THE EFFECT OF PASS FAIL GRADING AND WEEKLY QUIZZES ON FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS PERFORMANCES AND SATISFACTION/

Background. In 1992-93 the University of Michigan Medical School revis ed its first-year curriculum, An evaluation system using honors, high- pass, pass, and fail grading and only two examinations (a midterm and a final) was replaced with a system using pass/fail grading and weekly quizzes in addition to the two examinations. The objective was to inc rease students' satisfaction while maintaining a high level of achieve ment. Method. Students' performance scores and survey data from the fi nal year of the former system (1991-92, 222 students) and the first ye ar of the new system (1992-93, 195 students) were used to investigate whether overall performance decreased and whether the students liked t he new approach to grading. Statistical methods used were one sample t -tests, Student's t-test, and Fisher's Z-test.Results. Under the new s ystem, the average scores for courses remained well above passing, and no evidence was found that the students achieved at lower levels than had their predecessors with the former, more traditional grading syst em. Also, higher cumulative pre-final scores (i.e., scores on the week ly quizzes as well as the midterm) did not predict lower, ''just passi ng'' achievement on final examinations. The students' responses to the surveys included comments that pass/fail grading eased anxiety and re duced competition while encouraging the students' cooperation. Conclus ion. Despite concerns that implementing pass/fail grading for all firs t-year courses would result in lower overall performance and decreased motivation among students, during the first year of implementation th ese fears proved to be unfounded as the students continued to perform well and reported greater satisfaction with the new system.