Should we get rid of standardized testing? - Arlo Kempf

Da li bi trebalo da se rešimo standardizovanog testiranja? - Arlo Kempf

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

The first standardized tests that we know of

Prva zabeležena standardizovana testiranja

were administered in China over 2,000 years ago

su vršena u Kini pre 2000 godina

during the Han dynasty.

za vreme dinastije Han.

Chinese officials used them to determine aptitude for various government posts.

Kineski zvaničnici su ih koristili da utvrde spremnost za razne državne poslove.

The subject matter included philosophy,

Bavili su se temama iz filozofije,

farming,

zemljoradnje,

and even military tactics.

pa čak i vojne taktike.

Standardized tests continued to be used around the world for the next two millennia,

Standardizovani testovi su korišteni širom sveta naredna dva milenijuma,

and today, they're used for everything

a danas se koriste za sve,

from evaluating stair climbs for firefighters in France

od ocenjivanja penjanja uz stepenice vatrogasaca u Francuskoj,

to language examinations for diplomats in Canada

preko ispita iz jezika za diplomate u Kanadi,

to students in schools.

do đaka u školama.

Some standardized tests measure scores

Neki standardizovani testovi mere rezultate

only in relation to the results of other test takers.

jedino u odnosu na rezultate drugih koji su testirani.

Others measure performances on how well test takers meet predetermined criteria.

Drugi mere učinak koliko dobro testirani susreću zadate kriterijume.

So the stair climb for the firefighter

Dakle, penjanje uz stepenice za vatrogasce

could be measured by comparing the time of the climb

može da se meri poređenjem vremena penjanja

to that of all other firefighters.

sa vremenom svih ostalih vatrogasaca.

This might be expressed in what many call a bell curve.

Ovo može da se izrazi nečim što mnogi nazivaju Gausovom krivom.

Or it could be evaluated with reference to set criteria,

Ili može da se oceni u odnosu na zacrtane kriterijume,

such as carrying a certain amount of weight a certain distance

poput nošenja određene količine tereta određenom udaljenošću,

up a certain number of stairs.

duž određenog broja stepenica.

Similarly, the diplomat might be measured against other test-taking diplomats,

Slično, diplomata može da se ocenjuje naspram drugih testiranih diplomata

or against a set of fixed criteria,

ili naspram niza utvrđenih kriterijuma,

which demonstrate different levels of language proficiency.

koji prikazuju različite nivoe jezičke stručnosti.

And all of these results can be expressed using something called a percentile.

A svi ovi rezultati mogu da se izraze nečim što se naziva percentilom.

If a diplomat is in the 70th percentile, 70% of test takers scored below her.

Ako diplomata spada u 70. percentil, 70% testiranih su bili gori od njega.

If she scored in the 30th percentile, 70% of test takers scored above her.

Ako je njegov rezultat 30. percentil, 70% testiranih je imalo bolji rezultat.

Although standardized tests are sometimes controversial,

Iako su standardizovani testovi ponekad kontroverzni,

they're simply a tool.

radi se o pukom oruđu.

As a thought experiment, think of a standardized test as a ruler.

Kao misaoni eksperiment, razmišljajte o standardizovanom testu kao lenjiru.

A ruler's usefulness depends on two things.

Svrsishodnost lenjira zavisi od dve stvari.

First, the job we ask it to do.

Prvo, posla koji od njega zahtevamo.

Our ruler can't measure the temperature outside

Naš lenjir ne može da meri spoljnu temperaturu

or how loud someone is singing.

ili koliko glasno neko peva.

Second, the ruler's usefulness depends on its design.

Drugo, svrsishodnost lenjira zavisi od njegovog dizajna.

Say you need to measure the circumference of an orange.

Recimo da treba da izmerite obim pomorandže.

Our ruler measures length, which is the right quantity,

Naš lenjir meri dužinu, a to je odgovarajuća jedinica,

but it hasn't been designed with the flexibility required for the task at hand.

ali nije dizajniran da ima potrebnu savitljivost za traženi zadatak.

So, if standardized tests are given the wrong job,

Dakle, ako standardizovani testovi imaju pogrešnu upotrebu

or aren't designed properly,

ili nisu dizajnirani pravilno,

they may end up measuring the wrong things.

može da se desi da izmere pogrešne stvari.

