Last Names Affect Grades: Students with Names at the End of the Alphabet Given Lower Marks

A study by the University of Michigan revealed a surprising finding: students with last names at the end of the alphabet received lower grades when graded alphabetically. Researchers analyzed 30 million grading records and found a 0.6-point gap between those at the beginning and end of the list. The study suggests that the default alphabetical setting in learning management systems creates a cognitive bias, leading to lower marks for students with later surnames.

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