We all know that a person's name can carry influence, but new research shows that the first letter of your student's name can actually impact their grades!
Names wield a powerful influence. They can shape how teachers and peers perceive a student, setting expectations and assumptions about their capabilities, behavior, and potential. Whether consciously or not, educators may develop biases based on a name, which can affect the attention, opportunities, or encouragement a student receives. A name can quietly become a factor in a student's academic journey, influencing their confidence, participation, and ultimately, their success.
For instance, students with surnames like, Arnold, Brown or Cole are earlier in the alphabet whcih could be graded first, giving htem an opportunity to earn higher marks. Conversely, students with later alphabetical surnames like, Smith, Williams or Yates might receive lesser marks because the professor has seen a lot of material prior to their assignment. Within Canvas, a Learning Management System (LMS) that helps facilitate learning, your student might receive higher grades or more satisfactory comments with a surname that starts with a letter in the beginning of the alphabet. LMS does have a setting that teachers can change to random when it comes to grading, but the teacher has to set that setting manually.
I guess I’m glad my college days weren’t so tech-savvy! For more information, feel free to check out the article here. But remember—when it comes to naming your child, choose the name you truly love, your surname is perfect no matter where it lands in the alphabet! You don’t need to be thinking about college yet for your sweet baby. Let them grow into the future, one step at a time.
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