Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-12-02
NEW TESTS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
By Frederic j. IIaskin

Washington. Dec. "A new kind
Of examination In now being given 70
students attending Columbia Univer-
sity.
Doubtless every student has hoped
and believed that some day examina-
tions would be pronounced antigua
ted and unscientifc. The trend, how
ever. Is in "A different direction. In
recent years. scientists have been
trying 10 make II easier for teacher
10 estimate n pupils knowledge. and
examinations. far from being relega-
/ ted 20 the wastebasket. are being i'm
proved and made coldly and exactly
ienritic.
Columbia University - already
widely known as the home o. the in
{ telllgent test. Since 1919 IL has been
admitting large numbers Of students
by such tests instead Of 10y formal
questioning as 10 their familiarity
with high school text books. II was
recognized that a high school gradu-
ate might be able TO pass tests on
subjects that he has studied. and YET
he might not be the type OF person
who would benefit by a college course
on the other hand. j. was possible
that occasionally a high school gradu-
ate who had the capacity for higher
education might be shut out Of col
lcge because OF failure 20 pass tn,
entrance tests.
Tests Of intelligence were tried ou
and pronounced satisfactory mean.
Of sorting applicants for college en-
trance. Last year only a scant hal
dozen colleges besides Columbia wer'
using these tests. This year 20 col
legcs are giving them a trial
Meanwhile Columbia has takei
another step. The method Of intelli
gence tests is being applied to exam.
nations for promotion. This repre-
sents an attempt TO solve one of IN
I Oldest problems Of the teacher, name
! Is. how TO measure the effect of hi
/ teaching. How mucth do student
; really grasp and remember? The ira
ditiOnal way of finding out has bee
by giving a class set OF question
20 to be answered or by assigning
I subject for an essay.
1 Objections 10 Old Method.
such tests are admittedly Tar froI
being exact measures OF acquire
u knowledge. IL has always been take
i more or less fer granted that a Pre-
e fcssor often rates a student more o
his personal estimate OF the student
e ability than on the examination paps
y itself. II brilliant student hands
a paper filed with vague statement
: the instructor without intending
d be- unfair is apt 20 read between n
lines and to conclude that the studei
knew the missing facts. \ simill
paper by student who had not in
I pressed the instructor would be gra
?" ed with more strictness.
L." This Is one criticism of the @
n style OF examination consisting
" questions and essays. Another is IN
nd IL the hour or two allowed for an e
animation. only a small section Of q
course can be covered II the ella
he must write answers 10 questions. :
=. examination may just happen
In cover the facts most familiar TO o
an student, while another member OF {
a class may have run Of bad luck.
-l third drawback TO the tradition
college examination system is
great amount Of time which the
structor must spend in rating pape
'' some of which run to 80 and 40 pae
y OF rapidly scrawled handwriting. IL
10 large class Is TO be rated the "a
=" must cut seriously into the time ne'
sc ed bs the teacher Tor other work.
That these disadvantages are gre
~ reduced 10y use OF a more scient
IS test is the claim Il DIR. r. l.. Thor
Is dixie and other professors Of Colu
n bia University. DR. Thorndlke i W
I'd known as one OF the leading eNl
or nents OF psychology tests. By apply
So. to content eNaminaG- MS the methS