Purple the New 'Red' for School Marking

Purple ink pens and stampers are increasingly becoming a popular alternative to red for marking schoolwork. While many of us will have be brought up with red pen crosses (I confess, I did get 'some' ;0), ticks and comments against our work, it seems that many teachers worry that there are too many negative connotations associated with red and therefore using it will be detrimental to a student's self-confidence.

It is also thought that marking and stamping in red causes teachers to grade more harshly than they would if they used a different colour. Admittedly a while ago, a study in 2008 European Journal of Social Psychology claimed that grades would be higher if teachers graded in blue ink vs. red. It suggested that red marking may potentially make teachers more likely to spot errors on tests and be more critical. So if the use of red triggers the teacher’s brains to focus on failure, the opposite should be true if a more gentle / softer pen colour is used.

Whether you agree with this or not, what is undoubtedly a good idea is a system which uses coloured marking to actively encourage dialogue between teachers and students. Adopted by many schools, the system promotes teachers to mark/stamp in green and students to respond in purple. With student feedback a key part of learning, this colour system encourages conversation.