Because if the next cohort is simply performing better you force some students to be graded below their performance, which is unfair punishment, and if they’re worse then some will be graded higher. It’s especially unfair when the composition of students changes rapidly or when used over very mixed groups of students.
Grading should be decided based on achieved learning targets, not group rank. It’s not a fucking sport.
How does it harm students? A curve is only used if the grade distribution is below expectations. All it does is cover for a bad test or something.
Because if the next cohort is simply performing better you force some students to be graded below their performance, which is unfair punishment, and if they’re worse then some will be graded higher. It’s especially unfair when the composition of students changes rapidly or when used over very mixed groups of students.
Grading should be decided based on achieved learning targets, not group rank. It’s not a fucking sport.
I’ve never heard of a curve being used to adjust scores downward, only to adjust them upward.
I’ve seen dozens of examples