According to Roediger, to have a more effective learning educators should use
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: B — formative assessments during the units.
1. Tema central: A questão trata da diferença entre formative e summative assessments e pede que você identifique qual prática, segundo Roediger, torna a aprendizagem mais eficaz.
2. Resumo teórico: Formative assessments são avaliações usadas para identificar lacunas no conhecimento enquanto o ensino ainda ocorre, permitindo ajustes imediatos no ensino e nos esforços do aluno. Summative assessments medem o aprendizado ao final de um período (ex.: provas finais, testes padronizados) e não têm como função principal moldar o ensino futuro. (Ver também estudos clássicos sobre avaliação formativa: Black & Wiliam, 1998).
3. Justificativa da alternativa correta (B): No texto Roediger afirma que os professores devem usar avaliações formativas “early and often” e aplicá‑las ao longo do unit para fortalecer a aprendizagem throughout the unit. Isso indica claramente que as avaliações formativas devem ocorrer durante as unidades (units), ou seja, enquanto o conteúdo ainda está sendo trabalhado — alternativa B.
4. Por que as outras alternativas estão erradas:
- A — “formative assessments at the end of units”: contradiz o texto; avaliações formativas não são para o fim da unidade, e sim para uso contínuo.
- C — “summative assessments during the units”: summative avalia ao final; aplicá‑las durante a unidade não corresponde à definição nem à recomendação de Roediger.
- D — “summative instead of formative”: o texto defende o uso de formative para fortalecer o aprendizado ao longo do processo; não advoga substituir formative por summative.
5. Dica de estratégia para enunciados: Procure palavras-chave do texto (ex.: “early and often”, “throughout the unit”, “shape teaching”) e relacione ao propósito das avaliações. Assim você evita pegadinhas que trocam “formative” por “summative” ou confundem tempo de aplicação (durante × ao final).
Fonte citada no texto: Henry Roediger (artigos e divulgação sobre o efeito do teste); revisão clássica sobre avaliação formativa: Black & Wiliam (1998).
Gostou do comentário? Deixe sua avaliação aqui embaixo!
