Crowther Gregory J, Wiggins Benjamin L
Everett Community College, Everett, Washington, USA.
Shoreline Community College, Shoreline, Washington, USA.
J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2024 Dec 12;25(3):e0011924. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.00119-24. Epub 2024 Aug 16.
Students in STEM know well the stress, challenge, and effort that accompany college exams. As a widely recognizable feature of the STEM classroom experience, high-stakes assessments serve as crucial cultural gateways in shaping both preparation and motivation for careers. In this essay, we identify and discuss issues of power around STEM exams to further the understanding of exam practices that can unjustly hold students back. Through theory and practical examples, we consider the numerous ways in which power manifests both on and off the pages of the exams themselves, as well as ways in which power is consolidated away from students through logistical norms and tradeoffs. Centering the "rules of the culture of power" as delineated by Dr. Lisa Delpit, we reflect on exam practices that prioritize faculty voice and faculty convenience above student learning and student identity. We share some of what we have learned from our students as part of a call to improve STEM education by relinquishing some of our exam-related power over students, redistributing it to students so that they have more power to shape their own education.
理工科学生深知大学考试带来的压力、挑战和付出。作为理工科课堂体验中一个广为人知的特点，高风险评估在塑造职业准备和动力方面是至关重要的文化通道。在本文中，我们识别并讨论理工科考试中的权力问题，以进一步理解那些可能不公正地阻碍学生发展的考试做法。通过理论和实际例子，我们考虑权力在考试本身的纸面之上和之外的多种表现方式，以及权力如何通过后勤规范和权衡从学生那里被巩固。以丽莎·德尔皮特博士所描述的“权力文化规则”为核心，我们反思那些将教师的声音和便利置于学生学习和学生身份之上的考试做法。我们分享一些从学生那里学到的东西，呼吁通过放弃我们在考试方面对学生的一些权力，将其重新分配给学生，以便他们有更多权力塑造自己的教育，从而改进理工科教育。
