Professional
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Our key paper on grade inflation in the IoT sector is entitled
Evidence of Grade Inflation
1994 - 2004 in the Institute of Technology Sector in Ireland. It quantifies the higher grades
obtained in National Certificates (now Higher Certificates), National Diplomas (now Ordinary Degrees)
and Honour’s Degrees in the combined Institutes of Technology (excluding DIT) over the period.
A consistent trend of grade increase is identified. For example, there was a 38% increase in the
award of distinctions in National Certificates and a 42% increase in National Diplomas, while for
Honours Degrees there was a 52% increase in the rate of first class awards over the eleven year period.
In Regulation Changes Contributing to Grade
Inflation: The NCEA/HETAC Case Study we describe the manner in which the National
Council for Educational Awards and its successor organisation, the Higher Education and Training Awards
Council, consistently altered its quality assurance regulations over the last two decades so as to make
it easier for students to obtain its qualifications and to obtain better grades. We analyse social, economic and institutional pressures contributing to grade inflation in The Causes of Grade Inflation in Ireland: An Exploration of Social and Institutional Pressures and Policy Choices. |