Should we introduce one-word exams? (1 Viewer)

[FlipX]

From the New York Times:

Oxford Tradition Comes to This: ‘Death’ (Expound)
Oxford Tradition Comes to This - ‘Death’ (Expound) - NYTimes.com

The exam was simple yet devilish, consisting of a single noun (“water,” for instance, or “bias”) that applicants had three hours somehow to spin into a coherent essay.

An admissions requirement for All Souls College here, it was meant to test intellectual agility, but sometimes seemed to test only the ability to sound brilliant while saying not much of anything.

​

Maybe we should look into this... Goodbye, standardised testing; hello, creative essays?

 

[ibbi00]

So in other words: Who can bullshit the most in 3 hours yet make it sound good? Sounds interesting xD

 

[FlipX]

It won't necessarily be the same as crapping on, if you're well-informed and rationale enough to write a sustained and substantiated opinion piece.

It'll be more difficult to mark than standardised tests, but maybe as a supplementary assessment?

 

[xMaNx]

YES!

I want this, NAO!

 

[Sadiah]

So in other words: Who can bullshit the most in 3 hours yet make it sound good? Sounds interesting xD

lol haha

 

[aussie-boy]

Apparently, there was once a psychology exam, with the final question: 'Why?'

And allegedly the top mark was given to the person who answered, 'Why not?'

 

[Sadiah]

Apparently, there was once a psychology exam, with the final question: 'Why?'

And allegedly the top mark was given to the person who answered, 'Why not?'

I've heard of something like that.
Pretty strange though, I reckon.

 

[goony]

I remember my english teacher said he once sat a philosophy exam with one question "What is a question?" to which he wrote "This is an answer." and walked out.

 

[xMaNx]

lol, "this is an answer" what a smart one.

however, he never answered the question. Shoulda wrote "a question requires an answer, and is created from an answer, to which this is the answer"

 

[Sadiah]

lol, "this is an answer" what a smart one.

however, he never answered the question. Shoulda wrote "a question requires an answer, and is created from an answer, to which this is the answer"

haha

 

[aussie-boy]

I remember my english teacher said he once sat a philosophy exam with one question "What is a question?" to which he wrote "This is an answer." and walked out.

Presumably thats why hes now a high school english teacher and not a successful academic

 

[57o1i]

I remember my english teacher said he once sat a philosophy exam with one question "What is a question?" to which he wrote "This is an answer." and walked out.

A former WA premier told that same story in a lecture a couple of weeks ago, only it was 'Is this a question?' and it was a philosophy lecture at Oxford :|.

 

[addikaye03]

From the New York Times:

Oxford Tradition Comes to This: ‘Death’ (Expound)
Oxford Tradition Comes to This - ‘Death’ (Expound) - NYTimes.com

The exam was simple yet devilish, consisting of a single noun (“water,” for instance, or “bias”) that applicants had three hours somehow to spin into a coherent essay.

An admissions requirement for All Souls College here, it was meant to test intellectual agility, but sometimes seemed to test only the ability to sound brilliant while saying not much of anything.

​

Maybe we should look into this... Goodbye, standardised testing; hello, creative essays?

Yeah i think these would be better at assessing english ability and intellect than the current english course... rote learn and essay

 

[kaz1]

no way hosay, what if you don't know what the known is.

 

[chrisjb]

it'd be just like sitting the GAT (yes, i'm from victoria and am hijacking your forum), an exam that you can't study for, where every student is only able to use the material before them to write a page and a half of BS.

 

[FlipX]

Apparently, there was once a psychology exam, with the final question: 'Why?'

And allegedly the top mark was given to the person who answered, 'Why not?'

I remember my english teacher said he once sat a philosophy exam with one question "What is a question?" to which he wrote "This is an answer." and walked out.

Urban legends. And both would've been instant fails, seriously.

Presumably thats why hes now a high school english teacher and not a successful academic

lol

I'm almost tempted to start a sample thread of one-word essays... But god knows we all have ADHD attention spans and no one will read what anyone else's written...except...maybe the current HSC English Extension 2 kids?