A Change in the Modern Way of Testing and Learning
Nowadays, the mere mention of the words “test”, “exam” and “learn” can cause the majority of people, ranging from students, employees in training, course takers and many others to collectively flinch and feel the chills, as many of us see testing and learning as some kind of a stressful process that we must go through in order to achieve a certain goal.
What is the reason behind this uneasiness? Some of us will say that it’s because the things that we are presented feel dry, that they are given to us in a way that just doesn’t get our attention, maybe we are stressed because no matter how hard we try, sometimes we just can’t grapple with the given subject, when the dreaded time to test our knowledge comes, we feel insecure if we can’t remember something, our minds stop, panic kicks in and it all just turns into chaos. The process of acquiring and testing knowledge isn’t perceived as a beneficial experience, but rather as a battle to be won through sheer willpower.
We, as humans, are naturally curious creatures. Our curiosity is what led us to evolving, learning, and adapting. But back then, we learned differently. We were not forced to sit still for hours, listen to someone else talk about their interpretation of the subject we need to learn about and write down page upon page of assignments and exams. In my opinion, the main difference is in two factors. Automation and variety. Could you ever imagine the testing process actually being completely automated, where you don’t need to think of something new every time you create a test? Learning in a simple way, because everything is there within your reach, in various forms? Practice tests with similar questions on a computer? And not only just before the actual exam.
I pondered on this idea for quite some time. Making the testing process fun and actually meaningful, making the knowledge you gain stay with you, and not allow it to evaporate once it served its purpose. A new set of possibilities come to light if you actually include technology into equation. How can this be achieved? The answer is through modern technology and rapidly evolving software.
Currently, many professors are unable to keep track of each individual within their class. Helping the ones who need it the most and awarding receive some extra challenging assignments has always been an issue. However, if technology is introduced, the test creation and test taking process will take a 360 degree turn, as this process will be revolutionized in a way only a few of us may have imagined until today. Students, course takers and anyone in training, will be for once engaged. They will finally dedicate their full attention to the class, but not because they have to, but because they will see the benefits of actual listening.
How can all this be achieved you might be asking yourself? It does kind of seem like a far-fetched dream in a way, doesn’t it? But it’s not a secret, that at times, if you work hard enough, dreams become reality. This project is our dream, and we will do everything in our power to make it a reality. The current state of things is bound to change, as it is rapidly showing to be ineffective, based on various studies and even questionnaires, ranging from student satisfaction to actual quality of acquired knowledge.
