The Unreliability Of Exams
In this season, I have been heavily involved in helping a class perform well in exams. My role in this is only temporary, however, I found a deep reverence and emphasis towards exam results. Exams are seen as the only means towards success in life. However, what if exams are not that reliable to begin with?
In many cultures and countries, exams are still revered as the primary means of success in life. This is because exams are seen as a ticket to a great university. Eventually, that would lead to a good job. The problem is, exams are normally centered around a wide range of subject.
Jack Of All Trades...
One of my biggest qualms with exams is that it tests a rather wide range of subject. I understand that mathematics and language subjects are important skills for me to learn. However, not all of us are built to excel in every subject the system throws at us. There are many theories such as the multiple intelligence theory that suggests that many will have an affinity towards a particular subject.
As such, to test a student on all the subjects can be rather unfair. Some students who are just not able to understand mathematics perhaps due to upbringing or genetics, would find themselves unfairly graded. Furthermore, do we really want to label the student who scores at every subject as the best student? Think of it this way, would you rather seek out an expert or a jack of all trades to complete a job for you?
Thus, I think a student who scores well in every subject should be labelled as such, a jack of all trades. I believe it is those who are experts in certain specialized subjects, who will be those who would do well in those fields. Thus, perhaps it is time to change the way we test our students from the quantity of high scores to the quality of their ability.
Rater Reliability & Authenticity In Exams
One of the biggest irony of exams is luck. Believe it or not, the term inter-rater reliability basically points to how each examiner would score a paper the same. Now, we all know that some teachers are strict and some aren't. However, what if you were unlucky enough to be marked by a strict teacher during your final exams? Your results may not be a true reflection of your capabilities.
Worse, you may end up being labelled as inferior compared to your friend who happened to get a better marker. As unfair as that may be, exams are meant to prepare one for the future. However, much of the content has not been updated to match recent findings and knowledge. An example is that you probably won't be able to find anything related to blockchain in most textbooks.
As such, with the lack of authenticity of exams, placing a huge emphasis can be rather flawed.
Are We All Doomed?
As such, shall we just ignore and shun exams? Hardly. Not to downplay the importance of exams, but I do want to turn your attention to something that is a little bit more important, the fun of learning.
Throughout my years observing classes, I have seen many students who were groomed from a very young age to excel in exams. Some do pretty well, however, there are some who do break under the pressure of studying.
This is because the focus on studying can take the fun out of learning. If the child is not allowed to experience learning, be it a new skill or knowledge, they will truly miss out from something amazing. Do you remember the joy of finally grasping the concept of algebra or learning about how lessons behind the downfall of certain conquerors?
As a child, I hated learning Chinese literature as a child. At a later age, I looked through some of the books, I found it pretty enjoyable. The difference? I hated it when I was learning for exams, but saw it in a different light when there was no exam pressure involved.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://alvinauh.vornix.blog/2018/07/25/the-unreliability-of-exams/
Thank you for sharing your posts with us. This post was curated by TeamMalaysia as part of our community support. Looking forward for more posts from you.
To support the growth of TeamMalaysia Follow our upvotes by using steemauto.com and follow trail of @myach
Vote TeamMalaysia witness bitrocker2020 using this link vote bitrocker2020 witness
I totally agree with your input when you get to learn in a stress free environment.
But then again @alivnauh, exams can be look into the angle of when the rubber meets the road ; perhaps instead of the usual tests and exams, it would have been much more effective if it is directed in a real time application (practical exams?) to make the learning experience more tangible.
Recently I watched a YouTube channel from the Korean Englishmen where a priest and his wife visited Korean highschool students who are preparing for their final government exams, the way how they answered was pretty interesting:
It's all about the realisation and point of view of the purpose of learning that probably makes exams relevant. Their answer astonished both viewer (like me) and even the YouTuber and his guests (the priest and his wife)
upvoted
The emphasis should be on the skill, not the reward. I have two kids myself and have found that kids enjoy learning new things, and new skills. That is their motivation. Most of what they do to grow up has nothing to do with recognition or money. They're only trained to think that other stuff is important.
Once trained, then they focus on the reward or punishment rather than the skill. So instead of learning the materials or skills that will give them a better life, they learn how to game the system so that they get a better score on the exam.
A good example of this kind of behavior is how prevalent term paper ghost writing services are. Why anyone would turn over such a task to someone else who is no invested in education is beyond me because I have enjoyed writing term papers. I think that some students will hire ghost writers to keep up appearances.
Anyway, you have shared some interesting points and I enjoyed your article.
Congratulations! This post has been chosen as one of the daily Whistle Stops for The STEEM Engine!
You can see your post's place along the track here: The Daily Whistle Stops, Issue 208 (7/27/18)
The STEEM Engine is an initiative dedicated to promoting meaningful engagement across Steemit. Find out more about us and join us today.