Should there be random pracs, quizzes and tests in high school?

[EEEEEEP]

So much of high school is teachers telling students:
"We're gonna have an exam next week"
"We're gonna have a sac or prac after we touch this topic in week 8"

I can't think of a time when my teacher has ever not pre prepared things for students (which sorta should be the students own responsibility).

Wouldn't it be better if pracs, quizzes and tests  were just randomised? E.g. teachers not telling students about expected dates of pracs and exams. That would be a real test of knowledge, ability and whether or not students cram!  (Also, it would make people study harder as well.. and not just cram)

In general, it would move the nature of learning from rote learning to understanding =)

What are your thoughts? and why?

[The Special One]

That would be annoying for most.

I imagine those with good mekeory retention like myself would do well but those who don't would struggle.

Really just rewards those with a good memory more than anything

[spectroscopy]

in all honesty I think it would've sucked for myself and most people from my high school because we would've gone home every night memorising every word from a textbook in case theres a test tomorrow, and as the subject progresses and I try to keep the older information fresh in case its tested (and the old info piles up) I would eventually explode. It would be way more stress. In year 12 I literally spent hours every night literally memorising shit for a sac a week away because you had to mention 3 keywords in your definition to get full marks, and if I had more than 3 sacs in a week I'd spend so little time sleeping or doing other stuff I'd get sick and basically miss 2 days of school after the three tests recovering. This probably says more about me trying too hard and being too inefficient in how I studied, but I think the way assessment is structured at least in year 12 would need to be changed for this to be feasible. I think an entirely different pedagogical technique would be more fruitful than doing the same tests but as a surprise. While tests are a good as a standardised way to quantify knowledge on a topic, I think there are better ways for a student to learn than studying for a test.

if you are talking about other years in high school 7-11 then yeah surprise quizzes are fine. I didn't study for tests that I knew were coming, so Im definitely not going to study for one im not expecting LOL. especially if the average mark will be lower because of the element of surprise. thank god only year 12 matters for getting your ATAR (don't be like me guys its hard to turn it all around over the summer holidays before vce/hsc)

[PhoenixxFire]

I think random tests/quizzes could be good to see where students are at, but I don't think there should be random SACs for the same reasons that spectroscopy said above.

[Sine]

Personally wouldn't have liked the idea but it has some merit. Considering it for years 7-11 it sounds a nice idea in theory but definitely would be anxiety inducing for a lot of people which is unecessary at the age imo. Although it would be good so students aren't just memorising stuff only to forget the next day. However you wouldn't be able to have it a total suprise since that would be unfair for some students. E.g. Content delivered on Monday, test on Tuesday not everyone would have free time during certain time periods so maybe you could only have content at least a week old tested.

[Yertle the Turtle]

Don't SACs have to have a certain amount of warning, like 1-2 weeks? I think it is important that SACs, which make up a big part of your scores, students are prepared for, but for random tests and quizzes, keeping the students on their toes, in general, will improve their memory retention, as they will know to keep their knowledge always ready. It will also increase the necessity of people learning the background processes, so that instead of memorising what to do in specific circumstances people will be forced to learn why that is what you do. In exams this is what you will need to do, and I think that this would be a great way of preparing people for real life, when things are always sprung on you.

[Sine]

Don't SACs have to have a certain amount of warning, like 1-2 weeks?

yeah from memory I think students need to be notified of sacs at least 1 week in advance

[Poet]

yeah from memory I think students need to be notified of sacs at least 1 week in advance

Yep, this is correct. I'm pretty sure the VCAA rule is about students being notified about SACs two weeks in advance, at a minimum. Typically, at my school at least, we get a recommended study guide at the beginning of the year where the allocated dates of our SACs are already estimated. This can be changed, but it just gives us a clue as to whereabouts our unit tests will be. I find this really helpful; it helps people prioritise work.
However, I'm not averse to random pop quizzes and practice tests that might not have any weight in relation to the ATAR score, but you could have a class system/rewards system of some sort.

[RuiAce]

Why would you inflict unnecessary stress upon the students? I don't care if they forget it all; it's up to them to get it back in their head when they need it. Not a random out-out-the-blue task.

This idea is genuinely absurd to me.

[jamonwindeyer]

Why would you inflict unnecessary stress upon the students? I don't care if they forget it all; it's up to them to get it back in their head when they need it. Not a random out-out-the-blue task.

Yeah I think this reflects my view - Exams are weird, like, in what scenario would a lawyer ever need to cite a case without being able to research that citation first? When would an engineer need to size a cable without a reference manual? When would a programmer ever not have access to Stack Overflow to get help with stuff?

[Bri MT]

Not for VCE

It would make planning the most suitable time for an assessment and scheduling around tests a lot more difficult. It would also mean that every time you were absent you'd need to get a medical certificate "just in case" which would be difficult for some people.