Are exams the best way to decide who are the best students in a school?
Yes
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No
Side Score: 18
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Yes. Though it does not point out who is the most intelligent. it definitely points out who are the hardest working students. Me for example: I learned everything that came may why. I took gratuitous amounts of notes even, but I hardly ever did the actual school work. I did not want to put the effort into it therefor I could not be one of the best students... Side: Yes
Yes the definition of a student is someone who is studying a field/topic and exams test if the student actually learned the content. But in the real world the perfect scenario are students who can learn the material but be able to apply it to some degree. Most times students don't get the chance to apply the knowledge on exams. But i think truly learning a topic/field is understanding the terms and having the knowledge on the field but it is also to branch out and make connections of the field with other topics , i think this is true learning and hence i believe exams are not the best way to determine the best students. Check my argument under the No side and you will see what alternative i thought of. Side: No
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I think its the worst way. Yes some students will do well, some of them completely understand the material, concepts and requirements. These students are usually of a particular learning type and have adapted well to the system in which they are taught. Others, who do not test well are not necessarily less bright, on the contrary most of them extremely intelligent, creative and innovative (which is what our society needs, innovators) however they don't often successfully conform to the system in which they are forced. If the test is to decide who is the best reciter of information an exam would be able to decide that. If you want test for who is the smartest an exam will not find them. Side: No
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The question isn't "are test the best way to decide who the smartest kids are"; the question is "... To decide who the best students are". The qualifications of being a good student is being able to understand material, concepts and requirements; and the way to check this is to give an exam. So the best students are the ones that can confirm to the system and recite information back. Therefore test are useful to determine which "students" are better than others at being "students". Side: Yes
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The best way would be to have an interview with the teacher while the teacher puts questions toward you, you answer them but say your thought process out loud. The question should also be harder and more practical than the content learned but still requires the content learned in school. This way the teacher knows who is the smartest as opposed to look at a multiple choice exam where the person could have guessed half of them. This is a more accurate way of finding out whether a student is 'smart' but not efficient as it would take a long time for the teacher to go through most of the content with each student. Side: No
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The problem with this is. You are forgetting that the teacher may just be one of the average people as well so they would not be able to interpret accurately whether the student is bright or not. I could give a teacher the most well thought out and creative response, but if they are not smart enough themselves then they will not even comprehend it and call it wrong. And like you said this would take a long time and there other classes that you need to go to so this still would not be the best way for it could not even be done. Side: Yes
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And also the best students would be the one that followed the system and got the best grades within the system because that is how the system works...sadly Now if a different school system was made...for specifically those students who are creative then that would be superb, but in a normal school system the exams are the best way to go. Side: Yes
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