Knowledge and its measurement: theory and practice

Abstract

[Extract] In January 2003, I was visiting the University of a central European city where one of the world's largest testing organizations was delivering mandated testing to a school system funded by a large World Bank loan to the new government of that country. Speaker after speaker stood up and chanted what is a mantra for those involved in mandated testing. That mantra is, 'Testing improves teaching and learning!', that the mere act of testing will improve the educational outcomes of children. Personally, I was disappointed that World Bank funds, ostensibly destined to improve teaching and learning, were being spent on mandated testing when refurbishing run-down buildings and schools, improving the training of teachers, or installing Internet connections, could have had more direct impact at the site where education actually happens, in classrooms. This was a country in which the educational infrastructure had been allowed to degenerate overtime, and in which the citizens, as well buildings and other public facilities, bad been injured and damaged during armed conflict over the previous decade.