Why we still need assessment tests

Original source: The Telegraph

John Kleeman, founder of Questionmark, an online assessment platform, mounts a strong defence of frequent testing.

Tests form part of the fabric of education. They provide a structure for learning. If regular assessments are planned, they give something to work to. They increase motivation and provide learning goals. If the learner achieves a good result it builds their confidence. If they consistently struggle to make the grade, it’s time to rethink the teaching methods. With regular tests, new teachers can have confidence that their pupils are learning something. 

However, there’s an even bigger reason that tests remain essential. Without the regular discipline of recalling information, the human brain’s ability to retain learning is significantly reduced. 

Students who recreate what they have learned in their own words remember more than those that simply read it

According to memory expert Professor Roddy Roediger, we are far more likely to remember information once we have been called upon to reconstruct it. Studies have shown that students who recreate what they have learned in their own words remember more information than those that simply read and reread it. 

Although the science is still emerging, there’s growing evidence that retrieving information from your head creates pathways in your brain that make it easier to  retrieve in the future. Quizzes and informal tests are brilliant examples of good retrieval practice.