Grading on MOOC

Use grading is a main way to assess students' performance in courses around the world. Certainly, it may have some tenable reasons for its long-term prevalence. From my view, grading is a most direct way to judge students' performance in studying process, especially in studying of science. Second, it gives people encouragements for their good performance, and  draws others'attentions who get lower scores. Third, it serves as a way of self-assessment.

However, it is not always a good thing. Grading is seen as opposite to  learning and curiosity, because it imparts the competitive feelings to people when they are learning. While, learning should be a deep pleasant which people are willing to carry on with them during a whole lifetime. Less people will like the feeling of competition which may bring nervousness, anxiety and maybe diffidence. These negative feelings could reduce people's willingness to study. Furthermore, some teachers and parents think highly of grades, which make students excessively emphasize their grades. This situation is not totally good, because students may overlook their practical abilities, or try to cheat in exam for a higher score,like people's discussion of plagiarized assignment on MOOCs . The worst situation is they just pay attention to grades and think it is the most important thing during their near 20 years of school life which is a great part of their lifetime. It is not rare in many country. Students strive for their exams using most of their time, and they give up and even never perceive their colorful childhood. It is not fair. I think it kills students' creativity and it is a way of using the authority  of so called general thinking which is formed in a long time to shape students' thoughts and behaviors. I think this problem may be not obvious in America, but it is really obvious in other countries. If I am a teacher, I don't like I will just use grades to assess my students, and I don't hope a lower scores will reduce someone's interest and confidence. I don't want my students feel that the process of study is too stressful. But it is seems difficult to realize.

In my micro-MOOC, I will use more comments instead of grades. I will also use the peer grading, but if you can complete all of the tasks you can get A. If you finish part of them, you may get B. Of course, if you have no time to do the work, you have no grades. However, I believe all of the students will learn something here, and the initiative is in your hand, you can choose participating more and obtaining  more, or participating less, and getting less. I totally think it is students' right to make this choice from their interests, hobbies, and considerations for themselves, especially on MOOCs. I think one of the differences between MOOC and school education is that learning is  freer and more voluntary on MOOC.