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With unlimited time, you have the opportunity to take little breaks here and there, even if it just means doodling for a few minutes, and this is a huge advanta

by dougk16 13y ago

With unlimited time, you have the opportunity to take little breaks here and there, even if it just means doodling for a few minutes, and this is a huge advantage if you leverage it well. I run into this daily with my work life now as well...bang your head against a problem for an hour straight, go to the bathroom, come back, and the solution pops into your head like magic. Edit: Also, the more time you have between answering a question and rechecking it, the more objectively you see things, and notice mistakes that you would miss if you were rushed.

jlgreco 13y ago
You and lmkg both allude to stress, which is something I hadn't considered. Still, if reduced time-based stress is creating accounting for a significant difference, I am almost inclined to say that perhaps that is a legitimate thing to diagnose and accommodate. I think that is pretty close to the intended use of 'infinite test time'. I never had much success with checking my answers before turning in a test, though I suppose other people very likely do.
- dougk16 13y ago
  I actually didn't mean to implicate stress, although it is of course also a factor for some people. But even in non-stressful situations, frequent breaks from cognitive load are simply a necessity for me. I think it's because my brain is more like a sprinter than a long distance runner, and the latter is probably better suited to typical tests. I can start getting real sloppy after even 15 minutes of intense mental focus, even if I know the material well. But of course sprinting has its benefits in other situations, so it all balances out.
- comex 13y ago
  My brother has had some accommodations, such as being allowed to type answers on a computer, or being able to take the SAT over multiple days, that I think should just be available to everybody. These exams are supposed to test knowledge, not handwriting/the ability to write for long periods of time without getting achy, or the ability to stay focused on a boring test for over 4 hours; nor do those seem all that onerous on schools. Test time falls more into "onerous", and being able to solve math problems or write quickly can be important, but if a student does significantly better in general without a time limit due to stress, it seems somewhat unfortunate to me that they need to go to a doctor to be accommodated, something which largely depends on their parents and has something of a stigma...

by dougk16 13y ago

jlgreco 13y ago

You and lmkg both allude to stress, which is something I hadn't considered. Still, if reduced time-based stress is creating accounting for a significant difference, I am almost inclined to say that perhaps that is a legitimate thing to diagnose and accommodate. I think that is pretty close to the intended use of 'infinite test time'. I never had much success with checking my answers before turning in a test, though I suppose other people very likely do.

dougk16 13y ago
I actually didn't mean to implicate stress, although it is of course also a factor for some people. But even in non-stressful situations, frequent breaks from cognitive load are simply a necessity for me. I think it's because my brain is more like a sprinter than a long distance runner, and the latter is probably better suited to typical tests. I can start getting real sloppy after even 15 minutes of intense mental focus, even if I know the material well. But of course sprinting has its benefits in other situations, so it all balances out.
comex 13y ago
My brother has had some accommodations, such as being allowed to type answers on a computer, or being able to take the SAT over multiple days, that I think should just be available to everybody. These exams are supposed to test knowledge, not handwriting/the ability to write for long periods of time without getting achy, or the ability to stay focused on a boring test for over 4 hours; nor do those seem all that onerous on schools. Test time falls more into "onerous", and being able to solve math problems or write quickly can be important, but if a student does significantly better in general without a time limit due to stress, it seems somewhat unfortunate to me that they need to go to a doctor to be accommodated, something which largely depends on their parents and has something of a stigma...