Vertical- . .-. - .. -.-. .- .-..

Thursday, August 15, 2002

BEHOLD.

Right, it's A-level results time of year again. And once again the old "They must be getting easier!!!" response is presented. Well, this response was trundled out when I got my results too, many years ago. Perhaps the reason why results are improving is that teaching methods are improving and children are learning faster in response to increased pressure to get good results as the overall quality and number of qualifications goes up. I heard someone on the radio suggest that they make kids sit A-level papers from 30 years ago to see if they did as well, which is an absolutely preposterous idea. If one took a paper from today and somehow went back 30 years and gave it to a student to complete, the result would undoubtedly be unmitigated failure. I would even go so far as to suggest that a-levels are getting harder, while at the same time teaching methods and student commitment to learning has increased. Which is the way it should be, of course. I learned things at school that made my parents mind boggle, whereas my parents have the ability to reel the 7 times table off at the drop of a hat, which I wouldn't suggest is a particularly useful trait in modern times. Success today is far more dependant on the proper use and manipulation of tools available, rather than simply memorising huge reams of information. By learning to interrogate the vast and easily accessible information stores we have access to today, we free up time and brainpower for free thought and creative thinking, which I would suggest is rather more valuable.

Regards,

posted by Woodsta09:57

0 Comments:

Post a Comment