Besides determining readiness and interest for course topics and tasks, teachers have to get students to affirm that they can learn. Learning occurs in a context. Use it or lose it. A learner moves from imitation to intrinsic ownership, from external modeling to internalization and competence. Real learning often follows tangents.
Tests are a very poor indicator of whether an individual has really learned something.
Nevertheless, tests could be used to diagnose how students think if teachers can uncover why students answer in a particular way. Permission is granted to use this content for professional development or other educational, nonprofit purposes. To visit, just click.