Anchoring Knowledge by Martyna

Anchoring Knowledge by Martyna - June 2015 Scholarship Essay

Assessments are a typical part of the collegiate life. From biology to elective art courses, professors find ways to test their students. Some methods allow for creativity and thought to flourish; others leave much to be desired. When professors don’t take time to create examinations that truly reflect the learning process, much is lost for both parties. Students study for the exam, regurgitating material, never to recall it again. Professors lose the ability to gain insight into the effectiveness of their teaching methods. A method of assessment that truly caused me to anchor my education into my memory was applying learned concepts and explaining my logic within the context of a real world example that I would encounter in my career.

Abnormal psychology was a course that I looked forward to since the day I enrolled in it. As a Psychology and Sociology double major, human behavior, especially that which is deviant from population norms, flared my curiosity. The course did not disappoint. Not only was my professor a well-articulated educator who was able to clearly explain intangible concepts such as diagnoses criteria, she was also a practitioner who brought her real life experience into the classroom. She applied these traits into her student assessment. Rather than a multiple choice format, which solely relies on recognition rather than recall, our tests truly evaluated our understanding, not memory, of the course content. We were presented with client vignettes which detailed a client’s experiences and current symptoms. From this, we were asked to glean an appropriate diagnosis and explain our reasoning. We were also asked to list two differential diagnoses, explain why they were considered, and why they were dismissed. Rather than dreading tests, I looked forward to them. The exams in this course made me truly comprehend the material, practice the application of it, and opened my eyes to the kind of work I would be engaging in beyond the classroom.

This type of applied testing made learning exciting. Students enter a university environment hoping for more than the experience of memorizing facts; students hope for an education that will lead them to be successful in their careers. One of the biggest complaints that I have heard from fellow students over the years has been, “I’m never going to use this”. Applied test taking shows students not only how they will use the information they are learning, but allows for the practice of this skill. Such a test format can easily be applied to many subjects. Classes that reach a wider audience, such as basic mathematics classes, could use this applied method with generic job scenarios such as applying mathematical concepts to adjust a project budget. It also may force professors to inspect their course content. If a learning of a concept cannot be evaluated in this manner, it cannot be applied in a career. Why then, would students waste precious resources, such as time and money, to learn material that won’t contribute career success?

Applied test taking forces a student to learn at a deeper level. In order to be able to successfully apply a concept, a student must understand it, how to use it, and the reasons behind the application. In essence, applied test taking anchors knowledge. In the same way that research has shown us that people remember a list of words better if they create a story using those words, applying concepts rather than memorizing them causes the human brain to process the information differently which leads to long term memory storage. It also gives a student of taste of their career, thus reinvigorating their desire to learn. For these reasons, applied test taking has been my ideal form of assessment.