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Thursday, July 16, 2009

The end is nigh for written exams

Students taking a test at the University of Vi...Image via Wikipedia

How would you like written exams?

Or, how would you like if written exams are done away with?

Read this news… happening in Britain:

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LONDON - Exams have been a rite of passage for millions, but within a decade they could be history, according to Britain's chief executive of Cambridge Assessment, Mr Simon Lebus.

He said traditional examinations are likely to disappear within 10 to 15 years, to be replaced by computerised testing.

Instead of three-hour written exams, there will be continual e-assessment throughout pupils' courses. Exam boards are currently investing millions of pounds in developing the technology - and, Mr Lebus claimed, it is not "science fiction".

The computerised world would allow pupils to take tests when they are ready. It could also involve "adaptive" testing: Generating harder questions when a pupil gets an answer right or easier ones when they are wrong. Such tests are thought to be more accurate at diagnosing a pupil's level of skill.

But academics warn against the shift. Professor of education Alan Smithers at Buckingham University said: "Making judgments about performance isn't easy. The best way of doing it is dispassionate assessment of students tackling the same tasks under the same conditions." The Guardian

From TODAY, World – Tuesday, 14-Jul-2009

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