EDUC 5220 - Curriculum design and Instructional Decision Making
Writing Assingment Unit 7
University of People
Instructor: Dr. Rochelle Massingill
August 2, 2022
A standardized test is any testing system that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a set of questions from a known question bank in the same way, and that is scored in a "standard" or reliable way. This allows the relative performance of individual students or groups of students to be compared (Atkin J.M, 2001, Page 8).
While various types of tests and assessments can be "standardized" in this way, the term is mostly associated with large-scale tests administered to large numbers of students, such as the multiple-choice test provided to all eighth-grade public schools. students in a particular state, for example.
The purpose of standardized testing is to have a large number of students write one test and then relate any individual score to all the others to see how the individual score compares to a large sample. The results are then placed on a bell curve that indicates where the score is in descriptive statistical standards. Standardized tests are administered to large groups of at least thousands, sometimes millions.
Pros and cons of standardized testing The major puzzles in standardized achievement testing are the legitimacy and applicability of test scores (Guba, E.G., & Lincoln, Y.S. 2001). Legitimacy has to do with how accurately the test results actually show students' knowledge of the subject matter.
Standardized tests use a minimum number of questions, and even if one or two questions are flawed due to environmental reasons, it will affect each student's results (Atkin J.M, 2001, Page 9). Factors affecting the correctness or incorrectness of a student's question can be immeasurable and can be grouped into
(a) situational/environmental factors,
(b) personal/emotional factors, and
(c) the grade distribution requirement of standardized testing.
Since coming to school in Russia today's children begin to prepare for and simultaneously scare them with the upcoming exams. First it is a transfer test from elementary school to high school, then the subject of universal fear becomes the General State Exam (Dmitry Nikolaev,2022), and all students of grades 10-11 diligently re-read all the textbooks for the Unified State Exam. However, the most difficult thing about passing the exam is the moral preparation of the examinees. Constant pressure from parents and teachers, bad experiences with the exams of previous years do their job: students, especially those who do not know or have not learned anything, begin to have a terrible panic, which not everyone can cope with (Au, 2007).
But often we hear that the modern test form at the end of the 9th grade leads to "ease" of this exam, to its universal "accessibility," to the possibility to copy. The older generation, university teachers and school teachers, dream of returning to the old system of passing - oral, to writing large final essays. On the one hand, such an exam has several advantages: the students develop oral and written speech, the ability to articulate their thought, literacy, and the possibility of copying from the Internet is reduced to almost zero. In this case only those who really have knowledge can pass the exam and enter the university, which means that there won't be a glut on the labor market, which is very important in the modern world. One seemingly insignificant change in the form of examinations leads to such consequences.
Consider the "old" system of examinations. So, in Soviet times, school ended after 10th grade, not after 11th as it is now. Graduates had to pass 8 obligatory exams: algebra (written) + geometry (oral), composition, literature, chemistry, physics, foreign language and history in oral form, while now it is enough to pass obligatory subjects (Russian and mathematics) and profile subjects necessary for entrance. The exam itself was held by pulling a ticket instead of a test part and a written assignment. No matter how everyone praises this option of passing the exam, but it also has its disadvantages: not all the guys can not be calm, clearly express their thoughts, not to be timid in front of the committee, which relentlessly "breathes in the back", also not solved the problem of cheating, the student weaker can sit down and ask for help from a student smarter. Also there is a moment of luck: there may be an easy question, or the one that you managed to repeat several times, and maybe get what you did not have time to start, and in general just the human factor will work: what if the Commission does not like you?
Generally the USE was created in order to "ease" the life of graduates a little: its results are suitable for graduation from school, and for admission to university. Thus, the children did not have to lose time and nerves for additional entrance exams. The experiment to introduce the USE was first held in 2001 in the Republics of Chuvashia, Mari El, Yakutia, as well as in Samara and Rostov regions in eight academic disciplines. And in 2008 it was taken by over a million students in all regions. Also the specific list of subjects in which the USE was held in 2001-2008 was set by each region independently.
So on the basis of the feedback collected about the USE and USE by those who took it and people who studied back in the "traditional" system, the following pros and cons of such exams can be cited:
Pros:
1. The USE evaluates the knowledge of the student more objectively than traditional types of examinations.
2. The USE allows you to compare the quality of education in different schools and regions.
3. USE allows graduates to enter universities located at a considerable distance from their place of residence, without spending money on travel, but only by sending information on passing the USE by mail. It is easier to apply to several universities at once without having to take exams in each of them.
Minuses:
1. As a result of the transition from a full examination to tests, the development of the ability to prove and form the correct answer is eliminated, logical and thinking skills in general, as well as creativity suffer.
2. Control-measuring materials are unusual for the Russian system of education.
3. School specialization is not taken into account: students at both humanities and science schools take the same version of the mandatory final exam.
4. In computerized verification of test parts, recognition errors are possible, which are counted as incorrect answers.
Conclusion
The unified state exam greatly simplifies admission, expands opportunities for simple rural applicants, who try to get an education, and narrows opportunities for rich people, who want to get a crust without basic knowledge (Huebner A.J., & Betts, S.C. 1999).
Of course, everything has flaws, and the system is not perfect. Many complain that school grades and learning are becoming meaningless. Medals, awards, and the certificate itself are losing their value. But in reality this is not entirely true. Often there are controversial cases when two people with the same USE scores apply for the same place. In this case, the certificates and awards go into action. The student with the greatest potential is admitted to the university.
References
Au, W. (2007). High-Stakes Testing and Curricular Control: A Qualitative
Metasynthesis. Educational Researcher, 36(5), pp. 258-267.
http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/EMAT7050/articles/Au.pdf
Atkin J.M., Black P., Coffey J., (Eds) (2001). Chapter 1 An Introduction to
Assessment in the Science Classroom (pp. 7-10), Chapter 3 Assessment in the
Classroom (pp. 23-58) and Chapter 4 The Relationship Between Formative and
Summative Assessment In the Classroom and Beyond (pp.59-78). In Classroom
Assessment and the National Science Education Standards. National Academy
Press: Washington, DC. https://www.nap.edu/read/9847/chapter/1
Guba, E.G., & Lincoln, Y.S. (2001). Guidelines and for constructivist (a.k.a. fourth generation) evaluation.
https://wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u350/2014/constructivisteval.pdf
Huebner A.J., & Betts, S.C. (1999). Examining fourth generation evaluation application to positive youth development. Evaluation 5(3), pp.340-358.
http://www.stes-apes.med.ulg.ac.be/Documents_electroniques/EVA/EVA-GEN/ELE%20EVAGEN%207467.pdf
Caucus of Working Educators. (2015, October 10). Wayne Au on high stakes testing 10/24/15 [Video]. YouTube.
Dmitry Nikolaev Updated: March 07, 2022 Pros and cons of the USE: an objective view of the exam
https://blog.fenix.help/podgotovka-k-testam-yekzamenam-zachetam/yege-obyektivnyy-vzglyad-na-ekzamen