Goal on line

For the last 12 months my school has decided to participate in a programme coming from the UK called Goal on line. It's an online test, testing maths and science concepts. The children sit at the computer, put on a headset and answer 34 questions in 2 sections. The programme reads the questions to the students and they do have the opportunity to click on a button which re-reads the question as many times as the student wishes. The questions require the owner to drag items to sequence, to identify shapes, and to fill in boxes with the appropriate numbers etc. While some of the concepts being tested are good, the concept of this type of testing does not sit all that well with me. For many of the Year one students it was a click, or drag and hope exercise and I'm not sure they understood at all what they were doing. The process is like multichoice, and for many students I watched completing this test it was sheer luck. Year 2 seemed a lot for focused because they have already completed this test 3 times last year. However for many of them it was multiguess too. This week was maths, next week is science, and the testing must be completed in ICT classes. Yahoo.

I am told that Goal on line marks the tests and the class teacher can obtain each and every student's individual mark. One of the Year 1 teachers I spoke to was rather scathing about the process and the results feedback, considering the whole process a waste of time. For me the jury is out, I need to see the results and the feedback the testing offers. I do hope for the effort we have gone through to process the students and the results are worthwhile. I feel strongly about testing students so young and 3 times a year as well. One is reminded of the saying, it doesn't matter how often you weigh the pig.............. or test the students! While this is heralded as a maths test and there is auditory support I still question it all. I am also reminded that my school positions itself as a top International School and we need results to support that position. Watch this space.... as I await the results.