Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 6-27-2025
Abstract
This paper argues that grades are bugs in our educational system, undermining desired behaviors and outcomes. Grades were introduced into higher education for purposes directly at odds with the goals of inclusive pedagogy today, as well as the neuroscience of human motivation and learning. Students enter computer science programs from increasingly varied backgrounds and experiences, and face a rapidly evolving landscape of prospective career paths while higher education costs in the United States are ever increasing. Computer science educators have a responsibility to adapt and carefully re-examine typical approaches to all aspects of the learning environments we build and curricula we execute. This paper aims to elevate conversations about assessment in STEM courses by drawing on strengths of a computer science perspective - problem solving and managing complexity. In keeping with the analogy of debugging, a metaphorical error log is presented, followed by considerations for possible fixes and concluding reflections on why debugging assessment is so important for computer science educators to meet the challenges of this moment and help restore higher education.
Original Publication Citation
Freitas, J. (2025). Grades are Bugs. Proceedings of the 30th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 1, 194–200. https://doi.org/10.1145/3724363.3729071
Digital Commons @ LMU & LLS Citation
Freitas, Jordan, "Grades are Bugs" (2025). Computer Science Faculty Works. 46.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cs_fac/46
