Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Learning and Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Learning and Assessment - Essay Example Although, the alternative assessment strategies using various technologies was better way to assess a student than the traditional one, yet using both types of assessments in triangulation was the most appropriate approach. Before discussing that which method was better, one must keep in mind what is assessment and what are its essentials In literal terms, the word assessment means to determine the real worth of something. In the educational setting, it refers to the evaluation done by the teacher to find the extent to which the student had been able to learn something. A good assessment should be complex enough to involve the students in real thinking process, open enough to appreciate diverse opinions but at the same time, it should also be constraint enough to enable a fair scoring system. Initially, the only method for the assessment, used by the teachers, was the traditional one. This means that a written test used to be taken, having questions and answers, preferably in the form of Multiple Choice Questions. This tradition was followed for centuries. Even today, this traditional methodology of assessment is being used in most of developing countries till matriculation level, atleast. On one hand, this approach was easy to conduct and scoring could be done more objectively but this traditional approach led to several problems too. The first problem was the misrepresentation of learning... The goal of assessment is to check for the level to which the student had learnt. But a written test was just a sampling of those learning outcome, only on the basis of that 'sample', it would not be appropriate to grade the student. Another problem with written test is that, ideally the evaluation should be a continuous process. However, the written test used to be the evaluation only at certain point of time. There is a possibility that the student would not have been feeling well at that time and thus could not attempt the paper well, in such cases; such assessment strategy fails to portray the true picture. THE ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES - Advantages and Drawbacks: On the contrary to the real purpose of assessment, a written test could provide the true picture only if the writing skills of the students permitted so, thus it became primarily the test of writing skill before being the test of original stuff. Suppose there was the written test of science, it should test whether the student has grasped the particular concept or not (Shepardson 2001), but two students delivering the same content, but one had better abilities to express himself, he was likely to get more marks than the other. However, the alternative assessment strategies used various technologies to remove the loopholes of the traditional system. The alternative assessment strategies were based on the ideas that the assessment should be able to involve the student to involve in thinking process that is supposed to be invoked in him, because of the learning that he had gained. Furthermore, it was not dependent totally on the writing skills of the students. Above all, it was capable of accepting the diverse ideas and responses. However, one major challenge

Monday, February 3, 2020

Diplomacy in politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Diplomacy in politics - Essay Example No less a person than Mr Gladstone, it is recorded, was of the opinion that the University Common Room was as bad as the Bank of England Parlour in narrowing the point of view. It seemed to me, therefore, that I might best, perhaps, speak on a subject which throws some light on the complexity of human nature and which I have had some opportunity to observe at close quarters. I am sure you will acquit me of any undue estimate of the importance of the role which I myself played in a subordinate position during the two great wars, if I illustrate my theme occasionally from my own experience. For it is by action that a man is made most vividly aware of the limitations which human nature imposes on the conduct of policy. It is no accident that the two most scolding pens amongst British historians today are wielded by two who have had no practical experience of political or military affairs. The subject of diplomacy has of course been expounded by a long array of writers. They have, however, often considered it in the wider aspect of policy rather than in that of the method by which policy is implemented. But today I intend to speak of the tactics of diplomacy, not of its strategy. There is, it is true, as in war, a vital connexion between the two. The most magnificent conceptions of policy are useless unless there is a means of putting them into effect. In the last war immense devotion, skill and energy and a wealth of economic and statistical information and analysis were devoted to the elaboration of plans by which the war against Germany could be quickly won by a bombing offensive. Their only weakness was that it was impossible to carry them out. Similar situations often arise in the formation of foreign policy. For this reason even in this field a subordinate may be able at times to make a contribution to great events and no Foreign Minister has ever touched greatn ess unless he was