Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Gov't to put the kibosh on traditional exams?

According to Dagbladet, the Government considers to discontinue traditional final exams in high schools. The arguments are presented that traditional exams are outdated, and that portfolio assessments are better indicators of student performance throughout the year without the stress and chance factors of everything riding on a single performance. Not surprisingly, this initiative comes from the Socialist Left party (SV). In an even less surprising turn of events, the student organizations are besides themselves with joy at the prospect of not having to deal with exams. From the list of blogs that have commented on this story, this proposal also gets high-fives from an antiquated soft-science schnuck.

The Minister of Education is quoted as saying: "Vi ønsker å måle elevenes kunnskaper på en måte som likner den de møter på universitetet og i arbeidslivet" (We wish to measure student knowledge in a way which more closely resembles what they will encounter at universities and in a job situation"). This statement is flat out depressing, since it demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that Solhjell knows nothing about higher education at universities, where the vast majority of courses evaluate student performance through final exams, which act as part of the assessment portfolio. Also, Solhjell states that the portfolios will be evaluated by external examiners so as to guarantee anonymity. We're still talking about high school here, with student numbers vastly eclipsing those at the higher learning institutions like universities and university colleges. I'm mentioning this because universities don't have the necessary funding to use external sensors on everything, so I'm very curious to see how Solhjell proposes to come up with the budget increase this requires.

While I'm not saying that the traditional (mostly written) exam is the best form of student evaluation in existence, I am very sceptical towards this proposal for several reasons:
  1. How are they going to measure any improvements unless both paradigms are run in parallel for a large enough statistical sample, in which case I predict the same student organizations won't be as enthusiastic anymore?
  2. The people who'd be implementing this reform would be the same geniouses who have implemented every other education reform since the massive failure sometimes known as "Reform 94". Past performance being the best available indicator of future performance, what exactly has changed to suggest that a new reform would be successful? Assuming that the people who brought us reform 94 could come up with a successful education reform if they want to is a little bit like hiring Dr. Kevorkian as the physician at your day care center.
  3. There's lots of talk about how Norwegian students are slipping compared to other countries, especially in natural sciences and math. Wouldn't it be a good idea to compare how student evaluation is done in Finland, Germany, etc.? There is mention of "other countries" who use portfolio assessments exclusively, but for some reason their identities don't come up.
  4. Being that a grade reflects the performance of a single student, wouldn't it make sense that each student deserves exclusive evaluation? While teamwork is a fine activity, it's not exactly a secret that there are some differences with respect to how much weight each student pulls, which is not reflected in the grade said team effort is rewarded with. Is it fair to reward slackers and punish those who put in more than their share of work? 'Cause traditional exams measure the performances of single students, whereas portfolio assessments carry a collaborative component.
  5. With respect to how exams induce stress; what types of jobs don't carry an element of stress related to maximum performance during short burts up against deadlines etc.? Also with respect to how well high school students fare at universities; isn't there enough of a rude awakening already?

8 comments:

Anders said...

Read this yesterday, and I've been waiting for your take on this. And surprisingly, your conclusion was as expected. ;-)

We wish to measure student knowledge in a way which more closely resembles what they will encounter at universities...").

Yes, I couldn't believe my eyes when I read this. Like Universities doesn't use exams to evalute students...

The people who'd be implementing this reform would be the same geniouses who have implemented every other education reform since the massive failure sometimes known as "Reform 94".

That's one way of looking at it. Another way is that it can't be any worse then those reforms, and we need to undo them as soon as possible...
;-)

There's lots of talk about how Norwegian students are slipping compared to other countries, especially in natural sciences and math.

Actually, I'm kinda feel like there is a shift on this from the mainstream media. This was the case a few years ago, but no people are more concerned about other subjects, like reading ability etc.

For what it's worth, I've always considered this a political choice. You can't be good at all subject, so the questions is how early are the pupils/ students start to specialize? And of course at what age are children start school.

While teamwork is a fine activity, it's not exactly a secret that there are some differences with respect to how much weight each student pulls

For that reason, back in highschool, I used to ask if I could do team work projects by myself. That, and because not many in my English class wanted to do a project on Muddy Waters...

With respect to how exams induce stress; what types of jobs don't carry an element of stress related to maximum performance during short burts up against deadlines etc.?

Mine. Why do you ask?

Seriously, when I had a real job, one of the things I learned, was to deal with stress in such situations. Though we weren't allowed to call it stress (too negative), we called in pressure. In the same way there weren't any problems, only challenges...
:-)

On a sidenote, back in high school, I did have an ongoing debate with my teacher of whether the students was given enough responsibility. My position was that when you're 18, you should be able to take responsibility for your own learning (and thus preparing for the University style of learning). I actually manage to talk my Norwegian(?) teacher into a project where he did not check my homework, while some of my other class mates had the homework checked before every class. Theory being that I should be resposible to plan and prioritize my own work, while some of claimed they didn't do any homework unless it was checked.

