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In their lively and entertaining weekly discussion of issues related to higher education, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore the topics of higher education, lifelong learning, and exercising the brain. Ed and Jennifer practice what they preach, too, by introducing math puzzlers and brain teasers to keep listeners on their toes.

Higher Ed: Grade Inflation

A.....B......C.... at the end of the school year, many students are eager to see their final grades. But what is the real value of those grades? What happens when higher and higher grades are awarded for work that may not actually be that much better? In this episode of KUT's podcast "Higher Ed," Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT's Jennifer Staytonexplore the phenomenon of grade inflation.

Ed and Jennifer have talked before about what grades actually mean and measure. This week, they explore the implications of grade inflation and some possible alternatives to the current, traditional grading system. Click here to listen and decide how you would grade their conversation. You'll also get the solution to the most recent puzzler involving digits, =, and + . Hint: sometimes a digit is not just a digit.

This episode was recorded May 16, 2016.

For all of the Higher Ed episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here!

Jennifer Stayton is the local host for NPR's "Morning Edition" on KUT. Got a tip? Email her at jstayton@kut.org. Follow her on X @jenstayton.
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