who marked it directly or may have had some influence over the marking, marked it with some sort of negative bias.


I know this is a big accusation, I just want to know what can be done in this situation.

Thanks


Honestly - you sound like trouble. The work was awarded a third class mark because it wasn't good enough to receive higher. Throwing around accusations of bias just makes you sound petulant. Unless you have a specific academic reason why the work you submitted should have been marked higher, there is nothing you can do, apart from perhaps improve the standard of your work so it receives better marks.
Original post by chazwomaq
Or that it wasn't very good?

If you haven't already, ask for feedback on the work to help you understand where you went wrong.


The coursework was fine. Like I said, there was hardly information available regarding how to approach this work.

I am not asking for a spectular grade, I just want to find out what can be done in this situation.

The module leader in question is unapproachable and condescending, but I have thought about requesting feedback. At the same time, I understand the feedback is practically non-existent in my department.

Other situations have occurred which I will not be going into and I have every reason to think what I thought. I wouldn't just make this allegation on a whim.
Original post by Reality Check
Honestly - you sound like trouble. The work was awarded a third class mark because it wasn't good enough to receive higher. Throwing around accusations of bias just makes you sound petulant. Unless you have a specific academic reason why the work you submitted should have been marked higher, there is nothing you can do, apart from perhaps improve the standard of your work so it receives better marks.


Firstly, I am not trouble. This is absolutely uncalled for.

Secondly, I wouldn't make up such an accusation for the sake of it. I understand the full extent of the situation and I was only trying to find out what can be done.
Original post by MelaninOverload
Firstly, I am not trouble. This is absolutely uncalled for.


I didn't say you were trouble. I said you sounded like trouble. There's a difference.

Have you formally appealed your mark?
Original post by Reality Check
I didn't say you were trouble. I said you sounded like trouble. There's a difference.

Have you formally appealed your mark?


Fair enough, difference acknowledged. Although 'sounded like trouble' implies I am trouble/displaying troublesome characteristics (to me anyway).

I still maintain my stance, it's absolutely uncalled for.

I haven't, I'm waiting for feedback.
Original post by MelaninOverload
Hiya,

I received the mark of my group coursework and I was not very pleased. Providing the effort put in to it, I know for a fact it is not worth a 3rd class.
Especially when the module leader didn't provide valuable information on how to approach the piece of work, we were clueless going forward.

Also, I missed a group presentation (no one else in my group could make it) and I emailed the day before, as I was ill. The module leader replied and the tone of the email was very rude (was expected tbh).

Anywho, we got zero for that part and that was a small % of the overall mark, which was fine. The plan was to do well in the report anyway.

The report was completed with help from a previous group and I'm sure they received at least a 2:2 for it.

So the only possible explanation for such a low mark is that the module leader who marked it directly or may have had some influence over the marking, marked it with some sort of negative bias.


I know this is a big accusation, I just want to know what can be done in this situation.

Thanks


You can make an official complaint and request a remark. the rules will be on the website or you can go and see an advisor at the SU.

Making allegations is serious business so you'd better have your evidence ready.

Impossible to say without looking at the evidence.

The fact that an entire group couldnt make a presentation they had advance notification for seems odd. If I was seriously ill, then I am almost certain (95%+) that I would have arranged another time to do this or been excused. Any reasonable department would take this into account.

You also need to be careful about how you talk about working with the other group because that sounds like potential collusion. If that were so, then youd have a lot more to worry about than a third.
The most likely outcome here is that you just didn't do very well on the written report and when you combine that with missing the presentation (even if it was only 5-10% it would have dropped your grade considerably to get a 0) got a really low grade.

It's very normal at uni to have very little direction or information given on assignments. There were plenty of things I wrote during uni while thinking I could get anything from a fail to a 1st cos I was just making it up as I went along. They often want you to use some initiative and see what you can produce without being spoon fed.

As for working with another group. I agree with Tigger, do not tell them that. You're lucky that it hasn't been picked up as collusion already if you believe your work was similar enough that you should have got the same grade. Either way, I've chatted about my general essay plan/approach with people before and still got a much better grade than them - small details in writing style and so on can make a big difference to the overall finished product. I would also always hold back a couple of my best ideas so my essay stood out, they may have done this too. Also, if you haven't thought it through properly yourself you may have got stuff muddled up based on second hand information/explanations.

I doubt that bias came into the marking as reports are usually blind marked and often not by the module leader plus your lecturer will be a professional even if you don't like her.

You can ask to appeal the grade if you genuinely have reasons to think it's not accurate but don't insult your lecturer without evidence and be prepared that your grade probably won't change.

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