We recently had a great PSEL sessionĀ about persuasionĀ and negotiation, which included a lively class debate. We were presented with a scenario: A student fails the first quiz in a course due to personal issues, but aces the remaining graded assignments and is active in class, displaying a better understanding of key topics than any other student in the course. However, her final grade is an 89, and the syllabus states that an A is awarded for a 90 and above. Do you, as the professor, award her an A, or a B? Why?
Each of us decided what WE would do and why, and we were then divided into groups based on that decision. Surprisingly, the class was split almost perfectly evenly, and both sides had strong opinions. However, in the end it became pretty obvious to me that a lot of the disagreement was centered around an assumption that we made (or didn’t make) based on the ambiguously worded scenario: did the student talk with the instructor early on to make them aware that there was a personal issue, and ask for help or advice on how to improve during the rest of the semester? Many of those who voted that she should receive an A believed that yes, she did communicate with the instructor, whereas many of those who voted that she should receive a B assumed that she made no effort to communicate and ask for help.
This discrepancy brought up two points in my mind: 1) communication is SO key in almost any situation; and 2) make sure you aren’t making a decision based on faulty assumptions. Many issues or conflicts can be avoided simply by keeping open lines of communication, and making sure that you have all the information before making a decision.
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