People generally believe that testing is terrible for learning because
Read the following passage and choose the option which best completes each question, according to the
text:
Students Should Be Tested More, Not Less
“Testing is terrible for learning”. This often repeated saying has become accepted as true without proof. Opposition to testing and its associated ills has led to an over-generalization of the word “test” and an unjustifiable reputation as the personification of all that is wrong with education.
Henry Roediger, a cognitive psychologist at Washington University, compared test results of students who used common study methods — reading material, highlighting, and writing notes — with the results from students repeatedly tested on the same material. Roediger found that taking a test on material can have a greater positive effect on future retention of that material than spending an equivalent amount of time restudying it. Remarkably, this remains true “even when performance on the test is far from perfect and no feedback is given on missed information.”
Some tests, however, are more effective in eliciting this positive effect than others. Standardized tests, like IQ tests, are designed to measure developed knowledge or abilities. They are “summative,” as they measure students’ sum total knowledge or ability at a fixed point in time. Summative tests are not intended to shape future teaching. “Formative assessments,” on the other hand, are designed to discover what students do and do not know in order to shape teaching. They are not meant to simply measure knowledge, but to expose gaps in knowledge so teachers may adjust future instruction accordingly. At the same time, students are alerted to these gaps, which allows them to shape their efforts to learn the information they missed.
Roediger asserts that educators ought to be using formative assessments early and often in the classroom to strengthen learning throughout the unit rather than waiting until the end and giving a summative assessment.
((FROM: http://www.theatlantic.com. Acesso: 28/01/2014. Adapted.)
text:
Students Should Be Tested More, Not Less
“Testing is terrible for learning”. This often repeated saying has become accepted as true without proof. Opposition to testing and its associated ills has led to an over-generalization of the word “test” and an unjustifiable reputation as the personification of all that is wrong with education.
Henry Roediger, a cognitive psychologist at Washington University, compared test results of students who used common study methods — reading material, highlighting, and writing notes — with the results from students repeatedly tested on the same material. Roediger found that taking a test on material can have a greater positive effect on future retention of that material than spending an equivalent amount of time restudying it. Remarkably, this remains true “even when performance on the test is far from perfect and no feedback is given on missed information.”
Some tests, however, are more effective in eliciting this positive effect than others. Standardized tests, like IQ tests, are designed to measure developed knowledge or abilities. They are “summative,” as they measure students’ sum total knowledge or ability at a fixed point in time. Summative tests are not intended to shape future teaching. “Formative assessments,” on the other hand, are designed to discover what students do and do not know in order to shape teaching. They are not meant to simply measure knowledge, but to expose gaps in knowledge so teachers may adjust future instruction accordingly. At the same time, students are alerted to these gaps, which allows them to shape their efforts to learn the information they missed.
Roediger asserts that educators ought to be using formative assessments early and often in the classroom to strengthen learning throughout the unit rather than waiting until the end and giving a summative assessment.
((FROM: http://www.theatlantic.com. Acesso: 28/01/2014. Adapted.)
Gabarito comentado
Resposta correta: A
Tema central: interpretação de texto — identificar causa indicada pelo autor. A frase-chave do texto afirma que o lema “Testing is terrible for learning” “has become accepted as true without proof” — ou seja, foi aceito como verdade sem evidência. Reconhecer esse sentido é essencial.
Justificativa da alternativa correta (A): o autor explica diretamente que a ideia de que testes atrapalham a aprendizagem “has become accepted as true without proof”. Essa formulação aponta para aceitação popular por repetição e sem fundamento. Logo, a razão pela qual as pessoas acreditam que testar é ruim é justamente porque essa afirmação foi frequentemente repetida e acabou sendo tida como verdade.
Análise das alternativas incorretas:
B: “students think tests are extremely difficult.” — Não há no texto referência a uma crença geral dos alunos sobre a dificuldade dos testes como causa da opinião negativa. É irrelevante ao argumento apresentado.
C: “testing is responsible for bad education.” — Embora o texto mencione que testes receberam “an unjustifiable reputation as the personification of all that is wrong with education”, isso descreve a consequência da opinião (o teste é culpado) e não a razão pela qual as pessoas passaram a acreditar nisso. A pergunta pede a causa da crença, não a crença em si.
D: “most teachers prefer tests to exercises.” — Nunca sustentado pelo texto; é uma afirmação fora do que foi apresentado e, portanto, incorreta.
Estratégia de leitura rápida: procure a frase que expressa causa (palavras como “because”, “since”, “as”) e procure parafraseamentos do enunciado nas opções. Substitua mentalmente a opção no enunciado para ver se mantém o sentido do texto.
Fonte citada no texto: pesquisa de Henry Roediger (Washington University) e artigo adaptado de The Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com).
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