The end is nigh for written exams

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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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Puppy survives after 'flush' with death

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06/16/2009 | 10:57 AM

LONDON – A British pup had a narrow flush with disaster after his 4-year-old master decided to give him a bath in the toilet.

Daniel Blair was quoted as telling Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid that he tried to clean the muddy 1-week-old cocker spaniel because he was muddy, and he flushed him down the drain.

His mother Alison was quoted as saying she thought the dog was dead, but a drainage firm was able to locate the beleaguered animal in a pipe 20 yards away from the house using specialist camera gear.

Pictures of the wet, frightened-looking puppy trapped in a pipe were posted to the firm Dyno-Rod's Web site and broadcast on British television Monday.

The company says the dog is now fine. – AP

From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.

Puppy survives after 'flush' with death

Image via Wikipedia

06/16/2009 | 10:57 AM

LONDON – A British pup had a narrow flush with disaster after his 4-year-old master decided to give him a bath in the toilet.

Daniel Blair was quoted as telling Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid that he tried to clean the muddy 1-week-old cocker spaniel because he was muddy, and he flushed him down the drain.

His mother Alison was quoted as saying she thought the dog was dead, but a drainage firm was able to locate the beleaguered animal in a pipe 20 yards away from the house using specialist camera gear.

Pictures of the wet, frightened-looking puppy trapped in a pipe were posted to the firm Dyno-Rod's Web site and broadcast on British television Monday.

The company says the dog is now fine. – AP

From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.