[Rocko]

Should exams be replaced with other forms of assessment?

Many students undertake examinations as the most popular form of assessment. It's the quickest way to quickly ascertain the abilities of an individual and rank them amongst their peers.

For students where the majority of their marks rests on exams, it can be totally hit or miss whether their hard work pays off or are scuppered by the stress of this hurdle (often with cases of bright students being overlooked). On the other hand, it may be the case that individuals are drifters for most of the year but somehow, annoyingly for others, sail through with little or no effort.

If you have an excellent memory, you can probably swat some days or hours before and get decent marks as exams generally rely more on memory than analytical thinking and proper understanding.

One solution maybe that you switch to more coursework based review over a period of time, showing the ability to research, fully understand and apply the issues learnt.

This won't work for all as I've experienced, some leave the work to the last minute, copy someone else's work and also achieve high marks.

Different courses have different types of assessment, Architects mostly practical lengthy projects, where as medics mostly exams.

Personally, I get a combination of both, and when I'm doing coursework, I wish I had exams, and when I'm having exams, I wish I had coursework.

[Axiom]

I think oral exams would be better

[Tom]

Yes. I don't think there should be any 'real' exams until GCSE's. SAT's are the most pointless excuse for a set of exams ever.

[Sticks]

Coursework favours the rich kids who can pay for their work to be done and have internet access.

They should scrap all coursework and go over to three hour exams, including exams at the weekend like they do at university.

Just like they did in my day

[Tom]

Originally posted by Sticks
Coursework favours the rich kids who can pay for their work to be done and have internet access.

They should scrap all coursework and go over to three hour exams, including exams at the weekend like they do at university.

Just like they did in my day

What complete rubbish.

My mum used to be an English teacher, she said it was the ones who weren't in the 'popular' groups that used to do best in their coursework, and its those in the popular groups that are usually the rich kids ...

Why are you so obsessed with getting things back to how they were when you were younger? Times have moved forwards and they move on for a reason.

[Sticks]

Originally posted by Tom

Why are you so obsessed with getting things back to how they were when you were younger?

Because times were better then.

Many employers and universities are finding that students from British schools are well behind their counterparts in other countries. This has happened because standards here appear to have been watered down.

[x_mel_x]

There stopping corsework altogether now so its just based on exams. I prefer coursework cos I have a bit of a crap memory and I normally get full marks in coursework.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Sticks

Because times were better then.

Many employers and universities are finding that students from British schools are well behind their counterparts in other countries. This has happened because standards here appear to have been watered down.

Its not necessarily that standards have been watered down, but more education has become more accessible with the internet etc so people are finding courses easier. People are continuously coming from abroad to study for a degree here, and obviously you can put a negative spin on it by saying "its easier for them to do it here" but you're forgetting that goes onto their CV so it would make their degree look bad. If standards were that poor people would just study in their native countries or find somewhere better.

Also, if times were that much better and if standards really have been watered down, then why is a degree now practically expected by employers and theres predictions that by 2012, for 50% of all new jobs you will need one? Surely if standards had been watered down it would be the complete opposite?

[Fom]

I have done exams at GCSE and I have done other forms of assesments that I do now in college, we do a written logbook (Kinda coursework) then we video our lessons and we video our physical assesments for performances. I prefer it this way and it helps get the mark we deserve.
There is nothing crappier than a drama exam, they should be completely scrapped and replaced with coursework. The prospect of an exam for something physical is beyond me, might as well call it english. Also coursework isn't always stolen from the internet, if there is only a few schools per different coursework criteria/style. So they all have different questions therefore more difficult to cheat.

Also, if people do copy from the internet they do have to state it, if people dont say and they pass it off as their own then they have an extremely big chance of being caught. Examiners know the big websites that help with cheating they are not stupid. They can tell by the way its wrote and can compare it to other pieces of work. I just don't think its fair to judge a whole year or 2 years worth of learning on a 3 hour exam. Anything could happen, you could miss the exam, or you could not be well. And there is no way round it so I personally believe there should be an alternative to exams. But if it is to be replaced with coursework then it needs a new direction and some new moderation to it, stricter moderation.
But the BTEC way of doing things during college years is so much better than A - level's way of doing things, it gives people a better chance to earn their grades. And have chance to improve on it, as an exam isnt a way to wittle down who is bad and who is good, its to test how much we know, and if we go blank that day its not fair, tests arent a test on who can handle the pressure most. There should be other ways to see how much people know.
Maybe even longer time limits, just so people dont rush, the amount of times i have heard someone has messed up on their exam because they didnt have enough time.

[Tom]

The prospect of an exam for something physical is beyond me, might as well call it english.

You have to do theory, not everything that should be practical is practical. Its basically what you would do.

[Fom]

Originally posted by Tom

You have to do theory, not everything that should be practical is practical. Its basically what you would do.

Which is silly really, thats like doing on exam on how you would run. It doesnt show you how good they run just proves that they can run. Plus in a drama exam it doesn't even ask you about acting techniques it asks you about scripts. Closest it gets to it is when its says "How would you portray this on stage" Yes that matters but it doesnt matter if you cant do it on stage. I just dont see the point in the exam, everything n the exam could be done with coursework, which is probably easier for everyone, and its alot less stressfull.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Fom

Which is silly really, thats like doing on exam on how you would run. It doesnt show you how good they run just proves that they can run. Plus in a drama exam it doesn't even ask you about acting techniques it asks you about scripts. Closest it gets to it is when its says "How would you portray this on stage" Yes that matters but it doesnt matter if you cant do it on stage. I just dont see the point in the exam, everything n the exam could be done with coursework, which is probably easier for everyone, and its alot less stressfull.

Ah, I'm just making a judgment based on PE, I'm not too sure about Drama. In PE though its a lot harder than people realise, its essentially human biology with practical sport thrown in.