ABSTRACT
Thus, although nobody questions the importance of attaining a knowledge base, the downfall of traditional short-answer tests (multiple-choice, true or false, fill in the blank) is that they do not focus students on what Wiggins (1999, speech to VASCD) calls the “Essential Questions.” Students who master the factual content might be successful on a knowledge-based TV game show such as “Jeopardy,” but beyond that, the course material has little value or utility. Simply gearing one’s teaching toward mastering factual content provides little incentive for students to master this content, even with the threat of high-stakes exit tests needed for graduation. Unfortunately, many students seem not to care about graduation, especially those we need to be most concerned with in terms of accountability. Additionally, assuming that the students do master the content, how does that knowledge further the underlying mission of the social studies to prepare students for active, democratic citizenship?
