I am still getting used to blogging for marks… does that increase or decrease value to the art of blogging…. hmmm I am feeling existential angus about this one. Meh, the panic has passed.
No class tests though, I really like that! I honestly don’t think that gross amounts of memorization leading up to an exam and then a giant data drop from your brain when it is finished really reflects what university is about. I thought we were supposed to engage in the knowledge and apply it to our own life. Maybe I am too keen, or maybe people are not keen enough.
Oddly, knowing that people will read this I feel rather shy and unsure about what to say… which is odd considering my identity is based on whether I ‘out’ who I am or not. I suppose it is the anticipation that anonymity will somehow fail. Meh. Well nonetheless I hope that I overcome that so it isn’t solely me writing about the readings without some fun commentary to clarify my perspective.
I could not agree more that memorization is not what university is all about. It really doesn’t show what you have learned, it just proves how good at cramming you are. It’s great having a class without exams! This way we are able to apply (as you stated) our knowledge as well as being introduced to a variety of opinions and ideas.
I also concur with the ridiculousnous (I don’t think I spelled that correctly) of tests in testing actual knowledge. Particulary multiple choice tests which only grade wether you can read questions properly and then make a semi-educated guess rather than being able to comprehend and assimilate knowledge in a useful way. As you can see I could rant for a while, but I digress. Don’t worry about being shy besides the snap judgements we all make I am sure no one is openly judging you. That was supposed to be reasuring?? Anyway keep up the good work, this class blogging experiment should be interesting!
Howdy,
I liked your post… Like yourself and the other two students that responded to your post I agree that memorization and tests are not always the best way to measure a students learning. However, have you ever tried to think of a better method? It is tough to do… Obviously this class is set up differently but many classes are dependent on tests for logistical reasons alone. How would you gauge the learning of 200+ students without the use of exams? Also while tests (and particularly multiple choice tests) may not be good at assessing how well a student can apply what they have learned they do establish whether a student has remembered what they have learned. If a student can not even remember what they have learned how can they possibly apply their knowledge?
I can see both sides of the debate, and since I typically do quite well on exams I thought I would play devils advocate.
Cheers!
Ahh yes…the anonymity fear. I feel better if I just throw in a random piece of information every now and then that will throw off predators. You know…something that’s completely untrue or weird so that nobody can actually figure out who you really are. Anyways..just something to mull around in the old noggen. I enjoyed your wee rant on the uselessness of testing to evaluate intelligence. My dad tells me that “not all that counts can be counted and not all that is counted counts.” That makes me feel better for a couple minutes… until the truth sinks in. We’re just a student number, who has a GPA number, which determines the rest of our lives. Don’t sugar coat it dad. I need a 3.6 to get into the faculty I want and that’s ALL that counts. Anyways, nice insights. Peace.
Nice post, I feel the same way you do, about an intial shyness to this whole blogging assignment. However as I began to write my own and comment on other peoples blogs, I realized that we are all in the same boat. Many have never had blogs
(like myself) so trying something new and learning more about peoples ideas, thoughts, and attitudes within the class is actually very interesting. Good luck on your future “blogs”!