...by which I mean: if we set assessment questions/tasks that can be answered using a search engine, and a student locates/discovers a relevant resource that satisifies the assessment, so what? (This begs the question of course - what exactly is the utility of such questions, in any case?!)
Admittedly, it's nice to know what the source of the information was, but a marking scheme can accommodate that easily enough (e.g. with every question carrying marks for the provenance of the answer).
Search engines are changing the landscape - if you know how to use one effectively to solve a problem, find a relevant knowledge source, and so on - then you are arguably better equipped than someone who can remember that the squaw on the hippopotamus is equal to the sum of the squaws on the other two hides.
if we set assessment questions/tasks that can be answered using a search engine, and a student locates/discovers a relevant resource that satisifies the assessment, so what? (This begs the question of course - what exactly is the utility of such questions, in any case?!)
That's where we have to amend the assessment so that the student can use the information they've found. Yes, I fully agree lots of information is out there, it's whether or not the finder understands & uses it correctly that's the challenge to setting a good assessment.
Posted by: Emma at January 17, 2006 10:47 AMThat's where we have to amend the assessment
Yes, indeed...:-)
Posted by: Tony Hirst at January 18, 2006 07:52 PM