May 03 2008
A Difference: Assessment and Rote Learning
Darren’s post A Difference: Assessment and Rote Learning helped to remind me why I was a math person (I would like to say that I still am but I seldom get to use it these days). In particular, I enjoyed the image of a math puzzle that he included with the post. I am embarrased to admit how long it took me to figure out the solution, but the type of thinking that I had to do was exactly the type that students need to be doing.
I also think that David Truss’ original comments about math assessment are spot on. I remember having several discussions with colleagues about how a student had demonstrated sound mathematical skills despite a small error early on in solving a problem. If I simply mark the question wrong because the final answer is nowhere near the correct one, am I really assessing the student’s skills? I still know many colleagues who are more concerned with designing an assignment or test that is easy to mark rather than one which goes into great depth. I know it takes a little longer, but looking carefully at the process followed by the student gave me a much greater insight into the student’s abilities.
Boy I miss math!
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