Will grading problems cause an algorithm backlash?

Withdrawal of moderated exam results draws wider scrutiny of data use

Wired reports on the decision by the UK government to abandon the use of a statistical model designed to moderate exam grades after tests were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. There had been widespread complaints and protests about the results in which 40 per cent of students had their grades lowered from their teachers’ expectations. The news site goes on to suggest that, although the issue of algorithmic unfairness has been raised before, the widespread nature of the exam problems experienced in a number of countries has opened the subject to wider scrutiny. A right of explanation under GDPR, it suggests, is not the response required and quotes Lilian Edwards, a professor working on law and AI: ‘You want a remedy, you want it fixed’, going on to say that the ‘automated grading fiascos will help students and others understand that algorithms need watching, and should be accessible to ordinary citizens’. Read more