TorchForge

Do you feel that training young students to devote large blocks of time in the pursuit of maximizing their score on a standardized exam is missing the point of applied intelligence entirely? Let's be real here: the world needs critical thinkers that can analyze empirical data and draw relevant conclusions in conjunction with "soft-skills" that are difficult to measure (i.e. leadership ability), not people that are skilled at taking a multiple choice exam. What are your thoughts on society's over-emphasis on high stakes testing?

Thanks for your response! I teach high school and do a lot of test prep for the AP science exams. While my students generally perform very well "score wise", I feel conflicted teaching them the material. IMO, the AP exams (along with all other standardized tests) focus more on factual recall and regurgitation instead of critical thinking ability and applied solutions.

Do you think that we will ever forsake our current model of standardized tests in favor of a new paradigm that tests the abilities of individuals to actually solve real-world problems for the benefit of humanity as a whole?

I wouldn't worry about climate change resulting in your untimely death within the next 20 years... There are far more likely death-inducing events you should be concerned about.