Discuss the pros and cons of coursework as a means of assessment
Title: Discuss the pros and cons of coursework as a means of assessment.
In different countries, there are different grading systems. Some of them may only have final examination as their only form of assessment; while others often involve a mixture of coursework and written examinations, like the United Kingdom. Recently, there has been lots of controversy surrounding whether coursework is an effective method of assessment. In this essay will focus on the pros and cons of coursework as a means of assessment. Let’s begin with discussing the advantages of having coursework as a means of assessment. Firstly, coursework can reduce the stress level of students. In countries that final examination is their only form of assessment, students have to study very hard to get a high grade. They are required to finish the paper within a limited time under an intense atmosphere. On the other hand, coursework gives plenty of time for students to analyze the topic and do research. It allows students to learn pressure-free. Secondly, students will put more effort in study. Since coursework carry some marks of the final result, students need to do each coursework seriously to strive for their best. Hence, students will study harder rather than just memorising the syllabus and forget it afterwards. Thirdly, more opportunities are given to students to do their best. It is not fair if only an examination is considered to determine what grade should be awarded to the student. For instance, students’ performance may be affected by illness during their examinations, whereas using coursework students would still have plenty of time to complete their work. Besides, if students did not do well in a particular coursework, they still have another chance to perform better to cover the fault.
Nevertheless, there still are some disadvantages of coursework. First, students may just copy information without thinking. Nowadays, the internet is very informative such that most
In different countries, there are different grading systems. Some of them may only have final examination as their only form of assessment; while others often involve a mixture of coursework and written examinations, like the United Kingdom. Recently, there has been lots of controversy surrounding whether coursework is an effective method of assessment. In this essay will focus on the pros and cons of coursework as a means of assessment. Let’s begin with discussing the advantages of having coursework as a means of assessment. Firstly, coursework can reduce the stress level of students. In countries that final examination is their only form of assessment, students have to study very hard to get a high grade. They are required to finish the paper within a limited time under an intense atmosphere. On the other hand, coursework gives plenty of time for students to analyze the topic and do research. It allows students to learn pressure-free. Secondly, students will put more effort in study. Since coursework carry some marks of the final result, students need to do each coursework seriously to strive for their best. Hence, students will study harder rather than just memorising the syllabus and forget it afterwards. Thirdly, more opportunities are given to students to do their best. It is not fair if only an examination is considered to determine what grade should be awarded to the student. For instance, students’ performance may be affected by illness during their examinations, whereas using coursework students would still have plenty of time to complete their work. Besides, if students did not do well in a particular coursework, they still have another chance to perform better to cover the fault.
Nevertheless, there still are some disadvantages of coursework. First, students may just copy information without thinking. Nowadays, the internet is very informative such that most