Maths exam: 98/100 or 52/100 (possible)
The above scores tell us that yes, maths answers are either right or, yes you guessed it right, wrong! So as far as assesment of maths answers is concerned, teachers cannot get it wrong.
But lets try to venture out into science, literature etc. Generally our examination systems try to match the student answer to a pre-determined answer which the teacher has in mind.
Original ideas or trails of thought which the student uses in his answers are not dug into. And that is what is important but that is rarely dived into. I think each candidate should be shown his answer sheet after marking and should be discussed with the student. It will give an insight into how he thinks and probably score more based on his originality rather than reproducing material which matches with the so called 'correct' answer, if there is one!
Looking forward to your thoughts, please!
Hi...
I agree with you that the assessment is not merely about the correct or wrong answer. The main important is how and why. For some students, it is not easy to communicate their thinking in writing. In that case, it needs additional time to meet one-to-one with them just to hear their thinking and understanding.
I have experience with this. In the day of the exam, I gave them some questions. I leave them to go individually or in a group. Up to them. The exam ended when they performed best in explaining their answer individually in front of me.
Concerning technical training exams and scores tell us how much the student can follow procedures or learn isolated facts:
1+1= 2
or
England's Glorious Revolution was in 1688.
But philosophy and the humanities teach certain attitudes toward facts.
-All men are equal
-Women are equal to men in all things
-Women are equal to men in some things
-It is inherently ridiculous to say any person is "equal" to any other person, the proposition itself makes little sense without detailed explanation.
Testing for facts involves "objective reality" that is, these answers are independently verifiable outside the whims of any individual.
Testing for "truths" (all men are created equal) involves subjectivity and gets us into the realm of political indoctrination, beliefs, and cultural values.
We should be detailed and firm in our testing for FACTS and accommodating and flexible in our tests for TRUTHS. This is the definition of a tolerant and well educated society.
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