PLC Sydney’s move to trial the use of the internet and ipods in exams has sparked lots of discussion.

Chris Betcher, who works at PLC, presents the reasoning behind the move in his post, The Truth is Out There. He argues that schools need to prepare students to solve problems, not “know answers”.

“It ought to be obvious to anyone with a modicum of common sense that the model of school we all know so well – the model in which students come to school as essentially empty vessels waiting to be filled by the teacher – is hopelessly flawed and outdated in this day and age.

John Connell is strident in his support for PLC, and writes that:

“If you want to understand the effects of the ludicrous examination systems we have been smothered by for so long, just read the comments here from all of those who believe that education should be about filling young people’s heads with ‘knowledge’ and that examinations are therefore surely about testing how much of that ‘knowledge’ a child can retain in his or her head and then vomit onto a piece of paper on command – with a pencil (a pencil !) – all within a very short space of time – and with no recourse at all to the wonderful and abundant sources of information available to us all today.”

Related post: Aaarrgghh- it’s the test

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahmedrabea/246570462/