TECHNICAL ISSUES IN GRADE-SCORE CONVERSIONS FOR A TRANSITION FROM NORM REFERENCING TO CRITERION REFERENCING
Wing Hung Wong, Kam Moon Pang, Shelly Liang Liao
Pages: 164-173
Published: 20 Oct 2023
DOI: 10.62991/EA1996132798
Views: 311
Downloads: 22
Abstract: Criterion referencing evaluates a student’s performance in an assessment against a predetermined set of goals and standards, while norm referencing measures a student’s performance by comparing it with the performance of other students. Although many universities in Asia-Pacific have already transited from the historically adopted norm referencing to criterion referencing, some technical issues have yet to be fully addressed. In this paper, we shall argue that the adoption of criterion referencing does not imply a dismissal of normal distribution and hence not norm referencing; and demonstrate an application of mathematical justifications to legitimating a grade-score conversion so as to avoid a rampant grade inflation or deflation during the transition from norm referencing to criterion referencing. This, in addition, leads to a reflection on the legitimacy of the linearity of Grade Point Average.
Keywords: criterion referencing; norm referencing; grade-score conversion; normal distribution; grade-score equivalence
Cite this article: Wing Hung Wong, Kam Moon Pang, Shelly Liang Liao. TECHNICAL ISSUES IN GRADE-SCORE CONVERSIONS FOR A TRANSITION FROM NORM REFERENCING TO CRITERION REFERENCING. Journal of International Scientific Publications: Educational Alternatives 21, 164-173 (2023). https://doi.org/10.62991/EA1996132798
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