Objective Assessments

Reflect on the idea that tests are the only objective assessments of student learning.

Objective testing is the most efficient and easily marked type of assessment. On the other hand, using objective testing is time consuming, gives no credit for partial information, encourages guessing, directs the student to select information instead of creating it, and encourages “teaching toward a test.” Since there are many alternative assessment techniques, then I believe that educators should use a variety of all of the types available to them. Learning is a team effort between the educator and the learner so I believe that the learner MUST be involved in the learning process in an active instead of passive manner. In order to encourage the more creative thinking and to foster higher levels of thinking, subjective testing can be used. Open-ended questions and projects can achieve this for the learning process.