After having read the ISTE article about using the Internet during test taking, I have been left with mixed feelings. The types of test available or asked of our students, even at the college level, would become unchallenging. If teachers and educators are skeptical of allowing open book tests, why would it be okay to unleash the entire to the student during the time of a test?
I understand the allure that the Internet brings, maybe ushering in an era of critical thinkers that can use data and information that the Internet offers, parse fiction from fact, and emerge the analytical beings we strive every student to be. Maybe I am a pessimist, but I fear that the Internet would be a distraction during educational practices like test taking. WIthout a proper ability to monitor each and every students actions while taking the test, I think most would quickly search for an answer rather than explore and think critically while using the Internet.
Some positives posted in the article; I would agree that tests geared or paired with the Internet in mind, could/would change our methods of teaching. No longer would we be able to test assess memory skills like dates and events, rather we would ask students to think critically. I think that is positive but a hard goal to obtain, and would not happen overnight.
Pessimism or not, I would love to see technology become less of a shortcut to an answer and more of a tool used to ask students to think. I believe that as time goes on and the Internet matures then we will be able to achieve this.
Bryan,
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you were trying to see the good in both sides of the argument. I agree with you and the article about the tediousness of having to remember facts and dates for tests, but keep in mind that most of the times our teachers and professors want us to remember those things as a guide for us. We need to have some kind of idea for when important events have taken place historically in order to understand the sequence of events which occurred after and which have led up to today.
I thought you did an excellent job of identifying the pros and cons of each side's points. I did feel that saying that all types of test we now have would become unchallenging with the Internet was broader than I am comfortable with. I feel that there are some subject areas where that is true, but there are also some where it is not. I did think that the point you made had an interesting implication, too: if we were to develop new testing techniques to incorporate the online resources available to students, what do you think would be the outcome?
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