You can accept that tests like these really are pretty accurate tools for measuring student performance.
Umm, no?
Is there anybody honestly suggesting that classroom tests are accurate? I thought we’d all accepted that they’re horrible measurements, but they’re the best we have for the amount of effort we’re putting in. (and a more personalized examination process would become too subjective)
Or is Irk just claiming that the tests are accurate tools for measuring “student performance” — meaning that the test measures how well a student does in the class? Okay, that’s rather circular reasoning, but is also wrong.
Student performance includes at least homework and testing, which measure different abilities. Additionally, test scores reflect an unknown mixture of
student knowledge or readiness
student skill at testing
transient effects of the day (headache? a recent breakup? too close to lunch, either before or after?)
the tests consistency with the rest of the class (does it ask questions that weren’t covered in the curriculum? is it full of trick questions? are the questions so poorly-worded that they look like trick questions but they weren’t intended to be?)
miscellaneous other factors not accounted for
We pretend that those are sorted from greatest to least effect, but they often aren’t. An excellent student can be extremely knowledgeable (knowing all the material perfectly) and a hard worker (having done all the homework and more), and yet still bomb a test because of other factors. A poor student who hasn’t paid attention much or done homework can still score highly on a test, simply by being good at test-taking (and by having a teacher who wrote a poor multiple-choice test). Hopefully final exams do not make up an unfair amount of a final grade.
Thank you for attending my TED talk.
This has been a part of the “Problems with our Education System” series.
@legendornothing What’s up?
Umm, no?
Is there anybody honestly suggesting that classroom tests are accurate? I thought we’d all accepted that they’re horrible measurements, but they’re the best we have for the amount of effort we’re putting in. (and a more personalized examination process would become too subjective)
Or is Irk just claiming that the tests are accurate tools for measuring “student performance” — meaning that the test measures how well a student does in the class? Okay, that’s rather circular reasoning, but is also wrong.
Student performance includes at least homework and testing, which measure different abilities. Additionally, test scores reflect an unknown mixture of
We pretend that those are sorted from greatest to least effect, but they often aren’t. An excellent student can be extremely knowledgeable (knowing all the material perfectly) and a hard worker (having done all the homework and more), and yet still bomb a test because of other factors. A poor student who hasn’t paid attention much or done homework can still score highly on a test, simply by being good at test-taking (and by having a teacher who wrote a poor multiple-choice test). Hopefully final exams do not make up an unfair amount of a final grade.
Thank you for attending my TED talk.
This has been a part of the “Problems with our Education System” series.
Maybe it bothers me more than it should.