Thread by @aaron_wtr

🧵 Are exams really the best way to measure intelligence and knowledge?

In this thread, I'll share my thoughts on why I think it's time to reconsider our current examination system in high schools and universities.

#education #teaching

Reason 1: Dissonance between subject understanding and ability to pass tests.

I have been through most of the Western educational system and for as long as I can remember, I’ve had this gut feeling of dissatisfaction when preparing for tests. In my experience, there is a dissonance between passing a test and fundamentally understanding a subject.

Exams often just measure our ability to memorize and regurgitate information. This approach to evaluating students ignores the fact that learning and deep understanding involves more than the ability to regurgitate some line of reasoning.

If you’ve ever had a eureka moment where something just clicked for you, you probably got there by prolonged periods of exercise, pondering and thought. The way examinations currently are set up does not allow for this way of getting to a deep understanding.

Getting to the point of deep understanding requires time and effort. Exams do not allow for this but rather focus on rewarding short-term recollection.

Exams typically force you to cram loads of information in a short period of time. Consequently, your knowledge about whatever subject you're studying is best described as trying to fill a colander with water: most of it dissipates quickly after the exam.

Exacerbating the problem of cramming even more is that most students need to prepare not just for one, but for multiple exams. You can imagine that cramming loads of information on a variety of wide-ranging topics is even less likely to progress long-term understanding.

Reason 2: Little regard for students' mental health.

The stressful, high-stakes examination environment contribute to the degredation of students' mental health. This is highlighted by the massive increase in demand for psychological help on campuses (apa.org/monitor/2022/1…), a trend that is persisting even after the pandemic.

This stressful and high-stakes environment fostered by the current examination norms plays a part in students not being able to live up to their full potential.

Next to limiting students’ performance, test anxiety has been shown to be a potential cause of chronic stress, which is associated with a plethora of other mental health conditions. (bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11…)

Lastly, the focus on high-stakes exams often lead to a periodic neglect of other important aspects of life, such as relationships, personal growth, and overall well-being. This way of conducting examinations is neither healthy nor an effective way to learn a subject.

Reason 3: Gaming the system

Given the previous realities, the current examination paradigm incentivizes students to game their grades. Picking least difficult courses; Memorization of exercises; Focussing only on test exams; Usage of study drugs.

For the people engaging in gaming their exams, the dissonance between subject understanding and obtained grades is magnified even further. This is bad both for themselves as well as for the value of grades for assessing knowledge in general.

So now that we have brought the problems facing our current exam paradigm to light, what can we do about this?

1. Weigh coursework into the final grade. Courseworks give students more freedom to work on a subject in a way that works best for them. They can pace themselves and adhere to their preferred personal learning style.

Coursework also allows students to engage with subject matter for a prolonged period of time, thus giving them a better chance to engage with the material on a fundamental level rather than in a superficial and short-term way.

However, this freedom also gives way to cheaters a bit more. I'd argue that the decreased burden on student's mental health, combined with provoking a more foundational approach to studying should come before our worry about cheaters.

2. Use oral examinations or presentations to evaluate understanding. Oral exams allow professors to gauge the extend of the students’ understanding a lot better in my experience. I do appreciate this will not be possible for exceedingly large classes but still worth considering.

Similarly, students can clearly showcase their understanding of a subject through presentations while also working on their communication skills, which is important in general, not just in their studies.

3. Projects or take-home assignments instead of final exams. Similar to the reasoning at 1., projects or take-home assignments foster a better foundation for engaging with subject matter. Additionally, the work can be spread which reduces the need for cramming.

4. Grade practicals. Practicals provide an excellent opportunity for students to engage with the materials in a hands-on way. To incentivize active participation and reduce the stakes of the final exam, grading students for their participation in practicals is useful.

I hope this post inspires educators to reconsider their style of examination. That being said, a big thank you to all professors and educators around the world working their hardest to educate the next generations. Your work is invaluable and greatly appreciated!