Knowing your ABCs is crucial to academic success, but according to research from the University of Michigan, students with last names starting with A, B, or C may have an advantage due to sequential grading biases. The study analyzed over 30 million grading records and found that students with alphabetically lower-ranked names receive lower grades, along with more negative and impolite comments. Surprisingly, graders evaluating more assignments showed a decline in grading quality, affecting students’ course GPAs and career opportunities. The authors suggest changes such as randomizing grading order and increasing grader awareness to lessen bias in grading. While the study confirms suspicions, the researchers have received positive feedback for their work.
https://record.umich.edu/articles/study-alphabetical-order-of-surnames-may-affect-grading/