2007-01-16 07:51:33 · 13 answers · asked by MaryaMadrid 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
Exams are only one way of a student demonstrating what he has learned, but they're the most frequently used since everyone is expected to have learned the same material, and have the same knowledge. IMO, it's better to use a variety of assessments in the classroom, not just exams. But yes, they should be used, along with other evaluation methods.
2007-01-16 08:02:16 · answer #1 · answered by lachicadecafe 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What else could you use them for?
If you are saying should students be tested then the answer is obviously yes or how can you find out who has the aptitude to be a doctor or lawyer or electrician or nurse or whatever?
I don't think that the test results should be used as a hammer to knock square pegs into round holes though. Parents and teachers should get off their high horses about expecting their children and students to excel academically or be classified as failures. This world needs people to stack the supermarket shelves and clean the streets every bit as much as it needs doctors and mechanics.
Not much was right about communism but applying the same respect to all levels of work, regardless of the academic content, was a much more enlightened approach than driving kids who are clearly unsuited and unhappy with it into academic learnig which they cannot cope with.
And keeping kids at school until 18, all of them, not just the academics, is a pathetic way of massaging the unemployment statistics by depriving them of 2 years opportunity to work and be paid rather than trying to drive them academically to the frustration of teachers and students alike and to the unnecessary expense of parents.
There is no more point in insisting that an academically mediocre child be forced to study than there is in driving a physically mediocre child to competitive sport.
I think we should recognise and respect the differences in peoples ambitions and aptitudes rather than trrying to drive all of them down a path that only some are suited for.
And if they do all leave school at 18, not 16, are the ones who would have left at 16 and leaving with inferior academic grades to the others going to have any better work opportunities. No, of course not. The same people will still be stacking supermarket shelves and cleaning the streets but this time they will have lost 2 years pay before they could do it.
2007-01-16 16:16:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes, exams are a bad test of a student's knowledge just because they are bad test takers. If they could find something more appropriate for everyone, that would be nice. It's not that they don't know the material, it's just that they freeze up. Not fair to them if you ask me and I am not someone that has that problem either.
2007-01-16 16:01:18 · answer #3 · answered by Full Moon 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, otherwise how would you know if the teachers are doing their jobs and the students are learning anything. I also think it helps to let you know where the student needs help as was the case with my son that my husband and I adopted at age 15. This helped a lot to see where he needed the most help and how far behind he was.
2007-01-16 15:59:59 · answer #4 · answered by sarahjanel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, if the teacher makes up the exam and it doesn't come from a central office that may not know how far in the curriculum the teacher was able to get in that year. Otherwise, you have the teacher teaching to the exam. (Not that I ever did that mind you;)
2007-01-16 16:23:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Not everyone can take tests well, the student could know all of the answers but then freeze up because of the pressure. . . . But really, how else would you find out whether they know (w/o help) the info or not?
2007-01-16 16:03:43 · answer #6 · answered by Caity S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think regular assessments are better than one big exam. Some people go to pieces when put on the spot, hence the success of qualifications such as NVQ's.
At least with regular assessment, you don't feel as under pressure as you would in an exam. I'm against exams.
2007-01-16 16:01:10 · answer #7 · answered by kpk 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Not only do I think exams should be used to test a students knowledge, I think it should be the only factor in grading. Either you know the material or not. Students time should not be wasted with busy work or other meaningless tasks.
2007-01-16 16:00:11 · answer #8 · answered by Lenny P 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Definitely
2007-01-16 16:00:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What else can you do with an exam?
2007-01-16 15:54:29 · answer #10 · answered by Alan A 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