testestestest.

I don’t like that we learn in order to pass tests.

Earlier, a friend told me that he really didn’t want to go back to college and start classes.  In response, I made a joking comment about running to Europe, and learning foreign languages on our own so that we could sit and listen to lectures at our own leisure just for the pleasure of the acquisition of knowledge; we wouldn’t be learning because we were going to be tested on it and we had to, but rather, because we desired to know things and learn on our own.

I didn’t even realize until after I’d said it how much I really, really desired this.  I absolutely hate that learning is so based around testing.

“Do we need to know this for the test?” “Will this be on the test?”

Granted, I ask those questions all of the time.  But it’s only because I’m worried about retaining knowledge that not only I think is interesting, but perhaps what I’m not too interested in, and must remember in order to pass a course.  And I really hate it.  I hate that in order to demonstrate our knowledge we have to take tests on it.  There should be a better way, where we can demonstrate what we know in actual situations, and apply the knowledge, not just answer questions about it and just.....you know.

I think this is one of the hugest reasons I prefer IB to AP.  AP bases the course around the test at the end, and that is your ONLY chance to demonstrate what you’ve learned.  In IB, your final grade is based upon multiple assessments as the course goes on.  And it’s not just in the form of a test; in English there are presentations which you can prepare for, in Math there are investigations where you apply what you know, in Biology there are labs, etc etc.  Point being, it doesn’t all rely on one exam, and there are a variety of ways to demonstrate knowledge, for those of us who might not be as good at tests.

I wish we could just learn for the pleasure of learning instead of for the purpose of taking tests.