You say objective, we say subjective

You say objective, we say subjective

Editorial

Objectivity.It’s a word loaded with all sorts of implications. It’s held up as the ultimate goal of journalists, commentators – and teachers – everywhere. To sum it up, objectivity is looking at all sides of an issue, dissecting said issue, and rendering a wholly impartial judgment.However, the basic problem with objectivity is it sums things up in black and white. Shades of gray are not allowed in a truly objective world. While this may be fine in the worlds of math, sciences and engineering, it remains nearly impossible in other disciplines.Areas such as art, English, architecture – even journalism. While objectivity is the goal, it is almost impossible to not bring an element of subjectivity into play.The subjective grading policy has come to the forefront of discussion among the academic hierarchy here at Ohio State. Some support a policy which allows professors great leeway in how they grade their students. Others dispute this policy, claiming it hinders those students who are not “favorites” of their instructor.We believe the subjective grading policy is needed. Without it, this question persists:How do you quantify that which is not quantifiable?How do you assign a numerical value to an English paper? An art project? A newspaper article? Do you base the grade upon the number of references? The number of colors used? The number of sources quoted?It is easy to see how trying to grade a subjective subject matter – which languages, art and writing fall into – on an objective basis can lead to a morass of numbers which are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.Mark Twain once uttered a quote which summed up the subjective/objective argument almost perfectly. “There are three kinds of falsehoods in this world,” said Twain. “Lies, damn lies and statistics.”Grades fall under the realm of statistics. For every number someone gives to someone else, the someone else can give a number back which contradicts the first number.Therefore, it is hard to give a numerical grade to someone who submits a project that does not deal in the numerical world.The issue does not stop there, however. With subjective grading, human nature comes into play. It is true some professors allow their biases to influence subjective grades. It is also true that many do not. It is our hope subjective grading will not turn into a quagmire of favoritism and grade manipulation based on personal preferences. If that happens, the policy is pointless because it is not grading. It then turns into a system of evaluations based upon which students ingratiate themselves to their instructors, rather than a system of evaluations based upon which students satisfy the requirements of the class.Subjective grading is a necessary evil. Without it, shades of gray are shoehorned into a black-and-white world. This world, obviously, is not black and white. Shades of gray – and color – exist in our world. If we deny their existence, then we lose the creativity and differences that make our world interesting.The grading policy is important. What is much more important is instructors looking at students objectively and grades subjectively. That is our hope for this policy. It is also our hope for this world.Objectivity is almost impossible. Personal biases, however, should not come into play.