The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-12-02
By FREDERIcK J. HAsKIN

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. "A
new kind of examination is now being
given to students attending Columbia
University.
Doubtless every student has hoped
and believed that some day examina-
tons would be pronounced antiquated
and unscientific. The trend, however,
is in a different direction. In recent
years. scientists have been trying to
make it easier for d teacher to esti-
mate a pupils knowledge, and exami-
nations, far from being relegated to
the wastebasket, are being improved
and made coldly ard exactly scien-
tific.
Columbia University is already wide
ly known as the home of the intelli-
gence test. Since 1919 it has been
admitting large numbers of students
by such tests instead of by formal
questioning as to their familiarity with
high school text books. 1t was recog
nized that a high school graduate
might be able to pass tests on sub
jects that he had studied, and yet he
might not be the type of person who
would benefit by college course. On
the other hand, 1t was possible that
occasionally a high school graduate
who had the capacity for higher edu-
cation might be shut out of college
because of failure to pass the entrance
tests.
Tests of intelligence we're tried out
and pronounced satisfactory means
of sorting applicants for college en-
trance. Last year only scant half
dozen colleges besides Columbia were
TGiT n-fe A aNI
leges are giving them trial
Meanwhile Columbia has taken an
other step. The method of intelligence
tests is being applied to examinations
for promotion. This represents an at
tempt to solve one OF the Oldest prob
lens of the teacher, namely how to
measure the effect of his teaching.
How much do students really grasp
and remember? The traditional way
of finding out has been by giving a
class set of questions to be answered
or by assigning a subject for an essay
Objections to
Old Method.
Such tests are admittedly far from
being exact measures of acquired
knowledge. 1t has always been taken
more or less for granted that a pro-
lessor often rates a student more on
his personal estimate of the student s
ability than on the examination pap
er itself. If brilliant student hands
in paper filled with vague safe
ments, the instructor without intend.
ing to be unfair is apt to read between
the lines and co conclude that the
student knew the missing facts A
n hVv So dom yIo u a
not impressed the instructor would be
graded with more strictness.
This is one criticism of the old style
of examinations consisting of questions
| and essays. Another is that in the
hour or two allowed for an examina
ton, only small section of the course
can be covered.if the class must write
answers to questions. An examina
ton may happen to cover the facts
most familiar to one student, while
another member of the class may have
4 a run of bad luck.
A third drawback to the traditional
i college examination system is the
great amount of time which the in
structor must spend in rating papers
some of which run to 80 and 40 pages
of rapidly scrawled handwriting If Z
large class is to be rated the tasl
must cut seriously into the time need
by the teacher for other work.
That these disadvantages are greatl,
reduced by use of more scientific
test is the claim of DR.. E. L. Thorn
dixie and other professors of Columbis
University DR.. Thorndike is wei
known as one of the leading exponent.
of psychology tests. By applying t.
content examinations the method:
used in such tests, particularly those
of the intelligence tests, he has evolved
what he regards as much more re
liable kind of examination.
The new type of examinations givel
at Columbia are printed in pamphlets
One pamphlet is given to each stu