Quizzes and Tests are not the Best
By Andoverview
We know that the majority of the student population dislikes taking tests or quizzes. But during a global pandemic they’re even worse. From keeping your camera on your paper to loading hybrid students up with tests on the in-school days so they can be supervised in person, we’ve seen all of the methods of “cheatproof” testing. While preventing students from cheating on tests and quizzes seems like a good thing, it’s not the best idea during times like these. First of all, the camera-on-paper plan doesn’t work for students who don’t have working cameras or those who don’t have access to a printer to print out the test. There are also some students who can’t move their computer’s camera, which provides more difficulty with this kind of test. Additionally, the mental and physical health of many students are in a decline due to these difficult times, and that should be taken into consideration: Many of us who are hybrid students find that we get loaded up on tests on the in-school days, which is extremely stressful. And those of us who are remote students have had to stick with all of the… creative ways that teachers are trying to administer tests. Because of all these reasons, we feel that grades should be based more on classwork, projects, or other homework assignments, rather than test and quiz scores. Teachers should put the effort they put into preventing cheating on tests into giving assignments that will still assess students’ understanding, or giving work that requires us to use what we learned in class.
