worth appealing group marks? (1 Viewer)

[iamsickofyear12]

I had an assessment recently with possibly the worst group ever assembled in the history of university group assessments. I ended up doing 50% of the work (in a group with 5 people [and I did all the most important parts by myself]), not because the other people in my group didn't do any work but because they aren't smart enough and their english isn't good enough.

Despite all my efforts we ended up with a mark of around 60%. For comparison my individual mark for another part of essentially the same assessment was 85%. I normally wouldn't care but I am actually trying this session and if this mark was the difference between a HD and a D I would be really pissed off.

Is it worth talking to the tutor/subject coordinator or am I unlikely to get any sympathy or more importantly an increase in my mark? It is obvious I have been significantly disadvantaged. I'm also concerned that they will especially not like what I am saying since I will be the only non-international student in a group complaining about 4 international students and though everyone knows most international students in my subjects are of a lower standard not everyone wants to admit it.

 

[Raiks]

It all depends on the tutor. If you've got a friendly easy going tutor, then definitely have a spat and complain. But make sure you can back up your claims with evidence of your research and efforts. No point complaining on a he said/she said basis because they'll always take the side of the full fee paying international student and you'll get left high and dry (one of the uni life facts). They pay more money hence they get the benefits of it, no matter how unjust.

If you can dump a bucketload of research writing, photocopies and prep work on a desk and say 'see, I did my share'... you should be able to get some more marks with relative ease, especially if you were better in presentation than your partners.

2 years ago I went to subject co-ordinators and deans, and they wouldn't do anything for mostly political reasons but I've had a few tutors alter my marks with one doing so under the banner 'english proficiency bonus marks'... so take it up with your tutor and if you want to take it further, kick and scream as hard as you can because just complaining a little will get you nowhere.

 

[iamsickofyear12]

There is no research. The assessment basically involved just using our own understanding of the lecture theories to analyse a case study. The only real proof I have is my contribution to the presentation and more importantly the poor performance by my group members. The problem is my tutor doesn't mark the group section, it is moderated by the subject coordinator, so he has no idea about what happened in the tutorial.

Also, the marks of the other people in my group for the presentation are clearly moderated to reflect their status as international students. They still got 70% despite being almost completely incompetent. So of course the subject coordinator marking the group section would see that and think the share was more equal than it actually was.

So unless the tutor actually wants to help me I don't have any hope... and though it would be reasonable for my tutor to assume that the contribution to the group section and the presentation was equal, it could be also reasonable to assume that my group members only contributed less to the group section because it was a presentation and their english is poor.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

contact ACA and get on a story exposing how international students are ruining our unis

you know it makes sense

 

[iamsickofyear12]

contact ACA and get on a story exposing how international students are ruining our unis

you know it makes sense

They really are... and anyone who disagrees obviously hasn't had to be in a group full of them.

But what am I meant to do, refuse to be in a group with them next time... I'm sure the tutor/lecturer/uni will love that.