Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-12-02

used In such tests, particularly those
of the intelligence tes,s. n. has evoiv-
ed what he regards az a much more
reliable kind % examination.
The new type q examinations given
az Columbia are printed IN pamphlets.
One panphle, Is gwen 20 each student
Of the class. and az The signal a seal
which Sastcns the pages together may
be broken. Instructions 20 be follow
ed are given at the top ot each divi-
sion IN the test.
Thus. an economies examination re-
Gently given consisted of two parts. IN
/ the first part. las statements on
J economics We're given and the student
I was 20 read each one and decide
/ whether the statement was true Ct
! fa.lse. II a fact was correctly stated
a cross was 20 be put IN the margin.
II a statement was incorrect the stu
dent was 20 show that ne recognized
the falsity by putting a dash n the
margin.
To take an example: Economics
may well be defined as the science shat
deals with the problems OF society
should be marked with a dash beca use
II Is not correct.
Test Is All Embracing.
In las statements the field Z a
terms work in economies, from lega
monopolies 20 the law OF diminishing
returns. can he easily covered A stu
dent taking such a test cannot say
that ii failed 20 cover the subjects OF
which he had spent the most time.
, The second part 4 this particular
test consisted OF 20 items. In eact
case the student was confronted bs
three or four possible alternatives from
which he was 20 select the correct one
A very simple example would be: "Ons
reason why the number OF farmers Il
this country : decreasing is becaus'
ta) there Is MT enough land avail
able, (b) the country Is oversupphe,
with farmers. (c) other occupations
offer better financial returns"
i In other subjects some OF the test.
which have been given include incom
plete printed sentences with blanl
spaces left FOR the student 20 AL il
the words TO make the statement
correct.
The person rating papers f this sor
u has no decisions 20 make as 20 the de
a gree OF accuracy attained by a stu
n dent. The students work is eithe
- ! right or wrong. In the first test men
n toned for instance. the examiner ha
: only 20 compare the line OF crosse
r and dashes with a correct list.
A., According TO Ben. D. Wood. assis
! tsnt 70 the dean of Columbia Colleg,
q these tests may be scored rapid,
d and in many cases by clerks VIII
I, have no knowledge OF the course a
~ all He says:
During the session 1s2i-1s22 N
a new type test saved the staff ia Cor
temporary Civilization in Columbl
IA College at least 500 hours OF drude
~ cry. with vastly mere accurat
~ reliable. and significant results q
< shown by experimentally deriv,
"a data"
- The instructors also seem 70 be
IN favor OF the new kind OF test. o,
IN professor, however. brings out an q
"a tSrestins point. He says: "AM n
"a evidence seems 10 point to the CO
clusion that II is much the most a
nj cUrate method of testing studenl
no knowledge of the subject that '
n have yet discovered. IL does n,
n. however, in my Judgment. test suf
es ciently the students power OF e
a preston, and his ability TO organi
SIX his material. 1 should thereto
d feel that In an examination adequa
time should always be given for
It. least one or two questions OF {
nc essay type"
n \ similar view is taken by DR..
m Nj. Marston OF American Cnlversi
ell Tie finds that the new tests sire
'O- abinlity 90 recognize truth and q
ny sity when presented. but give ht
as or no opportunity for the student