Those who champion formal examinations, be it written or practical, as the only effective assessment tool of the university student performance student performance believe that continuous assessment such as projects yield unreliable evaluations of student capability. I strongly disagree with this opinion for two reasons which will be elaborated as follows.
Formal examinations, which only gauge how students perform in a given time, are a subjective measure of student performance. There are various contributors to test outcomes such as students well-being and weather conditions which may prevent test-takers from achieving their best selves under test conditions. Assume that a high-performing student whose car has a flat tire failed to arrive at the test venue and therefore, is prohibited from taking the examination. The most probable mark that he can obtain is 0%, since he is marked as non-attendee, which consolidates my belief that formal test is not an objective method to evaluate one’s learning.
Course work and group projects can enhance one’s soft skills which are of paramount importance in the contemporary workplace. One is in no position to exclude himself from interacting with others in a team project, thereby forcing him to communicate, deal with arising problems, mediate a conflict which hinders a group’s progress. These encounters will gradually, but surely establish a concrete foundation for soft skill to improve, thanks to which one can become a perfect applicant for forthcoming job opportunities.
In conclusion, while formal exams cannot impartially measure students’ educational progress, ongoing assessments, on the contrary, are fairer, and capable of nurturing soft skills. Lest university graduates become insufficiently prepared for future work, group projects and coursework should be at the heart of tertiary education.
Those who champion formal examinations, be it written or practical, as the
only
effective assessment tool of the university
student
performance
student
performance believe that continuous assessment such as
projects
yield unreliable evaluations of
student
capability. I
strongly
disagree with this opinion for two reasons which will
be elaborated
as follows.
Formal examinations, which
only
gauge how
students
perform in a
given
time, are a subjective measure of
student
performance. There are various contributors to
test
outcomes such as
students
well-being and weather conditions which may
prevent
test
-takers from achieving their best selves under
test
conditions. Assume that a high-performing
student
whose car has a flat tire failed to arrive at the
test
venue and
therefore
,
is prohibited
from taking the examination. The most probable mark that he can obtain is 0%, since he
is marked
as non-attendee, which consolidates my belief that formal
test
is not an objective method to evaluate one’s learning.
Course work and group
projects
can enhance one’s soft
skills
which are of paramount importance in the contemporary workplace. One is in no position to exclude himself from interacting with others in a team
project
, thereby forcing him to communicate, deal with arising problems, mediate a conflict which hinders a group’s progress. These encounters will
gradually
,
but
surely
establish a concrete foundation for soft
skill
to
improve
, thanks to which one can become a perfect applicant for forthcoming job opportunities.
In conclusion
, while formal exams cannot
impartially
measure
students’
educational progress, ongoing assessments,
on the contrary
, are fairer, and capable of nurturing soft
skills
. Lest university graduates become
insufficiently
prepared for future work, group
projects
and coursework should be at the heart of tertiary education.