2 Article Reviews

NUS rolls out “grade-free” system for its freshmen By Ong Hwee Hwee, The Straits Times, 23 January 2014

In this article, the author addresses the issue of having a grading system in the National University of Singapore (NUS) where alphabetical grades will not be given anymore; instead, the only “grades” given will be a distinction, pass, or fail. A similar approach has been taken by the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and in certain modules in Nanyang Technological University and the Singapore Management University. The author feels that the new grading system would be effective for the students to concentrate on learning and not on the final grade. The main gist of the article is that when an education system forces its students to be graded, the students would focus more on getting good grades than actually learning, meaning that it is possible for students to study hard just for tests and exams, but forget what they had learnt after they graduate. Thus, by introducing a system where students are not pressurized to do well, the freshmen are able to be more adventurous in their freshman year as there is no fear of failing the module. It also serves as a period of time for them to adapt to university life which may be a big leap forward from their previous educational experiences. In paragraphs 12 to 14, the author has also stated that the freshmen of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine have been under this plan since 2010, and that they have not been shown to disregard their studies just because it does not count toward their final grade. This supports the author’s point of view that the ‘grade-free’ system of NUS will not be detrimental to the importance that students currently put on their studies. In fact, the author even goes on to state that such a system would allow for more time for freshmen to pursue other areas of their interest, such as participating in cocurricular activities. In my opinion, this is a step forward in improving Singapore’s education system. Most Singaporeans have attended school since 7, and thus would have taken the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) and the GCE O and A levels. This has caused the mindset of studying for the sole purpose of getting good grades to be instilled in our students. By breaking this tradition for their freshmen, NUS encourages their students to learn not only in the academic sense, but to be able to appreciate the world around them as well. However, this article and the author’s stance may be a bit biased as the only two interviewees are the president of NUS and a medical student who partakes in co-curricular activities and community involvement projects. As both of them support the introduction of this system, and assume that all other students would stand to gain from it, the article is skewed towards supporting their views.

All in all, I feel that this new system is beneficial for the students of NUS. Not only are they able to adapt to their new surroundings without the stress of getting bad grades, they can further their knowledge in areas they are passionate about, and are able to pursue their own interests. While there might be concern that students would slack off in such a system, I believe that over time, students would realize the opportunity given to them through this system.

TV Ads that you know intimately Tej Rekhi, Wired Magazine, 24 December 2013

In this article, the author discusses the various forms of advertising, from print advertisements that have long been around, to online activities, but mostly about this new form of advertising – targeted TV advertising. While general advertising has been around for quite some time in the form of print advertisements or commercial breaks in between television programs, targeted advertising was introduced with the rise of internet usage. However, in this article, we are informed that this technology of advertising to specific demographics has been spread to our televisions as well. Through the set-top boxes and other consoles, advertising companies are able to assess the viewership of each household or even an individual and show them advertisements that they think are relevant to their interests. In my opinion, I feel that such technology brings about many benefits both for the consumer and the advertiser. With such a developed technology, advertising companies are able to target a specific audience for their advertisements. Thus, as advertisers are able to more easily determine user preferences and purchasing habits, the advertisements will more useful for the consumers. This enhances the user’s viewing pleasure as the advertisements are no longer a nuisance or a disturbance, but a way of learning of new products that they would most likely be interested in. As for the advertiser, by using targeted advertising, these companies are able to narrow down their sight and target a more specific group of viewers who, through the collection of information of their viewing history, should have a higher tendency to want to buy their product. This allows the company to not waste their budget on reaching a wider but less interested audience. Thus, such means of advertising would result in higher profits for these companies.

Then again, one concern regarding this issue would be that some viewers may feel that these advertisements are an intrusion of their privacy. An organization from the UK that advocates for the right to privacy across the world, Privacy International, claims that without the explicit and informed consent of users, using the audience’s web or viewing history to advertise to them is highly unethical. In fact, a survey conducted in the United States by the Pew Internet & American Life Project between January 20 and February 19, 2012 showed that 68% of the surveyed are not in favor of targeted advertising, as they view it as an invasion of their privacy. This may cause the advertisements to backfire on the companies, as there is a slight possibility that actions may be taken against them for the intrusion of privacy of their target audience. In conclusion, I feel that this new technology of advertising to viewers is quite a fascinating, albeit controversial, method of advertising. While the privacy of the viewers may be slightly intruded, it is not for a bad cause. In fact, as viewers are able to watch more advertisements that interest them, and since advertising companies are able to generate more profit through such an advertising method, one can see that this is advantageous to both parties, and thus, I support this form of advertising.