To replace standard exams in schools and universities may not be a  right option, but to include other areas and vary the weightage for mere bookish exams. Listing a few to Check for (based on the knowledge levels and age)

• Critical Thinking
• Ethical behavior:
• Technical Skills
• Exposure to learning conditions
• Mini Case Study
• Living Skills
• Health & Upkeep
• Environment Clean-up

This is a really good question and relates to a book chapter published in 2006. (Thompson, D.G. 2006, 'E-Assessment: The Demise of Exams and the Rise of Generic Attribute Assessment for Improved Student Learning' in Roberts, T.S. (ed), Self, Peer and Group Assessment in E-Learning, Information Science Publishing (an imprint of Idea Group Inc.), USA, pp. 295-322.)

Clearly the title of my book chapter unsuccessfully predicted the demise of exams that possibly enjoy a greater focus now than in 2006,

In addressing your question I think there is an imbalance in the two main roles that Universities and Schools are supposed to fulfill. The predominant role is one of certification, the subordinate role is that of personal development (the latter is foregrounded in play-based primary education and films such as the Dead Poets Society).

The persistence of exam-based assessment for certification involves many factors but I suggest that through the massification of education Schools and Universities have been encouraged to develop a culture and a relationship with their students mostly based on the certification and accreditation role… and that fits nicely with the idea of ‘testing’ and ‘examining’ them.

Unfortunately these high-stakes tests and exams now govern the educational context and content even for young children. This has resulted in a range of warped motives for teaching and for learning and has developed many side-effects including cheating and plagiarism, not to mention youth suicide.

I see from your ResearchGate profile that you have been involved in human development for 40 years and I would suggest that the culture and relationship with students needs to shift more towards your area relating to the other major role of educational institutions…  that of personal development.

A possible breakthrough may come through the use of my REVIEW software that makes visible the developmental aspects of students’ assessment tasks and the next research phase will attempt to integrate tests and exams into these developmental profiles.

Dear Darrel

Thanks for your response regarding this, sometimes painful issue, most people prefer not to touch. Learning is natural and the passion to know more is inherent I believe in every human life. Childeren love to learn and do absorb huge amount till we the adults think that it’s time to teach them; that the ‘kindergarten playtime is over’ and schooling begin.

The pyramid of knowledge is also turning with the digital age and no longer dose the quantitative difference between the amount of knowledge the teacher has in comparison to that of the students warrant testing or exams. Also, the old Prussian Military school that been one of the foundation of most 19 century schooling systems, is no longer valid, so why keep the exams that still keep it alive?

It might be that the age old fear of one generation from the next, and the need of an establishment to keep its control is what behind this unexplained phenomena of why this old relic of exams is till with us where it is so obvious – ask any child – that it is so out of date that it’s really a no brainer.

The REVIEW model you have developed is a good example of what can replace the current testing syndrome and I wish you can write more about it.

Life tests us enough in many different ways and it’s already proven that those who pass exams well don’t necessarily pass through life so well.    

To replace standard exams in schools and universities may not be a  right option, but to include other areas and vary the weightage for mere bookish exams. Listing a few to Check for (based on the knowledge levels and age)

• Critical Thinking
• Ethical behavior:
• Technical Skills
• Exposure to learning conditions
• Mini Case Study
• Living Skills
• Health & Upkeep
• Environment Clean-up

Dear Krishnan Umachandran

 Thank you for your response; I realize that this question is a big challenge and value very much your ideas.

 If we continue the line of thoughts you present and chose subjects that cannot be really measured by flat line exams, then we are half way up this mountain, in searching for something else that can take the place of the current exams.

 I believe most educators know deep down inside that these exams don't really work.

Perhaps through the gathering of collective intelligence we would come nearer to a better option.

Hello 

I agree with Krishnan Umachandran that it is difficult to replace  standard examinations but we can use what we call nowadays alternative assessment which enables the teacher to use different types of assessment techniques in evaluating students such as self and peer assessment, portfolio, class journals, rubrics, observation etc.... 

Liqaa 

I think students should apply that what they have learned to new (unsolved!) problems. That would be a better test than an exam where one repeat some stuff from the lectures (which sometimes is known since centuries!).

Why not finish every course with a little publication? One could either establish student journals for this purpose or even try to publish in the 'huge' ones...

Our problem is that we do not have enough professors in order to supervise this works - but due to this reason many students will not become a professor later. Therefore the problem remains. Maybe one way to overcome that is to organize groups of students who organize themselves...

Best Regards

Andreas

I suggest to use a continuous assessment program along the whole semester time duration, by providing at least 12 assignments per one semester supported by seminars and oral discussion for each student. In many developed countries, students have been requested to submit a hard copy poster presentation(s) in cooperation with his colleagues as a collaborators, really this simple and amazing procedure is very informative, dynamic, and provide some kind of self competition that encourage student to present advanced ideas in his specialty.

Regards,

Emad

No need It is time tested

You have certainly broached up a very important issue that has long influenced the educational scene throughout the world. For many years, it has been assumed that standard exams are essential because they provide backwash, which shows  the influence of testing on teaching and learning. However, concerned scholars are of the opinion that inappropriately designed exams  lack a true construct validity and very often do not possess the optimal features that grantee good testing. As such, the impact of washback on  teaching and learning can profoundly affect  a student’s life, particularly when test scores are used to for various decisions concerning a student's admission, promotion, placement or graduation. In point of fact, an exam-centered educational system most often may lead to marginalization of  students with lower scores on a test.violating one of the most  fundamental  education policies which places a high premium on  equal opportunities for all individuals.

Best regards,

R. Biria

Thank you RG collogues: Liqaa Habeb, Andreas Mampel, Emad Hamil Hussein, Mushtaq, and Reza Biria - your responses are important to this important issue.

Perhaps we can also lean from nature and how nature test things. And how nature tests us human beings. Natural tests have an evolutionary nature, which is not just the survival of the fittest.... 

After many years of modern teaching, it is very clear that we have not found yet the best method of testing. And most education systems still relay on Prussian originated schooling system that was more military based than anything else. But even military tactics have changed... 

Why not to change with the changing times also in this exams issue?

what's wrong with challenging the new generations with something other than recall abilities??

18 year of studies - in most cases - for most children are often a waste of time and for the countries waste of funds.  can we not be a bit more creative about it?

Should my granddaughter be facing the same kind of exams that my grandfather faced? 

Well, indeed it can easily be shown that this kind of exams has only little to do with reality. I was far away from beeing one of the best in those exams, except some few ones.

But this week the RG-stats show that I was the most read author from my department. Looking deeper I found that 25 out of 32 reads are mine. That means that all the Professors (and also students) have only 7 further reads. One should ask what is wrong with my department but, unfortunately, no one of the professors asks this question... So, most likely I will lead that statistics for a very long period of time - simply because I work more flexible than all these professors... I think they should change their strategy, but it is not my job to tell them...

Best Regards

Andreas