Depending on the schooling system through which you have come, I doubt if there is anyone who can claim that they have never written a test or have never been asked to answer questions aimed at testing their knowledge! In fact, if we look closely at how languages are structured, all of them contain grammatical rules that can change any type of statement into a question! And rightly so, since it it the basic ability to question that lays at the heart of our humanness! We have a sense of self through our questioning, including the questioning of others. And as a child you thought your parents have eyes behind the back of their heads since they have this uncanny ability to ask questions about things you hoped they rather not ask!
Assessment surely has its place in the teaching and learning process but for many their experiences with what seems to be a necessary evil are not always positive. In time, of course, as we expand our knowledge about how humans learn, specifically children, we have also acquired new methods to "test" or "verify" (perhaps gauge, ascertain, probe?) the level of insight, depth of knowledge and extent of someone else's knowledge. Undoubtedly, the prevailing learning theory will determine approached to teaching and learning as well as methods of assessment - a point supported in this blog post.
Nevertheless, it is when we use a three dimensional scale to triangulate level with purpose and object of assessment that we stand to gain the necessary insight into how best to approach assessment.
Mindful of the skills that learners in the 21st century need to master teachers will take heed of the real world and its demands on people. How we people live and work in the 21st century? Do we, like in the past put a high demand on individual achievement? Or, considering the importance of social networking and realizing that people do not work in silos or very rarely attempt to find solutions to problems by working completely in isolation, perhaps pay attention to new dimensions of group work - or collaboration! After all, a lot of learning takes place in social networks!
It is with this in mind that I argue that teachers should truly pause a moment and re-consider how they assess! Of course we cannot rid our society of tests and examinations!. Would you for example like to fly in a play knowing that the pilot did not need to write examinations but only had demonstrated his knowledge in what a flight simulator could through at him? Or what about a doctor? In this regard assessment has a clear purpose: its a Gatekeeper! If a aspirant doctor fails s/he can't be a doctor - for obvious reasons! And teachers? What if student teachers fail or do not manage to maintain a high average scores on their assessment opportunities? But that is a debate for another day! Suffice it to say, doctors sometime bury their mistakes, society have to cope with the mistakes teachers make!
What are your views of assessment? Have your past experiences left you with nerves in tatters and teary eyed? Did your self-image take a knock perhaps when one of the assessment in the most-feared subjects like Mathematics, Science or Computer-science "proved" to you that only "special students" can succeed? If that is the case, it is a real pity since a few experiences with certain types of assessment should not shape our whole futures! Sadly, however, it does!
If you are a student teacher, the question therefore remains: What type of teacher are you going to be? One that follows the traditional methods and stick to with what you know from your own experiences? Or will you be the type of life-long learner that will learn new ways of assessing your pupils so that assessment will fulfill the type of function that it is suppose to at any given level? We can surely learn a thing or two from our friends in Finland, not so? Assessment in the early years happens under the radar, and is never used as gatekeeping in the early grades! In fact, how can learning through play emphasise competition and the notion of "winner takes it all"? Never! That is why I love the principal of Ubuntu, especially at the early years when every child will actually try and ensure that every other child in the group also play along! What an awesome way to learn! I feel privileged to have witnessed this first-hand, in the 21st century at the Teacher Education Campus, Siyabuswa when the learners from Maraleng Teaching school visited us!