In the case of schools,

U slučaju škola,

students with test anxiety may have trouble performing their best

đaci sa tremom od testiranja mogu da imaju problema sa učinkovitošću

on a standardized test,

na standardizovanom testu,

not because they don't know the answers,

ne zato što ne znaju odgovore,

but because they're feeling too nervous to share what they've learned.

već zato što su suviše nervozni da bi pokazali naučeno.

Students with reading challenges

Đaci koji imaju problema sa čitanjem

may struggle with the wording of a math problem,

mogu da se muče zbog jezičke formulacije matematičkog problema,

so their test results may better reflect their literacy

pa su njihovi rezultati možda više odraz njihove pismenosti

rather than numeracy skills.

nego numeričkih veština.

And students who were confused by examples

A đaci koje zbunjuju primeri

on tests that contain unfamiliar cultural references

na testovima koji sadrže nepoznate kulturološke reference

may do poorly,

mogu loše da prođu,

telling us more about the test taker's cultural familiarity

što nam više govori o kulturološkoj upućenosti testiranog

than their academic learning.

nego o njegovom akademskom znanju.

In these cases, the tests may need to be designed differently.

U ovim slučajevima, možda treba drugačije dizajnirati testove.

Standardized tests can also have a hard time

Standardizovani testovi mogu i da imaju problem

measuring abstract characteristics or skills,

kod merenja apstraktnih osobina ili veština,

such as creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.

poput kreativnosti, kritičkog mišljenja i saradnje.

If we design a test poorly,

Ako loše dizajniramo test

or ask it to do the wrong job,

ili tražimo da obavi pogrešan posao

or a job it's not very good at,

ili posao u kome nije dobar,

the results may not be reliable or valid.

rezultati možda neće biti pouzdani, ni validni.

Reliability and validity are two critical ideas

Pouzdanost i validnost su dve ključne ideje

for understanding standardized tests.

za razumevanje standardizovanih testova.

To understand the difference between them,

Da bismo razumeli razlike među njima,

we can use the metaphor of two broken thermometers.

možemo da koristimo metaforu o dva pokvarena termometra.

An unreliable thermometer

Nepouzdan termometar

gives you a different reading each time you take your temperature,

vam pokazuje različita očitavanja svaki put kad izmerite temperaturu,

and the reliable but invalid thermometer is consistently ten degrees too hot.

a pouzdani, ali nevažeći termometar je konstantno 10 stepeni topliji.

Validity also depends on accurate interpretations of results.

Validnost takođe zavisi od tačne interpretacije rezultata.

If people say results of a test mean something they don't,

Ako ljudi kažu da rezultati testa znače nešto što ne znače,

that test may have a validity problem.

taj test može da ima problem s validnošću.

Just as we wouldn't expect a ruler to tell us how much an elephant weighs,

Baš kao što ne očekujemo od lenjira da nam kaže težinu slona

or what it had for breakfast,

ili šta je slon jeo za doručak,

we can't expect standardized tests alone to reliably tell us how smart someone is,

ne možemo očekivati da nam puki standardizovani testovi

pouzdano kažu koliko je neko pametan,

how diplomats will handle a tough situation,

kako će se diplomate nositi sa teškom situacjom

or how brave a firefighter might turn out to be.

ili koliko će hrabar da bude vatrogasac.

So standardized tests may help us learn a little about a lot of people

Dakle, standardizovani testovi nam mogu pomoći da naučimo po malo o mnogo ljudi

in a short time,

za kratko vreme,

but they usually can't tell us a lot about a single person.

ali obično nam ne mogu reći mnogo o pojedinačnoj osobi.

Many social scientists worry about test scores resulting in sweeping

Mnogi sociolozi brinu da rezultati na testovima mogu da ometu

and often negative changes for test takers,

i da često uzrokuju negativne promene kod testiranih,

sometimes with long-term life consequences.

ponekad sa dugoročnim životnim posledicama.

We can't blame the tests, though.

Ipak, ne možemo da krivimo testove.

It's up to us to use the right tests for the right jobs,

Na nama je da koristimo prave testove za odgovarajuće poslove

and to interpret results appropriately.

i da pravilno tumačimo rezultate.