Testing: The Be-All and End All?

 

Assessment: From Observation to Testing to Embedded Assessment

 





"Assessment in this context, then, does not involve getting a grade or failing a test. It simply means getting a grade or failing a test. It simply means getting feedback as you work, and suggestions as to how to improve. The master comes away with a clear understanding of what each apprentice is capable of doing; the student comes away with an assessment of just what still needs to be learned."

 

"Testing always involves some cutoff, so testing brought with it the notions of passing and failing. This led to the ranking of students, and ultimately, to a sense of failure among those who do not learn as easily as others do."

 

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If we are ever going to find success as educators, we must create assessments that focus on "what still needs to be learned," and not, "passing and failing." Students must not see grades in terms of pass/fail, but constantly pursuing new knowledge to better understand a topic. The best way to prepare students for life is to demonstrate that they will never know everything; there is always something to be learned. Education is constantly evolving. Testing cannot represent "the be-all and end-all," but assessments can show there is always progress to be made.