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Oct 21, 2012
Writing Feedback / Movement away from written exams to practical skills.Discuss this trend [2]
Topic of Ielts writing :
In the modern world, there are movements away from written exams to practical skills.Discuss advantages and disadvantages of this trend.
My essay is:
These days, besides written paper, many universities have been applying other forms of assessment like practical or oral testing. Both approaches of evaluating student ability are valid, but they test students in different ways.
Some people claim that there are considerable benefits to be gained from written exams compared to practical testing methods. From the administrative point of view, this traditional method is easier to deal with. It is obvious that it is easier for teachers to mark their students based on the same examinations with fixed criteria. This is the reason why this form of assessment has existed for a long time and it has kept its popularity till now. However, written testing is criticized that it can not test overall skills of students. For example, practical skills like making quick decisions, functioning well in a team or delivering presentations can not be assessed through several written exams. In addition, sometimes, students achieve good results because they memorise knowledge rather than understand it.
On the other hand, alternative assessment methods is believed to bring huge advantages and help to improve the ways of testing student ability. For example, in some Master Business Administrative programs, students are asked to give presentations or work in a team and solve problems together. Through these practices, teachers can assess the team work and problem-solving skills of their students. They are essential skills for most business employees who want to be successful in career prospects. Therefore, it makes sense to test in the same ways. Furthermore, by doing practical exercises, students will be familiar with practice and the requirements of work, so they will be well prepared for the profession in the future.
In conclusion, although written exams are still popular because it is easy apply, a range of practical methods are gradually becoming more common. The new assessment help to test some skills that can not be tested through the former method.
Thanks
Topic of Ielts writing :
In the modern world, there are movements away from written exams to practical skills.Discuss advantages and disadvantages of this trend.
My essay is:
These days, besides written paper, many universities have been applying other forms of assessment like practical or oral testing. Both approaches of evaluating student ability are valid, but they test students in different ways.
Some people claim that there are considerable benefits to be gained from written exams compared to practical testing methods. From the administrative point of view, this traditional method is easier to deal with. It is obvious that it is easier for teachers to mark their students based on the same examinations with fixed criteria. This is the reason why this form of assessment has existed for a long time and it has kept its popularity till now. However, written testing is criticized that it can not test overall skills of students. For example, practical skills like making quick decisions, functioning well in a team or delivering presentations can not be assessed through several written exams. In addition, sometimes, students achieve good results because they memorise knowledge rather than understand it.
On the other hand, alternative assessment methods is believed to bring huge advantages and help to improve the ways of testing student ability. For example, in some Master Business Administrative programs, students are asked to give presentations or work in a team and solve problems together. Through these practices, teachers can assess the team work and problem-solving skills of their students. They are essential skills for most business employees who want to be successful in career prospects. Therefore, it makes sense to test in the same ways. Furthermore, by doing practical exercises, students will be familiar with practice and the requirements of work, so they will be well prepared for the profession in the future.
In conclusion, although written exams are still popular because it is easy apply, a range of practical methods are gradually becoming more common. The new assessment help to test some skills that can not be tested through the former method.
Thanks
