What are some of the best reasons we should test students? To figure out where they stand as a whole? To learn a bit more about where they’re stumbling or struggling to grasp key concepts? What can we do to improve the quality of tests?
Come to think of it … why are we still focusing on tests?
There are many key qualities not measured by tests. For example, the below visual details 19 different qualities such as courage, humour, empathy, humility, and creativity. All of these (and more!) are things that you can’t really quantify using a standardised test.
This raises the big question: if standardised tests aren’t properly measuring these characteristics of students, then why are we still so reliant on them? I know this is a popular gripe for many of us in the education industry, but this visual really paints a pretty clear picture as to why tests (standardised or not) are not the be-all and end-all solution to the question of how we should start improving education. In fact, testing seems to raise even more questions than it answers.
Perhaps someday we will be able to quantify these qualities not measured by tests. In the meantime, keep this graphic in mind.
