Let's examine, briefly, a real-world grading scenario commonly seen in language classrooms:

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We see the teacher is using weighted categories. Some sage precautions were taken: from the 30% and 20% weight on discussions and presentations, respectively, it was most likely a class that emphasizes speaking and listening. Also, participation and homework were relatively minimized. 

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However, we can observe that:

 

1. The student has failed every weighted category except participation and homework

2. Both participation and homework, already minimized, work to hyperinflate the overall grade

3. The focus is clearly on the numbers and arithmetic 

4. We cannot easily identify specific deficiencies or strengths; what exactly did the student understand, or not? What was he/she able to do, not? 

5. The student, despite not being ready, passed the class

 

The result? The student passed the class without meeting the outcomes of the course- and most likely, without developing the underlying language proficiency to succeed in real-world situations.