Comment by zahlman

> Up until this point, both students had nearly perfect homework grades while failing every in-class quiz.

This is nothing new. In a computer graphics class I took over 20 years ago, the median score on the assignments before the midterm was >100% (thanks to bonus questions), yet in midterm prep other students in the class were demonstrating that they didn't even have a firm grasp on the basic concept of a matrix.

That is: they were in a 4th year undergrad course, while doubting material from a senior year high school course where they had to have gotten high marks in order to get into the program.

And the midterm grading was heavily curved as a result (though not as much as in some other courses I took).

Students will do what they need to do for the grade. It seems a great many of them have internalized that none of this is about actually learning anything, even if they would never say so aloud. (I learned things - where I didn't already know them - because it was actually interesting. My resulting grades were pretty good overall, but certainly not top of class.)

> Who knows, in the end maybe this will kill off the group of students who enroll in CS courses “because mom and dad think it’s a good job,”

Why would it? It's becoming easier than ever to fake understanding, and to choose anything else they would need both the opportunity and social permission. I only see the problem getting worse.