In the article, I am really interested in how the students are different from each other in term of skills and ability. The traditional assessment, clearly does not considered this fact. It believes that knowledge has a universal meaning and teachers have the power to make decision about what is learned and how it was assessed. Traditional assessment looks at students as ‘empty vessel’, ready to be filled with information. These ideas show that the students’ needs are neglected. Meanwhile, students will have to follow obediently without having the chance to voice out their opinion. On the other side, the alternative assessment is allowing the student to be involves in the learning process. Students are given the chance to be able to take responsibility in their own learning with the guide of a teacher. The purpose of the assessment is to enhance student learning and not to sort or classify the students. Thus, the alternative assessment might be suitable for the diverse student population.
In my opinion, the shift from traditional assessment to alternative assessment is needed to create a better educational system. Students need to break out of the box and see things more widely. The traditional assessment seems to limit the students’ range of knowledge and treats learning as a passive process. Meanwhile, the alternative assessment views learning as an active process. Student does not only listen to the teacher and doing the exercise, but they can also speak out their ideas and opinion. Thus, new knowledge will be acquired through the sharing and application of knowledge.
