Should the Standardized Test Be the Only Measurement for Students’ Ability in Learning?
Should the Standardized Test be the only Measurement for Students’ Ability in Learning?
Part of our future is determined by how good we are in a test. Over the past decade, schools use standardized test for several purposes. For example, to pass students from the schools, to know their learning progress in schools, to place them in a class suited their abilities, or to measure their worthiness to enroll to a university. “A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner “ (Wikipedia, 2010). Standardized test should cover all aspects, including the test writing style. Standard means the test should be reliable and valid, and have minimal errors of measurement and scoring, administration, and reporting guidelines (Dolezalek, 2009). Standardized test could be in multiple-choice, true false, or essay questions form. Multiple-choice and true false items are the most common questions form because computer can score them inexpensively and quickly. However, it seems unfair for students if they rely their future only on the result of a standardized test. Standardized test should not be the only tool to measure students’ ability in learning. There are many factors worth considering as assessments on how well students in their learning process. This essay will first discuss about the reason for not using standardized test as the only measurement for students’ ability in learning, then it will provide several alternatives for better assessment.
Some people may argue that standardize tests measures candidates ability in an objective way. This is because the grading system is based on several standardized guidelines and usually done by a machine, which removes the bias that may emerge from a human being
Part of our future is determined by how good we are in a test. Over the past decade, schools use standardized test for several purposes. For example, to pass students from the schools, to know their learning progress in schools, to place them in a class suited their abilities, or to measure their worthiness to enroll to a university. “A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner “ (Wikipedia, 2010). Standardized test should cover all aspects, including the test writing style. Standard means the test should be reliable and valid, and have minimal errors of measurement and scoring, administration, and reporting guidelines (Dolezalek, 2009). Standardized test could be in multiple-choice, true false, or essay questions form. Multiple-choice and true false items are the most common questions form because computer can score them inexpensively and quickly. However, it seems unfair for students if they rely their future only on the result of a standardized test. Standardized test should not be the only tool to measure students’ ability in learning. There are many factors worth considering as assessments on how well students in their learning process. This essay will first discuss about the reason for not using standardized test as the only measurement for students’ ability in learning, then it will provide several alternatives for better assessment.
Some people may argue that standardize tests measures candidates ability in an objective way. This is because the grading system is based on several standardized guidelines and usually done by a machine, which removes the bias that may emerge from a human being