The following article was taken from U. Magazine, January/February, 1997:
Washburn University, Kansas
The extra credit question on an intro psych. exam at Washburn proved some students are extra out-of-it. Professor Steven J. Kirsch asked this of his two classes: Can you identify the first or last name of the professor teaching this class ? Of the 106 students who took the exam, 32 flunked the question. Test takers who knew the prof's name scored, on average, six percentage points higher than those who didn't. Big surprise.
Many professors believe they have the right to increase their SET scores, even if learning decreases and the other professors' SET scores decrease. The motto "all is fair in love, war and teaching" is the direct result of the wide spread reliance on invalid SET scores by administrators and students.
Society for a Return to Academic Standards
Last Updated: 28 February 1997
