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Grade inflation online.

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Title: Grade inflation online.
Authors: Chipere, Ngoni1 (AUTHOR) ngoni.chipere@open.uwi.edu
Source: Open Learning. Jul2026, Vol. 41 Issue 3, p328-346. 19p.
Subject Terms: *Grading of students, *Summative tests, *Online education, *Longitudinal method, Quantitative research, Multilevel models
Abstract: A longitudinal quantitative study was carried out at an online campus in the Anglophone Caribbean to investigate possible linkages between grade increase and coursework-only final assessments. Linear mixed-effects modelling of the relationship between the final mark and two fixed effects, assessment type and year, revealed a 9% advantage of assessment by coursework exclusively over assessment incorporating examinations. The modelling also revealed an unaccounted 1% annual rise in marks, amounting to a projected 15% increase over the 15 years from 2008 to 2023. The findings appear to favour grade inflation theory over grade improvement theory, raising questions about the growing prevalence of coursework-only final assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Open Learning is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: ehh
DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 194610891
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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  Data: Grade inflation online.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chipere%2C+Ngoni%22">Chipere, Ngoni</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> ngoni.chipere@open.uwi.edu</i>
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  Data: A longitudinal quantitative study was carried out at an online campus in the Anglophone Caribbean to investigate possible linkages between grade increase and coursework-only final assessments. Linear mixed-effects modelling of the relationship between the final mark and two fixed effects, assessment type and year, revealed a 9% advantage of assessment by coursework exclusively over assessment incorporating examinations. The modelling also revealed an unaccounted 1% annual rise in marks, amounting to a projected 15% increase over the 15 years from 2008 to 2023. The findings appear to favour grade inflation theory over grade improvement theory, raising questions about the growing prevalence of coursework-only final assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Open Learning is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/02680513.2026.2644919
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 328
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Grading of students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Summative tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Online education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Quantitative research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multilevel models
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Grade inflation online.
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            – D: 01
              M: 07
              Text: Jul2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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            – TitleFull: Open Learning
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