The words on the other hand in “Formative assessments, on the other hand,” (paragraph 3) conveys an idea of
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: D - contrast
Tema central: identificação de conectivos/discourse markers que organizam ideias no texto. Saber o papel de expressões como "on the other hand" é essencial em provas de Reading Comprehension.
Resumo teórico (claro e progressivo): conectivos servem para relacionar frases e parágrafos. Há categorias comuns:
- Addition (adição): e.g. and, furthermore.
- Contrast (contraste): e.g. but, however, on the other hand.
- Conclusion (conclusão): e.g. therefore, in conclusion.
- Finality (finalidade/enceramento): não é exatamente uma categoria gramatical padrão aqui; finality indicaria encerramento temporal ou propósito.
Por que a alternativa D é correta: no trecho indicado o autor apresenta dois tipos de testes com funções diferentes — summative tests versus formative assessments. A expressão "on the other hand" introduz exatamente uma ideia oposta/contrastante à que foi apresentada antes. Logo, a função é de contraste.
Análise das alternativas incorretas:
- A — conclusion: incorreta porque a expressão não encerra a argumentação nem aponta consequência; ela contrapõe dois conceitos.
- B — addition: incorreta porque não soma informações semelhantes; antes apresenta uma diferença entre tipos de testes.
- C — finality: incorreta pois finality sugeriria encerramento/objetivo final; aqui há comparação/contraste, não conclusão final.
Estratégia prática para provas: identifique imediatamente o papel do conectivo no contexto (contraste, adição, causa, conclusão). Leia a frase anterior e a seguinte: se houver oposição de ideias, escolha contrast. Em dúvidas, associe exemplos conhecidos: “but / however / on the other hand” = oposição.
Fonte de referência rápida: Cambridge Dictionary — definição de “on the other hand”.
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