Text item: Re: testing.
 
  Marsha, you actually raise two new issues: the lack of ability of
  graduates to perform some of these important life skills and testing.  To
  the extent that the two are related, I feel that one of the great
  failures of Education researchers (you know, all those Ph.D's) is not to
  devise more effective methods to evaluate learning.
 
  For my part, I try to have testing simulate real life (eg. employment) as
  much as possible.  Therefore, no (oppressive) cramming for exams (open
  book or take home) and as much grade assigned to "class contribution" and
  even growth in knowledge and skills as possible (the idea being that this
  is a better approximation of how we are evaluated at work).  Of course,
  because it is different and unpredictable, students generally hate it.
  -  Peter  Bowal