Should students be penalized due to Instructors Mistake ?

Nursing Students General Students

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Yesterday students just found out that something was mis-keyed in the our first exam ( 6 weeks ago) so therefore some of us either lost or gained 1 point, and some people did not have any change. I was one of the lucky ones that gained 1 point so going from a 81 to 82 was no big deal to me. However, there are some that lost a point and was hanging on the borderline of failing with 1 pt making the difference. I personally feel that students should not have points deducted due to the instructor mis- keying the scan tron. I feel for those who thought they passed that exam and didn't. In nursing school 1 point can make a difference and I've seen students fail for that 1pt or less.

The other problem is that we are taking our final today and they are just now letting us know about this even after grades have been posted 6 weeks ago. What do you all think? Should students have point(s) subtracted even if its as a result of the instructor making an error?

Some of my classmates are outraged.

I have seen students failed for less than one point.

One very effective way of handling this problem is for the class as a whole to follow the "chain of command" with their concerns. Meet as a whole, discuss the situation, write down your key points, appoint a speaker (or speakers) for the group, devise your plan of action. Also, if there is something that you want changed, be prepared to offer a solution to the problem. Now, meet with the instructor who made the mistake, if the action (or no action) is not satisfactory, go to her/his department head, and so forth. Take it as high as the dean of the university if needed. Remain calm and professional in your approach to solving the problem.

(If you have already approached the instructor and department head, etc...revisit as the collective group.)

I have seen this work, very effectively. In the instance that I am speaking of it was perceived as a concern for the entire future of the nursing program rather than it being only one or a few "disgruntled" students.

I do completely understand your frustration with this situation, even though you are not directly affected. It does reflect on your entire experience of nursing school and tends to lessen what is a major, life changing experience. I wish you much luck with this endeavor and much enjoyment from your nursing career.

I agree that this is an effective way to address concerns of the class....however in this case, I'd be surprised if the whole class would stand up for this situation.

The original grade was unfair (marked students wrong who got it right) the changed grades were fair, (students who got the question right got credit and students who didn't get it right didn't get credit). I see no case to protest at all.

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Specializes in OR.
If they got the wrong answer, they got the wrong answer, even if it was mis-keyed. Of course that point should be taken away.

If someone is on the borderline such that 1 point really makes the difference between passing the class and failing the class then I'd just as soon see them lose the unearned point and fail.

but if that one point that was miskeyed WAS for some strange reason enough to pass them, then hell, they should get it.

there are cutoff scores for a reason. whether it be 80, 85, or even 75.

at what point can you say you learn the material? is it a certain percentage, or is it passing the nclex REGARDLESS of it you make an A, B, or C on your grades in nursing school.

if you can pass the NCLEX, which is THE test for proving minimal clinical safety, then wh yare you concerned with what someone gets in school? if that one point, by for SOME STRANGE REASON passes them, then yes, if it ISNT their fault (a miskey), then they deserve it.

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but if that one point that was miskeyed WAS for some strange reason enough to pass them, then hell, they should get it.

there are cutoff scores for a reason. whether it be 80, 85, or even 75.

at what point can you say you learn the material? is it a certain percentage, or is it passing the nclex REGARDLESS of it you make an A, B, or C on your grades in nursing school.

if you can pass the NCLEX, which is THE test for proving minimal clinical safety, then wh yare you concerned with what someone gets in school? if that one point, by for SOME STRANGE REASON passes them, then yes, if it ISNT their fault (a miskey), then they deserve it.

You're right, there are cut offs for a reason. If they didn't get the question right, they shouldn't get points for it....there are cut off's for a reason. Seems to be the most fair thing in the world.

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Specializes in OR.
You're right, there are cut offs for a reason. If they didn't get the question right, they shouldn't get points for it....there are cut off's for a reason. Seems to be the most fair thing in the world.

in response to the OP.

if the test was miskeyed and points were deducted when they got the answer correct. thats what im saying.

obviously they shouldnt get points if they didnt get an answer right.

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in response to the OP.

if the test was miskeyed and points were deducted when they got the answer correct. thats what im saying.

obviously they shouldnt get points if they didnt get an answer right.

I read it the other way around....the test was mis-keyed, so folks who marked the wrong answer got credit and the folks who marked the right answer didn't get credit. This wasn't discovered for 6 weeks; when it was discovered and corrected...folks who marked the wrong answer, yet got credit were upset that they lost the point they earned for the wrong answer.

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Specializes in OR.
I read it the other way around....the test was mis-keyed, so folks who marked the wrong answer got credit and the folks who marked the right answer didn't get credit. This wasn't discovered for 6 weeks; when it was discovered and corrected...folks who marked the wrong answer, yet got credit were upset that they lost the point they earned for the wrong answer.

ok i misread it. like an idiot.

sucks to be that one person who lost the point and failed. i was thinking someone who got the right answer but had it keyed wrong could have passed with the point added back.

its the other way around.

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

one time our teacher's did something way shady. they curved about 4 questions on a 20 question exam for the first exam. then after the final (im assuming to change the class average) they threw out the initial curve so people's grades dropped...some from As to Bs or worse. The best part was that they didnt communicate it or own up to it. otherwise our instructors dont take away pts for their own mistake

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Instructors should be required to correct their mistakes. Back in the old days, when I attended a very small high school, one of my teachers asked me to grade some semester exams in a subject I had never taken and gave me a key to use. I discovered mistakes in the key and took a text book and corrected the key. When he questioned how I had spotted the mistakes, I told him that although I had not yet taken chemistry, I did do a lot of crossword puzzles and thus recognized errors in some of the chemical symbols.

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In this case it isnt actually being penalized for the instructors mistake. It would have been the case if the instructor taught the wrong information. In this case it was just an error in the answer key. Im still in nursing school and I work as an Lpn. It is hard but as students we need to pass these test with more than a point. How would you any of us feel to go to a hospital and find out that our doctor or nurse passed school by just one point. Kinda seems like they got lucky and dont really know there information. In this case everyone got the grade they earned.

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Specializes in Home health care, CNA (nursing home).

Of course the student should fail if they missed the question whether or not the instructor keyed in the wrong answer. If a student is barely passing and that one point made the difference if they passed or failed in the program it is their own fault. There is only one best answer on a test and the ones who got one point taken off their exam total deserve to have it taken off if they were wrong. Why should it really matter if an instructor keyed in the wrong answer? Maybe those students who failed the program should have studied harder instead of whining harder.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I think this thread subject was mislabeled. It should be, "Should students benefit due to instructor's mistake?" since that's what the OP is addressing... nobody's being penalized... they're whining because they're not benefitting.

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Specializes in Home health care, CNA (nursing home).

In addition to my previous response, I have another point to make. If in a clinical situation you gave the wrong medication or gave a medication to the wrong patient because your instructor erroneously told you to do so, you would be held liable for your mistake. Why should students be rewarded with extra points for incorrect questions in class so they can go along and pass a wrong med and potentially injure or even kill someone.

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