Table of Contents
Directions
Your professor is teaching a class on Education. Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response, you should:
- express and support your personal opinion
make a contribution to the discussion in your own words - An effective response will contain at least 100 words. You have ten minutes to write.
Class Discussion
Today, we are discussing the role of standardized testing in education. Standardized tests have been used for decades to evaluate students. Apart from concerns about cultural bias and socioeconomic differences, is standardized testing still a fair and accurate way to measure a student’s potential?
I believe standardized tests are still useful because they provide a practical and objective way to compare students nationwide. These tests measure knowledge and skills in a consistent way, which can help schools and universities select candidates fairly.
I disagree with Emma. Standardized tests don’t consider different learning styles or creativity. They focus too much on memorization and do not measure true potential or talents, so they are not the best way to evaluate students.
Sample Answers & Evaluation
🏆 Perfect Score – The Sniper Approach (30/30)
While Emma argues that standardized tests offer an objective measure, she fails to consider the fundamental flaw in assuming uniformity of test conditions and backgrounds. Standardized testing often overlooks the socioeconomic and cultural factors that significantly influence performance, which fundamentally undermines its fairness. For instance, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports reveal persistent achievement gaps linked to socio-economic status, illustrating that these tests often measure external advantages rather than innate potential.
Why-Why analysis shows that by focusing solely on test scores, we neglect critical skills such as creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence, which standardized tests cannot capture. This oversight limits the scope of assessment to a narrow academic snapshot rather than a holistic evaluation of student potential.
Thus, while standardized tests facilitate broad comparisons, relying on them exclusively ignores essential dimensions of student ability, impeding educational autonomy and advancement. A paradigm shift toward multiple assessment methods would better reflect the true capabilities of learners.
Teacher’s Feedback
Score: 30/30
Logic: This student critically analyzed the assumption behind standardized tests and used a specific example from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to show why the tests can be unfair. The argument digs deep into why tests miss important skills, showing advanced thinking.
Golden Vocabulary: fundamental, paradigm shift, autonomy
🏆 High Score – The Standard Approach (25/30)
I think standardized tests are helpful because they give a clear way to compare students across different schools. For example, if a student takes the same test anywhere in the country, the results show their knowledge level in a fair way. This makes it easier for universities to choose students objectively.
However, I agree that these tests do not measure everything a student can do. Some students are good at creative or practical tasks that tests cannot show. Still, standardized exams are a good starting point for measuring academic skills fairly.
Therefore, while not perfect, standardized testing remains an important tool for assessing students’ knowledge and potential in education.
Teacher’s Feedback
Score: 25/30
Logic: The essay has clear logic and is well organized, explaining the usefulness of standardized tests with a general example. However, it lacks deeper critical analysis and specific real-world evidence, which makes it less persuasive than the 30-point essay.
Golden Vocabulary: objective, measure, potential