Do you ever get the feeling that there is something wrong with the education system of the country? Have you ever had the feeling that your preparations and exams deserved much better marks than the dorky kid who came first? Working in an MNC today, in a dead end job with no scope for growth or increment coming your way, do you sometimes believe that the extra 5 marks could have changed your life?
Well, you’re not alone.
The traditional system of taking tests has been a prestigious institution in itself for over the past 60 years in India. However, the journey has not been smooth. According to a report released by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in 2014, the number of retests or ‘compartments’ in the last 10 years has been a staggering 19.8%!
That means that out of a population of a crore students that sit for exams every year, almost 20 lakh students are failing. There are a lot of factors that can be attributed to this revelation:
That means that out of a population of a crore students that sit for exams every year, almost 20 lakh students are failing. There are a lot of factors that can be attributed to this revelation:
- Better handwriting has an advantage over scribbled writing, so even if your answers are correct but illegible, you don’t score marks. That is unfair.
- The strain on the invigilator is immense. Checking an approximate of 2000 papers per day for over a month takes a toll on the teacher’s mind and they are bound to make mistakes.
- Finally, filing issues. Imagine collecting and storing tons of answer sheets in one place and evaluating them without tearing them apart.
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Everything runs on computers nowadays. From billing systems to sale management, accounting, the entire banking experience, even accepting regular mail has gone paperless. So why not exams?
Easy, affordable, well managed and extremely fast, online tests can change the spectrum of education for millennia to come. A continuous learning methodology has been adapted in India thanks to the persistent efforts of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The CBSE introduced the Continuous and Comprehensive evaluation (CCE) system of exams in the year 2009. CCE has grown to achieve a lot of fame and has been accepted by students and teachers alike. The program includes taking multiple tests throughout the year accompanied by a 3-hour written assessment taken every six months. The students are judged on multiple factors like interests, hobbies, creativity, innovation, presentation, diction and presence of mind and not just on course curriculum.
Why is that important? A student is not defined as successful only because he has rigorously memorized a subject, took notes till the fingers hurt, and stayed awake for nights on end to learn the matter, was always found digging in to books and spends his weekends practicing the hard topics. A student can also be successful owing to his interests. Some students might turn out to be the worst in written exams but shine bright in life thanks to their devoted passion. Don’t believe it? Ask these people.
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ALBERT EINSTEIN – FLUNKED MORE THAN 10 SCHOOLS BY THE TIME HE REACHED 7TH GRADE AND FINISHED SCHOOL WITH NO DEGREE.
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| THOMAS E. EDISON – ACTUALLY WENT TO SCHOOL FOR LESS THAN HALF A YEAR! WAS HOME SCHOOLED BY HIS MOTHER BUT PAID ATTENTION ONLY TO HIS ODD INVENTIONS |
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RABINDRANATH TAGORE – NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL. WROTE OVER 10, 000 NOVELS, SHORT STORIES AND POEMS.
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Online studies can help evaluate the factors elementary for a student’s growth which cannot be covered in regular written exams. Online education is unique in the fact that it allows the usage of media devices for all around learning. Audio-visual techniques, optical illusions, graphic interface modelers are some techniques which kids would not only have fun in completing but would understand better than reading a book.
And let’s not forgetting our tireless and meticulous teachers. Can you imagine how great the teachers’ mood will be when the weekend is all theirs and not spent calculating our test marks?
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Students have to prepare for a year, sit for an exam, manage to get passing grades and they are scot-free. Teachers have to teach the same subject each year, evaluate any number of students on a weekly basis, supervise examinations and make sure nobody cheats, coach the lagging students and answer parents for bad results. I think it’s time they get a break. With the use of online test taking platforms, the teachers could spend a lot of quality time with students to understand their issues and evaluate them accordingly. The automated results and analysis of tests can provide time to teachers to invent new teaching techniques and jog their brains for improvement ideas. Cheating will become almost non-existent with online testing, with the use of randomizers, automated sets and customized material based on the student profile. If no two students are the same, then they shouldn’t be giving the same exam either.
On the flip side, favoritism, if any, will be completely wiped out. Machines are automated and not driven by emotions, vain or meaningful. Existing issues like bribery, nepotism, pity, grace marks and the rest will not be factors considered in marking a student. They will know that they deserve the result they got and would not be able to challenge any authority (some unruly kids might!).
There might be issues from some authorities adapting to the new format, and teachers will miss the authority driven evaluations, others might complain about destroying traditions while there are those that might believe online tests can be hacked and altered. But all that can be curbed for the dream of a better future in education.
Bottom Line: If computers can improve almost any other industry in the world, the education industry would be very easy to improve, comparatively. The children and teachers alike need time to evaluate themselves and improve on their abilities and their core strengths, rather than follow a dull and repetitive module to introduce the next generation into the challenging world.