The University of Ghana has altered its student grading system to reflect the peculiarity of the time occasioned by the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), The Dean of Students of the university said.
Initially, assignments were marked over 30 per cent while the examination took 70 per cent. But consequently, the reverse will be the case. Grades for assignments will now be marked over 70 per cent, while the examination takes 30 per cent.
This is as a result of the limited time the students have to assimilate everything they have been taught within just seven weeks.
This alteration is mainly in response to the institution’s decision to split undergraduate students into two streams over the semester in the space of seven weeks instead of the usual 13 weeks in a semester. The alteration however will still maintain the quality of tuition and learning.
While disclosing this in an interview in Accra, the Dean of Students of the university, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, explained that more emphasis would now have to be placed on assignments because of the limited time the students would have for academic work.
He said the University management is convinced that the students “may not have enough time preparing for examinations, but when it comes to assignments, they will have enough time to do all the readings and the consultations to do proper work and submit for a bigger percentage mark.”
Prof. Bokpin assured students that in spite of the planned reduction in time for the semester, all their concerns have been taken into consideration and management has made the necessary adjustments for smooth academic work.
Typically a semester is defined by course credit hours and a three-credit course has three hours a week, Bokpin said, insisting that the students would not be short-changed in terms of contact hours.
“So what the modular system which is being used now means is that the contact hours per week is going to be doubled,” he said, adding that in the normal stream of 13 weeks of lectures, the contact hours with faculty would have been 26 hours.
The dean admits that due to the new arrangement, seven weeks would not be enough time for students to assimilate what they would have been expected to do in 13 weeks.
While giving further details about the split, Prof. Bokpin explained that The University of Ghana had decided that first and final year students would begin the first semester of the academic year this January while Levels 200 and 300 students would begin theirs in March.
He further explained that the reason for the decision was to manage the numbers of students on campus in order to minimise the possible spread of the coronavirus disease among lecturers, students and staff of the university.
Prof. Bokpin urged 200 and 300 Level students to do practical attachments with industry and corporate organisations in order for them to gain some practical experience while they stayed be at home.