Cudos to my old teacher for being willing to try new methods, though.

Ps: Too wordy, can't bother with proof-reading, so sorry for spelling-errors, half sentences and smiliar...

Wilhelm said...

That's one way of looking at it. Another way is that it can't be any worse then those reforms, and we need to undo them as soon as possible...

Undoing them and coming up with other random reforms in feeble attempts to increase student learning are two completely different things. The process of elimination is a crappy way to implement changes when there are many, many, many new ways to fail and some very documented and measurable ways to do something right.

Actually, I'm kinda feel like there is a shift on this from the mainstream media. This was the case a few years ago, but no people are more concerned about other subjects, like reading ability etc.

Perhaps in the mainstream media, but when it's talk of how high school students struggle during their first year at universities, it ain't 'cause they don't read so good, if you know what I mean. And these stories come up in mainstream media like clockwork following the first-year exams in math each and every year. If the year-round focus has shifted towards reading ability, it just means that the bar has been lowered further....

For what it's worth, I've always considered this a political choice. You can't be good at all subject, so the questions is how early are the pupils/ students start to specialize? And of course at what age are children start school.

Damn straight. So why should people who want to go to agricultural school have the study duration tripled, the extra curriculum being due solely to traditional academic subjects, in case they want to take a M.Sc. in astrophysics?

Good craftsmanship is invaluable, while mediocre academics with a B.Sc. are a dime a dozen, so why act as if the pursuit of carpentry etc. isn't at least as noble/valuable/useful as getting a masters degree in religion history?

That, and because not many in my English class wanted to do a project on Muddy Waters...

Imagine my shock

there weren't any problems, only challenges

..not to mention issues and learning opportunities. But at least you proactively networked in order to leverage your synergies, something I'm sure the stockholders would've been delighted to hear.

I actually manage to talk my Norwegian(?) teacher into a project where he did not check my homework, while some of my other class mates had the homework checked before every class.

You silver-tongued weasel. All that amounts to is that you were able to dupe your teacher into believing that you were more trustworthy than the other students, while the fact remains that you crammed everything the night before any test. As did I, I should mention.

And surprisingly, your conclusion was as expected.

That's just one white man's opinion :-)

Anders said...

..so why act as if the pursuit of carpentry etc. isn't at least as noble/valuable/useful as getting a masters degree in religion history?

Hey, hey, HEY! No bad-mouthin' carpentry here!
:-D

But at least you proactively networked in order to leverage your synergies, something I'm sure the stockholders would've been delighted to hear.

Did you also read that memo? "Proactive" and "can-do-attitude" were words I learned to use a lot there...

Wilhelm said...

Hey, hey, HEY! No bad-mouthin' carpentry here!

I'm not, actually - au contraire as they say in less civilized regions of the world

Did you also read that memo? "Proactive" and "can-do-attitude" were words I learned to use a lot there...

Dlbert is more a documentary than a comic strip

Anders said...

I'm not, actually - au contraire as they say in less civilized regions of the world

You compared it to religion history. If that isn't an insult, what is?*
;-)

But to summarize, the "new" school will have no exams and no homework, the student should learn everything they learn during the school hours and be evaluated at the same time. Right?
If that's where we headed, I think we need to add some more hours to the day, 'cause the student ani't gonna have time to all that in a 9-to-3 day.


*Yeah, can bad-mouth religion history. I'm not wokring in an academic institution**, so I'm not obliged to sweet-talk the soft sciences. ;-)

**On second thought, maybe I am. Damn.

Wilhelm said...

You compared it to religion history. If that isn't an insult, what is?

How right you are - I apologize to carpenters everywhere.

I think we need to add some more hours to the day, 'cause the student ani't gonna have time to all that in a 9-to-3 day.

Not to mention that it's also an expressed goal tio have Norwegian universities soar on international rankings. Apparently, we want to accomplish this by lowering expectancies for high-school students (and earlier) and raise expectations for university students, while simultaneously lower the workload for both categories.

Yes; I love mutually exclusive goals

*Yeah, can bad-mouth religion history. I'm not wokring in an academic institution**, so I'm not obliged to sweet-talk the soft sciences. ;-)

**On second thought, maybe I am. Damn.


Does it appear from time to time like I've got a soft spot for soft sciences?

Anders said...

we want to accomplish this by lowering expectancies for high-school students (and earlier) and raise expectations for university students, while simultaneously lower the workload for both categories.

Well, at least now my plan to became international rock star, triple Nobel price winner and supreme ruler of the world doesn't sound as far fetched anymore...

Does it appear from time to time like I've got a soft spot for soft sciences?

On second thought, maybe not. It's not like you'd every consider taking extra credits in a soft science or anything like that.

Wilhelm said...

On second thought, maybe not. It's not like you'd every consider taking extra credits in a soft science or anything like that.

LOL..touché