Obscene.
Joanna
----- Original Message ----- Joanna: " testing tends to focus on facts and calculation, which is only one aspect of science"
[WS:] I think you are too generous. The only thing that testing tests is test taking proficiency. I wish they tested facts and calculations, but they don't. The reason for that is testing must product a curve i.e. low, median and high scores to serve it main purpose, which is to discriminate.
If the tests were testing facts and calculations, as you claim, they would likely fail tor produce a curve under certain circumstances, e.g. when all test takers master the relevant facts and calculations. In such case, all results truly reflecting this educational achievement would be high, and also useless for discrimination purposes demanded by testing masters and their clients.
To produce a "curve" or hierarchy regardless of what the test takers actually know, the tests use an artificial stress technique that breaks some test takers before it breaks other. The commonly used stress technique is speedup. The test consists of a large number of relatively simple tasks that anyone with minimum knowledge can solve, if given enough time. However, they are NOT given enough time to solve these tasks, but instead they are running a speedup - how many tasks they can solve in insufficient time to solve them all. This mechanism never fails to produce a "curve" for a number of reasons and to discriminate.
This is the essence of most standardized testing. All they test is how fast you can run a gauntlet of simple tasks that most people with average knowledge and ability would be able to figure out. That is, all they test is test taking proficiency.
There is nothing of value that this method can possibly test. It should be legally banned. Given the local control of public school systems in the us, passing necessary local ordinances are not out of the realm of possibility, although I would imagine a serious backlash led by universities and testing-industrial complex.
-- Wojtek
"An anarchist is a neoliberal without money." ___________________________________ http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk