Grading Can Be Capitalist, Racist, and Exploitative

Part Two: School as we know it — academic gamification

By Ken Shelton and Nadia Razi

We love games. Games are fun. Games are engaging. But, what constitutes a game? There is a definable set of rules. There is, more often than not, a clear winner and loser. Frequently, success is predicated on skills, talents, and often, luck. Under these circumstances, we know that if we put ourselves at a competitive advantage within that set of rules, we can increase our chances of success. However, what happens when the rules are arbitrarily applied and manipulated? Or when the participants engage in unscrupulous actions (sometimes we refer to this as cheating)? What happens when the “competitors” do not have access to the same, even necessary resources, to perform at their maximum potential? These same conditions can describe schools and are foundational bases for inequity within our educational systems.

School is a game. Grades and grading are a vital part of the “school game.” Rather than fostering academic achievement, we encourage academic gamification. We’ve all looked at required courses and identified the “easier” teacher to sign up for. We’ve seen students transferred from one class to another, and though both teach the same subject matter, the student’s grade changes…