I always considered myself as a critical thinker, always questioning professors, wanting to

know more.
Today I’m in the middle of a classroom and professor asks : do you have questions ? (his
tone is not convincing)
Class is silent. We have 2 minutes left anyway. Professor is visibly in a rush.
Do I have a question ? maybe I do, I don’t know. Still, only what we see in a class will come
on tests, I can take a look on previous exams, I have YouTube, I have ChatGPT. Why would I
bother asking a question ?
I stay silent . Professor has a deceived face. It leaves me frustrated.
I imagine their reunions: ,,you know they no longer look at you, all they do is come, type
notes on computer and leave, no question, no nothing’’.
I wonder why?
Maybe because instead of books we get 89 pages of PowerPoint slides. Maybe because
questions no longer have its place where as soon as professor says ,, this won’t come on
tests’’ everyone stops typing.
Standardized testing as much as I hate it, (yes, it’s a strong word) can be useful, cheaper,
flexible. A way to fight against discrimination, make education more accessible and more…
It’s true that multiple choice questions leave no place to self-expression, but on the other hand
it limits institutions from treating our exam papers unequally. We can all agree, yes or no
questions won’t show my intelligence, but it won’t show my social-economical background
either.
Now that education is widely spread and accessible , as long as you have a wifi
connection( and not even a stable one), we no longer have high standards for higher
education. We know we are going there for a diploma. Their only pride can be good
professors and well-structured programs. In that case standardized testing are good, you go,
you listen, you pass a test, you get a diploma. Important is to realize diploma means nothing
if you don’t continue learning until the very end.
So, I guess if you really consider yourself as a critical thinker, you should not be discouraged
by lousy professors, nor by standardized testing. study 89 PowerPoint slides but don’t forget
to read a book . It’s not standardized testing but standardized thinking that harms us.