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Jacob Milne
Irene J. Peterson
English 1010
9 October 2015
An Analysis of Rhetoric: From Degrading to De-Grading
In the article, From Degrading to De-Grading, Alfie Kohn professes his experience with
traditional grading bringing about the reduction of student's interests in learning, the reduction of
student acclimation to challenging tasks, the reduction of the quality of students thinking in
general, and other negatively researched effects. Kohn pits his opinion against the main crowd.
According to his website he has authored over 13 books, and countless articles. He has
also been a speaker at plenty of events, conferences, etc.

His critique on human interaction,

parental strategy and educational values have caused a tumult among their respective think tanks.
Kohn is a voice against common thought in these subjects. This article only solidifies his
reputation.
In Kohns experience, as he states in his first numbered section, grading seems to slowly
eliminate interest in learning itself. (27). He proves or expands this with proof in his favor. By
using terms such as best-researched (27), and research has explicitly demonstrated
that, (27) he establishes his ethos. This phrasing connects his opinion with credible
information and vaults his point and thesis up a higher status. This is essential because of the
audience he is attempting to convince. His use of pathos is demonstrated in the way he proves
every point he makes methodically like this. He leaves no opinion disconnected from fact, save
at one other point, which I will point out later. He continues this tactic throughout his arguments.
Thusly, he is consistent in his building of Ethos. With this, much research and reference placed

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next to every opinion, it turns the reader to believe that his ideals are more factual than relative.
The fallacy in this method is that he provides only one counterargument at the beginning. There
could be studies that suggest otherwise and could apply to specific types of what Kohn calls
traditional grading (27). In the first paragraphs argument, Kohn used his own study as a
reference. This could be used against him if another were to argue that his research was biased.
He does not state the finding of the study, only that it supports his opinion. Depending on the
individual, knowing that Kohn is an established professional speaker and writer would greatly
establish this article as well. If the reader does not care for the writer or his other articles, this
could hurt his credibility, or ethos.
In his first paragraph Kohn coins Three Main Effects of Grading. The first is presented
with a flood of logos, or logical appeal. The author compares studies in general phycology about
the effect on people as they are rewarded for performing a task. He simply states that psychology
says that people are less apt to fully engage when the reward is not simply the knowledge
learned, but the grade on a test that is associated with that knowledge (27).
In a demonstration of Kairos, Kohn starts the second paragraph about the first argument
acknowledging that he is aware of those who are in a traditional grading system. He brings down
his accusations for a mere moment to appeal to those who believe they are the exception to the
facts and arguments that he is making. This acknowledgments placement is essential to his
pathos as well. The reader has the opportunity to exclude themselves from the negative
connotations associated with credentialing in this way.
In the paragraph named, Grades tend to reduce students preference for challenging
tasks, The author further excuses the reader from their placement in the world of traditional
grading by making a sort of example story or facsimile to his point. This is quoted later. He tells

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us first of his experience about how the easiest possible assignment is to be chosen by most
students because, simply, the grade is the point of the class in the first place. His story backs this
up in a perfect example of logos. He states what most teachers that are explicitly for credentialed
style classes have as an opinion of students who pick easier assignments; they are lazy. He picks
this apart with an appeal to logos once again. A students thought process could be characterized
in his short anecdote: Hey, you told me the point here is to bring up my GPA, to get on the
honor roll. Well, Im not stupid: the easier the assignment, the more likely that I can give you
what you want. So dont blame me when I try to find the easiest thing to do and end up not
learning anything.(27).
His use of Kairos in his final point before his lesser arguments listed under More reasons
to Just Say No to Grades uses a more recent study done to the date his article was published to
solidify his top three arguments. The study proves that grades hinder the effectiveness of a
students thinking by comparing the performance of students who knew their performance would
be graded versus those who did not have any inclination toward an appeal to a mark.
In his less powerful arguments listed he logically pulls apart the standard marking system
using logos with arguments against about reliability, validity, and their objectiveness. The
teacher, seen as the hierarch of learning here, can be a negative member of the learning process.
He or she may be off that day or according to noted study, the instructors choice in grades can
be sporadic in their consistency. There is a logical fallacy hidden some of Kohns words. He uses
a band-wagoning fallacy to try and further convince the audience in the topmost part of the
introduction of a new idea. The author illustrates it this way, research has long been available
to confirm what all of us know: any given assignment may well be given two different grades by
two equally qualified teachers. The fact is that everyone does not know that any assignment

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could be given a different grade by equally qualified teachers. Some readers may be oblivious to
this logic. Even still, the reverse of this proves it to be a fallacy in logic. A students assignment
could receive the same grade by two equally qualified teachers.
Kohn further theorizes that grades encouraging cheating, and dismember the relationship
between student and teacher. In his opinion, grading on a curve, in a way that limits the
amount of possible top grades, forces students to see one another as enemies or combatants. This
leads into his argument that this also hinders the relationship between students. The author of the
book Readings for Writers chose to end Kohns article with a comment about wise educators
being those who understand that what matters in teaching is more about how the student is
motivated versus how motivated students already are.

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Works Cited

Kohn, Alfie. "Alfie Kohn."

Alfie Kohn. LACODER, 10 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

Kohn, Alfie. "From Degrading to De-grading." Readings for Writers. Boston.

Bedford/ St. Martins. 2014. [26-30]. Print.