I wonder if this is also perhaps something of difference in pedagogical approach, even between countries. We tend not to use 'tests' here, or at least in my own department and school they are not common. Many of our courses don't even have end of course exams. And they were also not common when I was teaching in the UK. I certainly don't want to undervalue the importance of getting the information right, but just to stress that I don't see that as the starting point for learning or even evidence of learning.
Cheers L ----- Original Message ----- From: "VanDeveer, Stacy" <[email protected]> Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 9:41 am Subject: RE: [gep-ed] kickin it old school To: "'[email protected]'" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} p {mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:8.0pt; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";} span.BalloonTextChar {mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char"; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-link:"Balloon Text"; font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";} span.EmailStyle20 {mso-style-type:personal; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:windowtext;} span.EmailStyle21 {mso-style-type:personal; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D;} span.EmailStyle22 {mso-style-type:personal; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D;} span.EmailStyle23 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:#1F497D;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} -->----------------------------------------------------------- | > Hmm. I think the article suggests tests are simply part of learning, not > merely a means to an end (a grade). > > My view is that I would reject a trade-off between information and facts on > the one hand, and thinking/understanding on the other. It is rather hard for > me to see how one is possible without the other, unless all students need to > do is interpret things however they choose. Since politics in many > democratic countries (most notably my own, perhaps, but certainly not solely) > seems to have a growing disregard and contempt for empirical > information/facts and reason, it seems to me we don’t do our students any > service by suggesting to them that accurate, rather than desired, information > is not to be valued. > --sv > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > Lorraine Elliott > Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 5:24 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [gep-ed] kickin it old school > > Fine if we want students to remember 'information' and 'facts' (which is what > the article seemed to focus on). Like most of us, I guess, I'm interested in > my how my students can think critically and analytically and, for GEP in > particular, what they understand and think about the big political themes and > issues. I don't mind if, after having done my course, they don't remember the > precise details of UNCHE (way before almost all of them were born), or who > the first three UNEP EDs were. I do get cross, though, if they say that > UNFCCC and UNCBD were negotiated AT Rio. But I do hope that they walk away > with an awareness of the debates around whether and if so how > 'mega-conferences' contribute to global environmental governance, or the way > in which tensions between developed and developing countries were highlighted > by the UNCHE process, or what the debates are about institutional reform etc > etc etc. > > Happy New Year to all. > > L > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "VanDeveer, Stacy" <[email protected]> > Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 5:23 am > Subject: [gep-ed] kickin it old school > To: "Gep-Ed ([email protected])" <[email protected]> ----------------------------------------------------------- | > > FYI > http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/science/21memory.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=general&src=me > > ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | > > || | ----------------------------------------------------------- || | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | > > Stacy D. VanDeveer > > Associate Professor || University of New Hampshire > > Dept. of Political Science > > Horton SSC > > Durham, NH 03824 USA | | > > [email protected] || ----------------------------------------------------------- | > > tel: > > fax: > > mobile: > > Skype ID: || (+1) 603-862-0167 > > (+1) 603-862-0178 > > (+1) 781-321-5880 > > stacy.vandeveer | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- || | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | > > Want to always have my latest info? || Want a signature like this? | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | > > | ----------------------------------------------------------- > > > | ----------------------------------------------------------- > > > Professor Lorraine Elliott > Department of International Relations > School of International, Political and Strategic Studies > ANU College of Asia and the Pacific > The Australian National University > Canberra, ACT 0200 > Australia > t: +61 2 6125 0589 > f: +61 2 6125 8010 > e: [email protected] > http://ips.cap.anu.edu.au/ir > ANU CRICOS provider code #00120C > > > 'Any idiot can face a crisis - it's this day to day living that wears you > out', Anton Chekhov | ----------------------------------------------------------- Professor Lorraine Elliott Department of International Relations School of International, Political and Strategic Studies ANU College of Asia and the Pacific The Australian National University Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia t: +61 2 6125 0589 f: +61 2 6125 8010 e: [email protected] http://ips.cap.anu.edu.au/ir ANU CRICOS provider code #00120C 'Any idiot can face a crisis - it's this day to day living that wears you out', Anton Chekhov
