We first begin taking classes as children. It doesn't take long to catch onto the game: you go to class, receive information, prove your knowledge, and leave with a letter or number measuring your competency in that field. Regardless of what actually happens within a class, all anyone else cares about down the road is that grade. So, savvy students learn to focus on just achieving the highest grade possible for the least amount of work. It's a smart strategy that works. Your mind can be elsewhere all year as long as you ace those key tests. It's all a matter of working the system.
While the students push for that final grade, the teachers struggle to engage the class. Some people in academia think making their courses harder and more difficult to pass will encourage this engagement. However, a class full of F's does nothing to help either teacher or student. Perhaps it would help to look beyond grades to classes that challenge students in other ways. As a student, I can say the most engaging and intriguing classes have been those in which my final grade was not a huge concern. In other words, "easy A" classes play a crucial role in the educational system.
By "easy A," I do not mean a class that gives credit for zero effort. Instead, I refer to a class in which it is, simply put, easy to get an A. The material isn't necessarily easy, but the student knows how to achieve a high grade in this sort of class, and is able to do so with relatively little effort or anxiety.
My high school English teacher hated grading student work, so he designed a system where we practically graded ourselves. For each assignment, he told us exactly what we needed to do to earn an A, B, and so on. All we had to do, essentially, was to pick our desired grade and do the work as requested. He also took us through the school's requirements for the course and had us come up with our own ways of proving the various course goals. We were fine grade-wise as long as we did the work, but it was a challenge to think creatively about how to demonstrate skills such as multicultural communication (I wrote a poem in Elvish, if you were wondering). He remains my favorite teacher of all time because of the way he pushed us to develop our own understanding.
Classes such as these are a refreshing joy. They allow you to explore and play without fear of being wrong. Moreover, easy classes allow room for failure. When it feels like perfection is constantly being demanded, it is incredibly therapeutic to know you can mess up and still be OK. Making mistakes is a fantastic way to learn, but it puts a damper on things if those mistakes haunt you on your transcript.
Of course, higher level courses in a specific field need high standards and methods of determining competency within that area of study, but GUR's and intro level courses should not feel like a back-breaking burden. It is not uncommon to have lower level, three-credit courses take more time and effort than upper-division five-credit courses. Ideally, a 101 class makes you want to take more courses in that subject. No one is going to become an expert scientist by taking Biology 101, so why expect perfection? GURs are often not classes students necessarily want to take anyway, so the best way to draw them in is to make them more fun, not more demanding.
To the teachers out there, I would like to say this: please try not to kill your students. For real. Every person varies in terms of health, issues outside of class, interest, schedule, etc. The goal is to communicate in a way that speaks to each person. For many people, rigorous exams and tests do not fulfill that function. Let your students fail and grow without punishing them for being human.
And to students, take advantage of so-called "easy" classes. They are a gift, and should be treated as such. There is no need to be disrespectful of the teacher or being lazy with what work is given. Take the opportunity to have some fun, and maybe do some genuine learning along the way. It is amazing what you can achieve without grades constantly peering over your shoulder.
