Graphic by Penelope Taylor ’20
BY JAHNAVI PRADEEP ’23
Today, our education system is swamped with tests, quizzes and examinations that loom over learning.
While there is merit to the tools of evaluating a student’s learning, they should be balanced out with other measurements, such as in-class activities, written assignments and guided projects. These provide a more holistic evaluation of progress.
An examination is a useful tool to measure students’ academic progress easily and along a common parameter. However, the regurgitation that examinations require does not fully encompass learning. For example, when I learned how to drive, I passed the written exam with flying colors, but on the road and in traffic, I was a miserable driver. This is the same with learning in a classroom setting. The examination only covers a part of the learning. It must be supplemented with practical application and interactive activities.
“The time limit and the whole situation really freaks me out,” Chuyuan Sun ’23 said. “ I don’t feel like I’m learning new things or interacting with the class material effectively.”
Sun added that the process of examinations also causes students to neglect whether they find a topic interesting or not, as they are more concerned with what they need to memorize for the exam itself.
Often students skip classes because they know that the class for that day covers material outside the exam study guide. They certainly have mastered strategies for taking the exam, but in the process, has the engagement with learning changed? What about student engagement in the classroom setting?
Exams allow students to ‘game’ learning. If I know what is coming on the exam, my knowledge on the subject is only limited to what is going to be on that exam, thereby limiting any attempt at a complete mastery of the subject.
Exams are important, but they should be supplemented with other in-class activities and assignments. There are different ways of learning — for example, partner activities and guided projects can give students hands-on experience.
Teachers aim to help students grow and flourish and, hence, should incorporate these tools to accommodate students.