What you’re saying is that it is possible to answer the question while staring bewildered at a device you have never seen or interacted with.
Based on my life experience so far; this is one of the most important skills to learn.
What I’m saying is that it is much easier to answer the question if you have hands-on experience.
Of course; but that isn't the point of the test.
And I think what the author is saying is that we should spend more time giving kids microscopes and testing what they see with them.
Yes, but again this test is not about that. And if the author is arguing that practical experience should entirely supplant this sort of critical thinking then I entirely disagree.
Critical thinking is taught from a young age, in very subtle ways. The ability to approach a topic you know nothing about, dissemble it, and answer a question (either posed to you, or by you) is fundamental to all of our lives.
I agree with everything you are preaching about critical thinking. Personally, I don’t think this particular type of question is good at testing critical thinking, and worse I think that the incentives in the school system are all about gaming the test rather than teaching critical thinking.
My feeling looking at this is that if I wanted kids to get the highest possible score, I’d teach them how to take tests rather than buy them a bunch of tools and have them figure out how to use the tools from the instruction manuals (reading, critical thinking, problem solving). Whereas if I wanted them to learn critical thinking, we’d be solving problems with tools.
But I accept that this is a very large topic, it’s not like this is a one-question test, and students are exposed to a variety of stimuli. Also, there is always the democracy argument: This might be the worst test ever devised, except for all of the others we’ve tried. Perhaps this is the “least worst” way to test and teach given other factors in play.
Based on my life experience so far; this is one of the most important skills to learn.
What I’m saying is that it is much easier to answer the question if you have hands-on experience.
Of course; but that isn't the point of the test.
And I think what the author is saying is that we should spend more time giving kids microscopes and testing what they see with them.
Yes, but again this test is not about that. And if the author is arguing that practical experience should entirely supplant this sort of critical thinking then I entirely disagree.
Critical thinking is taught from a young age, in very subtle ways. The ability to approach a topic you know nothing about, dissemble it, and answer a question (either posed to you, or by you) is fundamental to all of our lives.