Children Quote by Douglas Wilson
““Now it makes sense, for example, if the children are taking a vocabulary test of 100 words, and one of the kids misses thirteen of them, to give him an 87 percent. But we go far beyond this. A student writes an essay on a sunset, let us say, and the teacher writes 87 percent at the top of that paper. What he is saying, in effect, is that there is a mathematical metaphor operative here. The figure of 87 is to 100 what this submitted essay is . . . to what? What on earth is this supposed to mean?””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture “Mathematics in Education”, 2018
Grading essays with a numeric score reduces complex work to a simple percentage, obscuring true value.
In simple terms: Assigning a single number to an essay hides its depth.
Key Takeaway
Seek richer assessment methods beyond percentages.
Themes
assessment
education
quantification
meaning
interpretation
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- teaching
- student feedback
- curriculum design
- policy making
- academic research
Key Concepts
pedagogy
philosophy of education
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternative assessment could capture essay quality?
- How do numeric grades affect student motivation?
A Different Perspective
Numbers can provide useful feedback when used appropriately.
