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I think I agree and I can't help but think that we (as a society) have our priorities backwards. Who do these tests protect? Do they bolster the student? If so

by efnx 4y ago

I think I agree and I can't help but think that we (as a society) have our priorities backwards. Who do these tests protect? Do they bolster the student? If so, why would they want to cheat? Is it because the information isn't relevant to their future and only the letter grade is? If a student cheats and then never encounters the natural consequences (like getting the same subject matter wrong on the job) - what was the point of the test? The pessimist in me thinks that we're protecting industries. I would guess that an industry wants a plethora of candidates that meet a specific bar to choose from, and the information the students must memorize is inconsequential for the most part.

chowells 4y ago
The point of tests in higher education is for the student to get an assessment of where they are. The whole design kind of assumes that students want to learn, not just get a piece of paper. But that's the entirety of the higher education experience. It's all about presenting opportunities to learn and grow. People who treat it as mere credentialism are missing about 99% of the point. And yes, that includes a lot of faculty, students, and people pressuring students (to go either direction, really.) I don't see a problem with tests. I see a problem with people treating degrees as some sort of magic totem.