Thread by @angryhacademic

something #academics i think dont want to admit when it comes to marking #student work:
you quite often just *know* what the mark is & this seems to be quite reliable between markers
no amount of rubrics can define this & often these trap markers into box-ticking
#AcademicTwitter

would you agree?

i hate having to justify my mark based on a rubric; it is usually obvious who is a upper/middle/lower 1st, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd, or fail.

obvs the issue is bias without something "objective" but...

...i don't think the objectivity line helps as we just end up fitting our mark into the rubric rather than letting the rubric define the mark

students also hate the idea of not knowing what direction their work should go in. this is understandable, particularly for things like the marker's preferences which might unduly influence marks (though as above, marks typically are quite reliable between markers)

but i think if you can do a good piece of work with minimal guidance, then you are a better student than the one who can follow guidance to a tee. the guidance can often stymie creativity (that's how i felt at least)

freestyle marking sounds really scary (and i think it is more so in the marketised university) but i reckon it's downsides are overplayed, and the upsides of rubrics/similar are overplayed because clear guidance = happy students = £££ 🤔