Good question and I've argued this case myself from the other angle to figure this out as well. Sadly I don't have an answer, just working at it.
The best bridge I've got so far is that testing is a stop gap between here and wherever we want to get. (I assume the end goal is education over just simple literacy.)
Testing has 2 negative aspects to it
1) Its analogous to the effect nicotine or other habit forming drug/medicine has on its subject/user. After a while they have more than just an alleviating effect, the subject is itself altered to depend and operate under the influence of the chemical.
2) For any sufficiently complex task, tests create narrow fields of focus and reduce creativity and mastery. A movement towards the letter of the law, but not the spirit. If you want non educational examples, take everything from CEO performance, to tax evasion, to behavior in video games. It makes an argument for indirect measurement of outcomes.
At the core of the issue is that absolute terribleness of testing to actually measure anything other than itself, and how there is only a small range of measurable tests that can be conducted which are also applicable at mass scales.
Now I can't see ways to ameliorate or reduce these effects. One attempt has been to 'improve tests' - what with more complex tests and so on. All I've seen it do is create a push for more rote learning and often creates a side effect of whimsical marking.
I'm definitely, not going to argue that we should find a new or improved test. That would be as hand-wavy as saying "testing/measurables will solve it".
I suspect the answer will lie here, and at the intersection of what Panos learned with his cheating scandal. Likely a move towards more peer/group oriented work, which has a real world test which needs to be performed. Which of course would require teachers to have more time to work with and test the final result.
I'll respond and see if I can flesh the idea a bit later. Thoughts?
The best bridge I've got so far is that testing is a stop gap between here and wherever we want to get. (I assume the end goal is education over just simple literacy.)
Testing has 2 negative aspects to it
1) Its analogous to the effect nicotine or other habit forming drug/medicine has on its subject/user. After a while they have more than just an alleviating effect, the subject is itself altered to depend and operate under the influence of the chemical.
2) For any sufficiently complex task, tests create narrow fields of focus and reduce creativity and mastery. A movement towards the letter of the law, but not the spirit. If you want non educational examples, take everything from CEO performance, to tax evasion, to behavior in video games. It makes an argument for indirect measurement of outcomes.
At the core of the issue is that absolute terribleness of testing to actually measure anything other than itself, and how there is only a small range of measurable tests that can be conducted which are also applicable at mass scales.
Now I can't see ways to ameliorate or reduce these effects. One attempt has been to 'improve tests' - what with more complex tests and so on. All I've seen it do is create a push for more rote learning and often creates a side effect of whimsical marking.
I'm definitely, not going to argue that we should find a new or improved test. That would be as hand-wavy as saying "testing/measurables will solve it".
I suspect the answer will lie here, and at the intersection of what Panos learned with his cheating scandal. Likely a move towards more peer/group oriented work, which has a real world test which needs to be performed. Which of course would require teachers to have more time to work with and test the final result.
I'll respond and see if I can flesh the idea a bit later. Thoughts?