The Grade School Test as a Learning Tool

The most obvious benefit of a test is the incentive it provides for studying; few of us are as self-motivated as we'd like to be. This incentive includes proving to one's self the extent of learning already achieved, but also to peers, teachers, and parents alike. Also, the test result is usually applied to a grade, which is used for various things, though its usefulness is a question for another essay. The other benefit of the test to the learning process is in letting the teacher know whether the student is ready to move on to the next unit, or to what extent the student needs continued study.

The Scenario

A teacher tells a class of 20 students that a test on the current unit will be administered in two weeks. The amount of time students need in order to master the material for this test will vary greatly. Assuming diligent work from each student, the students will fit into one of three categories: A) two weeks is the exact amount of time needed to master the material, B) two weeks is not enough time, C) two weeks is more time than necessary. (Lack of diligent work only exacerbates the problem of testing even further, and will not be explored here.)

The Consequences

The vast majority of Group B students and their parents accept what they see as their fate: the time to study that material is over, and it will never be mastered. If the student and parents wish to overcome this damaging scenario, they must continue to study the material while the teacher and class moves on to the next unit. Therefore, the student and his/her parent must choose either to fail to master the material, or accept the possibility of falling farther and farther behind.

Most teachers, perhaps without even realizing it, set the test date far enough away that almost all the students fit into Group C. For Group C students, the material will be mastered, but there will be extra time to be filled. Parents, then, will need to step in and provide other useful activities or material for the student to study while they await test day. Otherwise, the interim will be wasted, not to mention the boredom experienced by the student (or worse). As for Group A students, we are lucky if there is even one that fits into this category.

What is the Purpose of a Test?

There is another huge problem with test administering in an institutional setting. The most important purpose of a test is to find out what the student has and has not yet mastered, so that following the test, the teacher is able to tutor accordingly. However, in what institutional setting does this happen? It is no fault of the teacher; he/she simply cannot take the time to spend with each student necessary to bring mastery to the fore.

If the student attends institutional school (public or private), parents must be deeply involved through time and other resources in order to make the best of this unfortunate situation. This will not fully maximize the time lost, but will redeem much of the adverse circumstances. Other arguments aside, home-schooling solves this problem completely if the parents are on their game. Either way, parents, not institutions, are the foundation of a child's education.

Conclusion

Much of life is making the most of less-than-ideal circumstances, but the first step is realizing that such is the case. Test-administering can be very helpful, and should not be abandoned. On the other hand, if parents and teachers fail to recognize the true benefits of testing, the test becomes a virtually useless tool in the process of learning, and can even harm the long-term success of the student.