As we reviewed the short story "Luck" by Mark Twain the topic of tests came up. Are tests a reliable measurement of a person's knowledge of a subject? I thought of this question for awhile and realized that tests are probably not the best measurement of one's knowledge.
Throughout my school years I have probably taken 500 tests (at least that is how many tests it seems I have taken). I have done well on most of the tests I have taken but have always wondered what I could have made if I wouldn't have crammed the night before. In the story the narrator helps Scoresby cram for a military test on history. Scoresby luckily does very well and advances. Sometimes I get lucky and do well on a test I thought I was going to fail. Most of the time cramming does not make us smarter; it just helps on
occasion. Cramming is like exercising. Exercising once a week does not benefit your body as it would if you exercised everyday, unless you had Scoresby luck of course.
In class we also talked about those who do really well in class and on homework, but do terrible on tests. Doing poorly on a test doesn't mean the student isn't knowledgable about a certain subject. Test anxiety, little sleep and being sick are a few factors that could defer a students real measurement of knowledge. Math is my favorite subject (sorry Mrs. Watson) and I understand it very well.
We were doing trig and it happens to be my favorite math topic. I did very well on the homework assignments and pop quizzes. When I got the test I forgot how to do angular speed and bearings. Unfortunately a third of the test were on these two topics. Afterwards I felt very dumb because I knew how to do the problems I just couldn't concentrate on the test. My grade will now reflect only the questions I got right, but not my knowledge of the subject. If only there was an effective way to test a person's knowledge that factors in possible room for error.
Brittany, I agree with you. Sometimes I think to myself and wonder if tests really do test our knowledge. Your comment about Exercising was a good way to think about cramming. You are right. If you only exercise one day a week it wouldn't benefit your body in the same way that exercising every day would. I have had some of the same experiences where I knew the information inside and out but then when it was time to write it down its like I just blanked and forgot it.
ReplyDeleteThe question you asked about if there was an effective way to test a person's knowledge, I have thought about too. In my blog I wrote about what if we were tested on the process and not the product. The process of how we learned the information and how that we used and applied it. I wish we could record the process of learning because there would be all kinds of proof in the video of how we have learned new things :) Good Post Brittany!
I agree with you doing bad on a test doesn't prove that the person is stupid or doesn't mean they don't know anything. I know on a few of the test I have taken since I have been in Anatomy in college that I have definately made some bad grades that I had never experienced in any of my classes through out high school. I was kind of discouraged but I am still sticking with it. Sometimes no matter how hard I study I don't make that many great grades. There are many things that can get in way of doing good on a test and some people just freeze in general as soon as they get the test. Even on test though they is many cases error can occur because what if someone cheats on a test then they just get an easy grade. Test aren't the best way of testing a student of their knowledge but right now I guess it's the only way.
ReplyDeleteI myself have had problems on tests lately. My worst testing has been my math tests. I am the same way as you are with doing well on my homework and quizes but for some reason when I get to test time everything I remember goes out the door. I know how to do the problems. I understand the content and even how to check my work. I realize in Math problems you only have one answer, but the teacher I have does not give partial credit whatsoever. I can get every part of the problem right and then miss out on a negative in the answer and it's a big "X" which seems to kill my grade. I do believe as well that tests do not really show a persons knowledge about a subject. You make a good point Brittany.
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