Exam Questions Phobia
It’s one and the same thing, isn’t it? Not necessarily. Understanding or comprehension is the goal, when teachers stand in front of the class. We’re using understanding or comprehension deliberately.
They mean one and the same thing. Students might be comfortable with the term understanding, because teachers use it all the time. It becomes a problem when exam questions use comprehension.
Exams are the highest level of testing. Teachers test all the time. There are in-class tests, homework, assignments, all kinds of testing. Students may be used to ‘understanding’ not ‘comprehension.’ We are not talking about language as in English language exams.
We are talking about a chain of learning, where exam questions should be an extension of what teachers delivered in class. Exams should not be teachers’ enemy, springing on students new methods of asking questions.
When I still had the brain to learn, I never discussed exam papers. I walked straight home. Some learners stayed behind and showed teachers questions they didn’t answer. Teachers would explain that it’s something they know, but question was asked differently. Anguish from learners, depression until exam results came out.
Education is a relay of knowledge that should not be broken as learners approach the FINISH tape. Teachers pass the baton to learners, and give them ‘mini exams’ along the way. Then comes exams, and students drop the baton because they did not understand questions.
Some countries try to remedy the broken link between teachers’ testing and final exam testing by holding ‘mock exams.’ For example, learners are given 2018 or 2019 exam papers. Teachers collect answers and mark them.
Teachers then dish out tips on how to understand exam questions. It should not come to that. The chain between teacher and exams should be constant, like driving lessons. The instructor teaches you how, and the driving test, tests if you can drive and park a car safely.
Another ‘written podcast’ by Nonqaba waka Msimang.
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