>Tests can serve a profoundly useful purpose in providing feedback and diagnosing students’ learning needs. But as blunt labels for students’ abilities, they ca

>Tests can serve a profoundly useful purpose in providing feedback and diagnosing students’ learning needs. But as blunt labels for students’ abilities, they can be devastating. This is so spot on. I've recently started taking college math courses for the first time, and I'm astounded by how little actual "teaching" goes on in these classes. My entire term grade for Precalculus was determined by 5 tests of 8 questions each, and the class consisted of a professor reading from a text book for an hour a week with zero feedback or help. I think experiences like this lead to a lot of people becoming completely frustrated and feeling worthless at math, while also outwardly validating that feeling with an unfair poor grade.