Can a Test be an opportunity to learn?
I gave my students a test today that made it easy to cheat.
In this Geography course, as with all courses I teach, I focus more on skills, not memorizing basic facts that can quickly be Googled.
Instead of asking them--in a controlled environment--to list all the capital cities they tried to cram into memory last night, I created a task for them to reveal if they've learned the skill.
The task is to create an interactive online GIS map, labelling land use zoning and a proposed "Complete Street". They then have to publish this map with an explanation.
They've done all this before. But today, like in a real work environment, there's pressure to get it done. It's a 1 hour deadline.
Of course, those that have mastered these skills will finish in half that time. Others may need to look up some basics, and still others--those who haven't been paying much attention lately--will spend time Googling the Complete Street concept, land zoning, pretty much anything they haven't learned.
It will look like cheating. It will feel like cheating. But, is it learning?
My guess is that those who need to look it up will not have enough time to make a polished map. They will still do better than the usual blank answers, and in the process, will at least 'catch up' somewhat on what we've been doing.
Is this unfair to the rest?
In this age individualized instruction and assessment, are we just making allowances for those who don't put in the effort the first time around? Or, is this an innovative way to ensure memory doesn't get in the way of skills and acheivement?
Today, I don't have the answer. I'll give this a shot... and at least on this day, every student will succeed at something.
I gave my students a test today that made it easy to cheat.
In this Geography course, as with all courses I teach, I focus more on skills, not memorizing basic facts that can quickly be Googled.
Instead of asking them--in a controlled environment--to list all the capital cities they tried to cram into memory last night, I created a task for them to reveal if they've learned the skill.
The task is to create an interactive online GIS map, labelling land use zoning and a proposed "Complete Street". They then have to publish this map with an explanation.
They've done all this before. But today, like in a real work environment, there's pressure to get it done. It's a 1 hour deadline.
Of course, those that have mastered these skills will finish in half that time. Others may need to look up some basics, and still others--those who haven't been paying much attention lately--will spend time Googling the Complete Street concept, land zoning, pretty much anything they haven't learned.
It will look like cheating. It will feel like cheating. But, is it learning?
My guess is that those who need to look it up will not have enough time to make a polished map. They will still do better than the usual blank answers, and in the process, will at least 'catch up' somewhat on what we've been doing.
Is this unfair to the rest?
In this age individualized instruction and assessment, are we just making allowances for those who don't put in the effort the first time around? Or, is this an innovative way to ensure memory doesn't get in the way of skills and acheivement?
Today, I don't have the answer. I'll give this a shot... and at least on this day, every student will succeed at something.