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[Physltest] [Phys-L] Re: California standards test in physics



I would disagree that we rarely are tested after school. People are tested
everyday to recall knowledge, to solve problems, to write essays, etc.
These are practical tests, those that drive our jobs and our lives. It
would be wonderful if school could somehow provide the same kind of
practical applications for all testing, but it is the very nature of school
that severely limits those opportunities. Schooling is much too compact in
time and content to design into it constant 'real world' tests.

Now unless we can change human nature, I seriously doubt that education (of
the masses) without considerable testing can be successful. How many here
have tried a 'graduate-style' course on an introductory class? That is,
only one knowledge/skill test a the end of the course. Yes there are some
pedagogical techniques being used that de-emphasize testing, but ultimately
how is the success of such judged? The hallowed (or infamous) FCI (Force
Concept Inventory) is a benchmark for many PER (Physics Educational
Research) practitioners, but of course it IS a test, and a multiple-choice
test at that!

In my experience (26 years), the weekly quiz is an important tool to keep
students ON TASK. Graded homeworks are key to getting students to practice
problem solving. I don't know how to assess the success (or failure) of a
course without some kind of 'exam'. The best (for conceptual assessment)
would involve essay questions where students must actually explain things,
but reading 60 of these (which I do in the Spring Semester) in the two days
or so allowed, is a daunting task.

While there seems to be a history of dissatisfaction with the methods of
education (dating over centuries if not millennia), somehow after all the
attempts to 'fix' things, we keep returning to the 'tried and true'.

I recommend Mark Shapiro's most recent column:

http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-01-07-05.htm

Rick

*********************************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
********************************************************
Free Physics Educational Software (Win & Mac)
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
********************************************************

----- Original Message -----
From: "Herbert H Gottlieb" <herbgottlieb@JUNO.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 8:16 AM
Subject: Re: California standards test in physics


Despite the smiley face below, I'm sure that all agree with your
statement. The question now is... Who should write all these tests?
Outside of Civil Service tests, those given in the doctors' office,
and a very few others, once we get out of the school environmnet
it is very rare that we ever have to take a test. Are tests really
necessary??? Can schools run efficiently without all those quizzes,
weekly tests, midterm tests, final tests, other tests, and exams?

Herb Gottlieb


On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 07:02:38 -0500 Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>
writes:
This discussion now has degenerated to the point where we can clearly
see why a committee should NEVER write a test! ;-)
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