Having been on the rise for some time now, technology has either made or broken how people can learn. Many people in Stevenson High School can confidently say that they would rather use paper than their computers when doing tests and for certain subject assignments. Some feel that while it’s easier for the teacher, it’s not as easy for them as students due to their preferences.
Recently Sushitha Balakrishnan ’26, did an experiment on whether there is a difference in taking tests on computer vs. paper, and while she cannot disclose any information on the experiment itself, she has shown her thoughts about this subject. “I personally feel that taking assessments on computers are less effective,” Balakrishnan said. “This is because those formats tend to be more prone to glitches, bugs, testing issues while also contributing to user issues like eye strain.”
She may not choose computers as her preferred choice; she believes that there are pros to having tests online. “A pro for taking tests on the computer is that the test writer can easily input scores into the gradebook as the computer will grade the work, which allows it to be more time effective,” Balakrishnan said.
Undergoing the experiment himself, Yohan Sadik ’27 has his own idea about what he wants when testing. He would rather have paper tests than computer tests as he likes the ability to write on paper such as crossing out answers. Computer tests also allow cheating to happen depending on if the teacher uses the lockdown browser or not in his opinion.
“I prefer paper standardized tests as it allows people to not cheat as well,” Sadik said. “It really tests their knowledge”.
While only being in grade 10, Kiara Quinn ’28 is in Physics due to the curricular change, and she feels that computer tests just aren’t for her. She likes to work out her answers especially in her physics class, but she can’t as it is on computer. For most of her class they don’t have a choice, but when they do have a vote on what they’d like it always computer as students in her class like how their answers come out right away instead of waiting days for their grade back.
“I feel convenience for teachers is being preferred over comfortability for students,” Quinn said. “We should have a choice in what type of test we take.”
