whether grading and testing are accurate indicators of learning, success and failure or not?
In contemporary society, education has become an essential part. In education, different measures are used in measuring students’ abilities, such as standardized testing. Mostly, standardized testing is done in measuring how students are in comparison to others and how much they have learned in school. For a long time, standardized tests have become a barrier to the student which students have to climb to advance academically. Apart from standardized tests, grading is used in measuring students academic. Grading is becoming an essential topic ion the education institution. Then a big question rises on whether grading and testing are accurate indicators of learning, success and failure or not?
THOMAS, PL. “Chapter Sixteen: De-grading Writing Instruction: Closing the” Considerable Gap”.” Counterpoints 492 (2016): 235-252.
In this article on degrading, the author offers a scenario where the grading system and the standardized system is failing. The author makes a suggestion of better effective techniques of accessing student’s abilities and progress instead of using numerical and letter grades. He states that grads make students lose interest in teaching which a barrier to student’s educational motivation is. Research indicated that in all levels of education, students had shown a loss of most inept in learning as a result of grading and standardized tests. For instance, students are never willing to take any challenging tasks since they prefer an easy way out.
Hughes, Jan N., et al. “Effect of early grade retention on school completion: A prospective study.” Journal of educational psychology 110.7 (2018): 974.
Hughes, Jan N., et al. states that there are students who perform horribly when their academic abilities are measured using standardized testing leading to low grades. But in reality, they are brilliant; hence these tests and grades deter students from showing their potentials. Further, educational institutions have adopted standardized testing, which has a significant impact on learning and teaching. These tests are said to empower students into doing their best. However, it also causes stress, anxiety and competition in their performances. Further, teachers have come up with ways of ensuring that the standardized tests bring students a positive experience through downplaying of the stressful elements.
Tiara Swinson on December 09, 2018, How Standardized Testing Can Negatively Affect Students and Test Grades
In this article, the author states that standardized testing is emphasized in schools; students are oriented in ways to meet the demands of grading instead of meeting the needs of the students. Standardizing of tests has made learning to be rigid in a way which removes the chance of being creative and have an organic learning experience in school. This hurts the children’s comprehensions of subjects and eliminates the passion for learning. On the other hand, the author explains the role of standardized testing in school. It is used as a tool of assessing student’s ability to absorb knowledge and help in the ranking of schools.
The above authors show a similarity in their arguments concerning the effect of standardized tests and grading for students in school. The authors state that standardized testing and grading have a negative impact on students since they act as a barrier to advancement in academics. Additionally, the authors then advocate that school institution should adopt a better measure for measuring student’s abilities and knowledge which do not act as a barrier for student’s motivation.