Friday, January 13, 2012
Testing (no) testing
Perhaps this would be a more appropriate article for you a year from now, when you will be taking standardized tests, such as the SAT. What criteria do you think universities should use to select prospective students? What role should tests play in this process? What role should tests play in assessment in general? Is there too much emphasis put on testing in the IB programme or too little? What about in Slovak high schools and universities?
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Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the content of the test is consistent and the tests are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. In America, the SAT test is a standardized test for college admissions in the Untied States. A research on students of an American college found out that students who didn’t submit test scores have done as well at Wake Forest as students who did submit them. The article clearly states that “The most important lesson we learned was that, indeed, just as we had expected, test scores really don’t matter that much”. This leaves an impression of standardized test being meaningless for members of the college staff.
ReplyDeleteThough, I don’t think that the tests are so useless. In my opinion it is correct to test the students knowledge and being able to fairly compare it with other students. On the IB program, the final exams are something very similar to the SAT’s. Based on the points we score from them, we can apply to college. I agree with the article on the better option of applying to a college based on an interview. This way, the members of the college staff get to meet the student in person. They get to see how the person acts, speaks, listens, and communicates with other people. In my opinion this is truly important. However, the knowledge and education a student has is even more important criterion for a collage.
I think that the fairest way for applicants getting into a college, is the college to have an entrance test from subjects needed for the further education in the field a student wants to work at. In Slovakia and in the Czech republic most universities work in this way. Everything depends on the applicants’ score on the entrance test to the university. This way the university doesn’t have to have differing criteria on students with students from the IB program, students from America that took the SAT’s, or students that took the IGCSI test.
I agree with Nina’s opinion, that tests are not as useless, as it is described in the article. They are in fact useful, because it shows the different colleges how well you did in a subject. Moreover, when students would not have to do any tests, I think they would learn less. A student mainly learns something during studying for a test. It may occur that someone does not pass the test because of stress or of other similar reasons. However, he can further show what he knows during an interview. From my personal experience, I know that I would not learn as much if there wasn’t a test so in a way, it encourages me to study harder.
DeleteI disagree with Nina’s statement that the fairest way how to get into a college is to have an entrance tests. I think it’s enough for the college, if the student has a good average of the grades from the finals, and did a final from the subject he want to further study in the university. Another entrance test is in my opinion, too much. The only reason why, Slovak and Czech universities have an entrance test is, because they know that the Slovak and Czech finals are easy. According to the facts, I have stated, I would prefer if the colleges would keep the ACT and SAT. The only change would be that they would invite students to an interview, which needed only a few points to pass the test and give them another chance.