2008 Woodie Awards
Is school testing effective? NO
Testing is based only on memory, not learning
By: Anna Mavromati
Issue date: 4/28/05 Section: Insight
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When it really comes down to it, passing a test is just not enough.
It is true that while doing well on an exam will obviously boost a student's grade in class, the education system pushes standardized testing, placement tests and many other forms of exams, creating questions as to whether this is an effective education method.
Rather than ordering students to memorize trivial information to spit out on an exam paper, instructors should take a moment to remember the true purpose of their careers: Education.
The focus of school should be on feeding students practical information that will help them have a greater understanding of a subject.
Testing, although it forces students to read and study the material, does not necessarily prove a student has knowledge of a subject. Many students cram for a test but do not retain much information after completing it.
For example, students often panic when an instructor tells them the final exam will be made up of remnants from the semester's previous tests. Students may cram for the test, but do not retain much information after completing it.
Usually, students have to hastily re-learn the information before the exam. This proves that students are not retaining the material that tests force upon them; they are not actually learning, they are memorizing.
A better method of learning would be providing students with actual experiences or more discussions about the subject. Being active and involved in the class would be much more memorable for students. It would also help teachers determine which students are interested in learning about the subject and are motivated to perform well in class.
Students are more likely to remember what was said or done in a class than what questions were asked on an exam.
Former high school teacher Daniella Cook, from the North Carolina Coalition for Fair Testing and the Common Sense Foundation in Raleigh, said that by focusing education on tests, teachers disregard students' participation in other classroom activities and may even impair the students' creativity.
It is true that while doing well on an exam will obviously boost a student's grade in class, the education system pushes standardized testing, placement tests and many other forms of exams, creating questions as to whether this is an effective education method.
Rather than ordering students to memorize trivial information to spit out on an exam paper, instructors should take a moment to remember the true purpose of their careers: Education.
The focus of school should be on feeding students practical information that will help them have a greater understanding of a subject.
Testing, although it forces students to read and study the material, does not necessarily prove a student has knowledge of a subject. Many students cram for a test but do not retain much information after completing it.
For example, students often panic when an instructor tells them the final exam will be made up of remnants from the semester's previous tests. Students may cram for the test, but do not retain much information after completing it.
Usually, students have to hastily re-learn the information before the exam. This proves that students are not retaining the material that tests force upon them; they are not actually learning, they are memorizing.
A better method of learning would be providing students with actual experiences or more discussions about the subject. Being active and involved in the class would be much more memorable for students. It would also help teachers determine which students are interested in learning about the subject and are motivated to perform well in class.
Students are more likely to remember what was said or done in a class than what questions were asked on an exam.
Former high school teacher Daniella Cook, from the North Carolina Coalition for Fair Testing and the Common Sense Foundation in Raleigh, said that by focusing education on tests, teachers disregard students' participation in other classroom activities and may even impair the students' creativity.