题目：Fifteen years ago, Omega University implemented a new procedure thatencouraged students to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of all theirprofessors. Since that time, Omega professors have begun to assign highergrades in their classes, and overall student grade averages at Omega have risenby 30 percent. Potential employers, looking at this dramatic rise in grades,believe that grades at Omega are inflated and do not accurately reflect studentachievement; as a result, Omega graduates have not been as successful atgetting jobs as have graduates from nearby Alpha University. To enable itsgraduates to secure better jobs, Omega University should terminate studentevaluation of professors.
要求：Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
正文：
In this argument,the author conclude that the procedure, require students to evaluate theteaching level of their professors, which established fifteen years ago has ledto a low rate of employment of the students in Omega University. To support hisconclusion, the author cites potential employers’ perspective, and compares theconditions of employment between the Omega University and the Alpha Universitynearby. Based on this conclusion, the speaker recommends that Omega Universityshould terminate the evaluation procedure. In my point of view, the author’sargument suffers several logically problems, which render it unconvincing as itstands.First of all, theauthor implied that the increased grade of the students in Omega University cannotreflect their authentic abilities, because the professors render them highgrade based on their own purpose——to receive excellent evaluations. This implication maybe right, but not the unique probability. Perhaps, the professors worked more painstakinglyin the class in view of the evaluation procedure, and the level of the studentsincrease as a result, or perhaps that another encouraged procedure, such as initiatea considerable scholarship, have stimulated the students study harder thanbefore and thus improve their grade. In short, without considering or rulingout these or other probabilities, it is unconvincing to me that the grade ofthe students is specious. Secondly, theauthor cites potential employers’ perspectives towards the high grade ofstudents in Omega University. Nevertheless, there is no evidence could provethat these employers are representative. Other employers who did not respond tothis survey may hold totally different position toward the issue studied.Without considering the attitudes of other employers, the result of the surveyin itself could not justifiably illustrate that the employers refuse the studentsin Omega University due to the suspicions to the ability of the students inOmega University. In addition, theauthor’s argument relies on what might be a poor analogy between OmegaUniversity and Alpha University. The analogy falsely depends on the assumptionthat the conditions prepared for students to confront the employment in both ofthe two Universities are similar. However, the author does not provide anyevidence to support this assumption. It is entirely possible that Alpha Universityalways prepare a serial of classes to instruct them how to earn a good job in thecompetitions. Or perhaps the curriculums initiated in Alpha University are moresuitable to requirement of the city. All of these probabilities, if true, willundermine the claim that the low rate of employment due to the evaluationprocedure. In sum, the authorargument fails to convince me that the evaluation procedure is harmful to therate of employment of Omega University. To lend the argument a credible hand,the author would have to provide more information as follows: 1) the high gradeof student cannot reflect the authentic abilities of them, 2) what the otheremployers attitude to this suddenly boost of the grade, and 3) there are no otherreasons caused the different condition of employment in Omega University andAlpha University.
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发表于 2013-5-24 22:17:25
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