Teaching to the test
I had a whole post ready in my head about Jay Mathew's column about teaching to the test, but then Peter Campbell (who I usually agree with, though only up to a point) went and said pretty much everything I was going to say. Here's a taste:
So, go read Campbell's whole post. It's good.
I couldn't agree more. Teaching to the test would be wonderful if the tests were worth teaching to. If tests did, in fact, require thought and analysis -- not just memorization -- then I'd say "Let's have more of it," too.
But the simple facts belie his optimism. Consider the following:
1) the vast majority of state standardized tests are multiple-choice format
2) answering multiple-choice questions correctly requires students to use recall and recognition skills, not thought and analysis; in other words, the task behind a multiple-choice question is to determine which of the 4 or 5 choices is the one correct or best answer to the question. This task should not be confused with thought or analysis. Thought and analysis require careful consideration of a multiplicity of variables; they seldom produce a single correct response to a single question.
So, go read Campbell's whole post. It's good.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 9:30 PM.
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