7 ms·
Awesome. Yeah, I think this could be really big. > You don’t want to test people on things that they can google in 30 seconds, but the sort of thinking and pro
by skewart 11y ago
Awesome. Yeah, I think this could be really big.
> You don’t want to test people on things that they can google in 30 seconds, but the sort of thinking and problem solving that make a real difference in the workplace.
Do you have a plan - or at least a general idea - for how to do this?
Also, thinking about this more, here's another random thought:
Fundamentally the problem that testing and certification tries to address is trust. If I say I can do something you don't have to just take my word for it, you can see that a trusted third party vouched for it. A lot of people have been experimenting with alternative mechanisms for providing trust lately - from AirBnB and Uber relying on reviews/reputations instead of certifications and brands, to even something like bitcoin. Maybe the solution isn't a better testing system, but instead something that removes the need to test at all?
- danieltillett 11y agoI used to be a university professor so I am highly familiar with the difference between those students that really knew their stuff and those that just crammed well. You really only want to hire the former. In a sense this idea gets rid of traditional testing. You are not measuring how many facts a test taker has managed to cram into their head, but how much they retain and can apply. Grades as such would become irrelevant as we start to focus on those retained skills that translate into day-to-day productivity. I do have a plan about how this idea could be best developed, but HN is probably not the place to discuss this. My hope is by putting this idea up I will get feedback or suggestions about aspects I have not thought of. It is a big idea that could change a massive industry like education and there are many different ways it could be developed.