http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/indonesia-needs-thinkers-not-test-takers-for-these-constantly-changing-times/509623
Indonesia Needs Thinkers, Not Test-Takers For These Constantly Changing Times Simon Marcus Gower | April 07, 2012 It is that time of year again when school students in Indonesia face the difficult, sometimes traumatic experience of taking final exams that are, in effect, the ultimate statements about their schooling achievements. These exams are sometimes referred to as “make-or-break” or “one-off” tests, for both students and teachers alike. They are used to determine who graduates and who fails, and ultimately to see who has an ability to continue their education to higher levels. They can also be used to reflect on teachers’ and schools’ abilities. But whatever title is given to these exams and whatever terminology is used to illustrate their use and credibility, an overriding factor has to be the fairness and so too the real educational value of them — in both encouraging good educational practices and accurately determining the students’ levels of ability and achievement. Unfortunately it is evident, time and time again, that these exams do not engender good educational practices and that their real value in identifying students’ abilities and achievements is questionable at best. Most people would reasonably expect that the process of going to school leads to learning and development, but this is not always the case. Students who have to attend classes that amount to nothing more than rote-learning are getting a very minimal level of education, and any notion of their development being considered is largely lost. Teachers and schools will often feel that they have no choice but to abandon any real education in favor of test-taking preparation. This predicament can mean that students are no longer attending a high school education but instead are participating in test drilling that only prepares them for that “one-off” or “make-or-break” test. Any hopes for developing their thinking skills, their knowledge and understanding, and a general ability to think with originality and creativity are simply sidelined. This is an unfortunate phenomenon that is not confined to the national system of education here. International curricula also have exams, though they may amount to more than just multiple-choice question sheets, but it is increasingly evident that there are students following an international curriculum who are also being exposed to this test-drilling mentality. In recent conversations with high school students, the following exchange has not been unusual: “So tell me what subjects are you studying now?” Answer: “Well, I’m not really studying subjects.” Question: “What do you mean by that? You are going to school, right?” Answer: “Yes, but we are just doing past papers.” What the students mean by “past papers” is that the school just supplies past exam papers for the students to do as practice for the ultimate “real” exam. The students recognize that they are not studying or learning anymore but are simply being prepared for the test. Some test preparation can be acceptable and understandable, but six months before the actual exam? Students, then, are often having their education quite literally suspended while they are being drilled in how best to take the exam. They are being trained in the techniques and strategies of how best to satisfy what the examiner is looking for. This is training rather like training a dog to perform tricks. It is not really “learning” as such. Is the aim of high school education really just about creating students who are capable of taking a test successfully? Surely not, and students are, willing or not, the ultimate victims in all of this. All too often “successful” test-takers end up lacking the ability to think for themselves. Again, what is the aim of the educational process here? Is it to produce pliable, obedient graduates who will conform and follow? A lack of initiative and ability to think independently and with originality may be desirable to some. Images come to mind of George Orwell’s dark and troubling book “1984” and the controlling hand of a “Big Brother.” Dark conspiracy-like theories may not necessarily be the motivating factors here. Providing an education system is an enormous challenge, and providing a summation of the education process that is fair, balanced and ultimately valid is always difficult, but it is possible. Fundamentally, the final assessment of a student’s ability and achievements is going to inform and guide the pathway and process of education that is taken with that student. But the final assessment should not be the only and overriding consideration for students, parents, teachers and school leaders. An unhealthy obsession with test results leads to the practices of drilling and simply requiring students to memorize and repeat knowledge or mere facts with limited levels of actual thought. The voices against such processes are many and various. It is cited that the world of the 21st century needs thinkers and doers. The global economy requires people who can think and innovate, take action and potentially be entrepreneurs to capitalize on opportunities that arise in a world of change and consistent flux. Those who have been taught to memorize may not be those who can succeed in such a world. So, successful test-takers may not be successful in the real world; and this too reflects upon a criticism often cited as undermining the value of the test-taking mentality. In the real world you do not get tested once every so often and told that you have passed or failed. In the real world you can be tested and challenged practically every day, and you may fail or succeed. The process of success and/or failure is a distinct part of the learning curve but often it is not acknowledged or accepted as such. The pass-or-fail mentality of tests seeks black-and-white answers. There is no subtlety to appreciate learning, development, growth and achievement. An ongoing assessment model holds greater potential to achieve such goals. Ongoing assessment also, drastically, changes the way in which teaching and learning happens in schools. It is not enough then to go on complaining about the perennial problem that is testing. The whole system of teaching, learning and ultimate assessment has to be considered. Simon Marcus Gower is a director for quality assurance for the Uniprep UNSW Foundation Program and UniSadhuGuna International College’s Diploma Programs in Jakarta. The views expressed are his own. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
