How Should Art Be Assessed?
Submitted by Steve on June 26, 2012
Diane Ravitch responds, on her blog, to a piece in Education Week that asserts that multiple-choice standardized tests are sufficient to assess arts education:
I understand and embrace the idea of cultural literacy, but I don’t think that multiple-choice standardized tests are the best way to teach it or to assess it. If a teacher of music wants students to understand the differences between Mozart and Schoenberg, the best way to do that is to listen to their music and discuss the differences. If the teacher of the arts wants students to understand the differences between classical Greek and Roman architecture, the best way to do it is to view it and discuss it.
Picking a bubble is no substitute nor is it a valuable way to learn about art.
It is easy to memorize the names and work of key artists and composers to prepare for a test, and just as easy to forget them when the test is over.