The Leaving Cert needs to be more modern

EoghanIRL

It would cost too much money to implement . A system by which the exam is sent to a secure encrypted network would need to be set up. This allow opens up new problems . What if the network is hacked and scripts are viewed . I think the Irish government wouldn't fund it . Even though it would be great . We don't even have wifi in school here .

The Pheasant

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

A lot more deserved As, if they're testing you in English and you deserved an A, why should that be taken away from you because you're slow at writing? To hell with the bell curve and people criticising the exams. Teachers will understand why there are more As and I can't see them being unhappy with it, students will be pleased with their results, who's left? The totally unaware but yet self proclaimed all knowing parents?? Screw em.

And what about getting into university? It's already competitive enough as it is without every second person getting an A...and would students be pleased? Is it much of an accomplishment to get an A in an easier exam?

Peregrine

The Pheasant wrote: »

And what about getting into university? It's already competitive enough as it is without every second person getting an A...and would students be pleased? Is it much of an accomplishment to get an A in an easier exam?

The exams won't be any easier, there will just be enough to time to do them this time round. If everyone gets 20 or 25 extra points by finishing the exam, I don't see anything wrong with the points for courses being increased by 20 or 25 points. People who deserve it will get it rather than people who can write faster.

The Pheasant

How will they not be easier? What about for the people who can finish them as it is?

Peregrine

The Pheasant wrote: »

How will they not be easier? What about for the people who can finish them as it is?

They will face competition which they didn't before due to an unfair time limit. It's not fair to cripple some students and thus eliminating the competition for others.

Say two students are given a project and say one finished it in 5 days and the other one could only finish it in 6 days and they both got an A2. Would the first student's A2 be somehow worth more than the other student's?

Now imagine they were both given a 4 day limit. The first student managed to just about finish it but it's not as good, the second student spends the same amount of time on his one as the first student (no slacking) but is unable to finish it properly in 4 days. The first one gets an B1, the other only gets an B3 this time due to it not being fully complete. Did both students deserve an A2? Why was the time allocated less than the time it takes to finish it properly? Surely if you are testing someone you would allocate them enough time to do it properly.

Don't tell me that you've never asked the teacher for more time to finish a project/essay/homework/test?

The Pheasant

Don't tell me that you've never asked the teacher for more time to finish a project/essay/homework/test?[/QUOTE]

I have but only because I was slacking...tbh I'd fall into the fast writers category; but in any case I think time management and being able to efficiently and effectively answer a question is part of the exam. They design the question so that you should be able to answer it properly in the time allocated, if under pressure

Peregrine

The Pheasant wrote: »

Don't tell me that you've never asked the teacher for more time to finish a project/essay/homework/test?

I have but only because I was slacking...tbh I'd fall into the fast writers category; but in any case I think time management and being able to efficiently and effectively answer a question is part of the exam. They design the question so that you should be able to answer it properly in the time allocated, if under pressure

Agree to disagree?

The Pheasant

Nimrod 7 wrote: »

Agree to disagree?

Deal

reap-a-rat

I see where you're coming from, but here's my two cents (echoing what's been said so far, really) - it's the logistics of it, the cost - it would be extortionate to run that!

I'm just finished up a Computer Science course and we wrote all our programming exams, despite the fact that coding on paper is a nightmare (and IDE is like Word for programming - it corrects some of your stupid errors automatically, or at least highlights em for you).

In English, one is expected to have a good grasp of spelling and grammar alongside a good understanding of poetry, drama etc. PCs would eliminate that, thus increasing the marks going for other things.

The cost of maintaining a computer for that kind of thing would be monstrous - imagine the number of people accidentally spilling stiff on the keyboards, the cost of having them all plugged in, the wear and tear on a keyboard and so on. Also, you're laptop needs a reboot in the middle of the exam. You're using a 10 year old laptop. It's 20 mins before you're back to work (and longer if you've random updates going on!)

It's just not feasible, really. And it's no harm, some things don't need technology just yet. Also, just because you type quicker than you write, does not mean the same is true for other folks - imagine some kids who didn't grow up with a laptop as an extension of their body - it would take them the whole exam to do the unseen poem! Writing is a fairer ground all round, I feel. If you've made it to LC, you've spent the last 13 or 14 years practicing how to write - the same can not be said for using a computer.

heffo500

I'd be afraid it would end up like the electronic voting disaster.

And I don't think the grades will increase by much since when I did my leaving cert we were told the examination is a bell curve so if the standard goes up overall then the standard you need to meet will to get an A will rise too and this is decided at the examiners conference.