Making a Grade: Victorian Examinations and the Rise of Standardized Testing
© 2021
Starting in the 1850s achievement tests became standardized in the British Isles, and were administered on an industrial scale. By the end of the century, over two million people had written mass exams, particularly in science, technology and mathematics. Some candidates responded to this standardization by cramming or cheating; others embraced the hope that such tests rewarded not only knowledge, but also merit.
Written with humour, Making a Grade looks at how standardized testing practises quietly appeared, and then spread worldwide. This book situates mass exams, marks, and credentials in an emerging paper-based meritocracy, arguing that such exams often appeared first as "cameras" to neutrally record achievement, then became "engines" to change education as people tailored their behaviour to fit these tests. Taking the perspective of both examiners and examinees, Making a Grade claims that our own culture’s desire for accountability through objective testing is not a new one.
Product Details
- World Rights
- Page Count: 272 pages
- Dimensions: 6.0in x 1.0in x 9.0in
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Author Information
James Elwick is an associate professor in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at York University. -
Table of contents
List of Figures
Preface and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction
Part One: Examinations
1 “The Age of Examinations”: A Historical Sketch
2 Monetizing Marks: The Political Economy of Examinations
3 An Epistemology of the Mundane: Dissecting One ExaminationPart Two: Examiners
4 Daguerreotypes of the Mind: Paper, Partition, and Specialization
5 Machining Minds: Commensuration, Tabulation, and Standardization
6 Thin Descriptions: Credentials and Other SignalsPart Three: Examinees
7 Learning and Earning: Coaching or Cramming?
8 Immoral Economies: How to Cheat on a Victorian Exam
9 Economies, Remoralized: Examinations as Technologies of InclusionConclusion
Appendix A: Important Dates
Appendix B: Biographical List
Notes
Bibliography
IndexList of Figures
Preface and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction
Part One: Examinations
1. “The Age of Examinations”: A Historical Sketch
2. Monetizing Marks: The Political Economy of Examinations
3. An Epistemology of the Mundane: Dissecting One ExaminationPart Two: Examiners
4. Daguerreotypes of the Mind: Paper, Partition, and Specialization
5. Machining Minds: Commensuration, Tabulation, and Standardization
6. Thin Descriptions: Credentials and Other SignalsPart Three: Examinees
7. Learning and Earning: Coaching or Cramming?
8. Immoral Economies: How to Cheat on a Victorian Exam
9. Economies, Remoralized: Examinations as Technologies of InclusionConclusion
Appendix A: Important Dates
Appendix B: Biographical List
Notes
Bibliography
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Subjects and Courses