 |
An International Meeting of American Accounting
Association
|
The Use of Bar Code Technology in Grading to Improve Student Anonymity and Reduce Identity-Based Bias |
John F. Cowling
Indiana University East
Haeran Jae
Virginia Commonwealth University
Abstract: Grading process technology has remained relatively static in recent years and present techniques may not adequately conceal student identities, thus facilitating bias on the part of instructors. This bias is an outgrowth of the instructor's ability to determine student identities. This paper studies the use and benefits of a new technology, bar codes, to provide greater levels of procedural and interactional fairness. Procedural fairness test results show that memorization and recognition of student bar codes is more difficult than for other common forms of identification such as names or numbers and is so perceived by students. However, students and instructors differ somewhat as to their perceptions of interactional fairness, with instructors and most students supporting greater anonymity, but with a large minority of students opposing anonymity on the basis that it reduces the social process of influencing grade judgments.