William Cope
May Thet Khine Nyein
Obie Ellmoos.png "Nathan Luise")
Nathan Luise
Olive SabiitiAssessment for Learning MOOC’s Updates
Intelligence Tests: The First Modern Assessments (Admin Update 1)
Intelligence versus knowledge testing - what are the differences in assessment paradigm? A good place to begin to explore this distinction is the history of intelligence testing - the first modern form of testing:
And if you would lile to read deeper into a contemporary version of this debate, contrast Gottfredson and Phelps with Shenk in the attached extracts.
Shenk, The Genius in All of Us
Gottlebson and Phelps, Correcting Fallacies
Comment: What are the differences between testing intelligence and testing for knowledge? When might each approach be appropriate or innappropriate?
Make an Upate: Find an example of an intelligence test, and explain how it works. Analyze its strengths and weaknesses as a form of assessment.
One Intelligence Test used in healthcare settings is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). This test can be administered by clinical neuropsychologists to assess cognitive functioning in adults after traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), in mental health diagnoses (e.g., schizophrenia, depression), or for dementia evaluations.
WAIS includes verbal comprehension, working memory, perceptual reasoning, and processing speed sections. It gives an overall IQ score but also identifies cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Its strengths include that it provides a comprehensive assessment and can helps with planning rehabilitation or educational interventions. The weaknesses include that it is time-consuming (requiring 60–90 mins), requires specialized training to administer, and may be culturally biased.
My understanding is that testing INTELLIGENCE typically involves measuring cognitive ABILITIES such as reasoning, problem-solving, memory, and abstract thinking. These tests aim to ASSESS POTENTIAL OR CAPACITY (future tense) to learn, rather than what has already been learned. On the other hand, KNOWLEDGE testing evaluates what someone has ALREADY LEARNED (past tense), usually based on specific content like historical facts, mathematical formulas, or vocabulary.
Intelligence tests are more suitable for understanding cognitive strengths and weaknesses so that education can be tailored to individual needs and supports can be put in place. Intelligence testing is most commonly used in early education, career counseling, or diagnosing learning disabilities. Knowledge testing is more appropriate in academic settings, certification exams, or when evaluating how well someone has mastered a specific curriculum.
Inappropriate Uses:
Using intelligence tests to determine educational worth or future success can be misleading and inequitable, especially if cultural bias is involved.
Knowledge tests may disadvantage learners from different backgrounds if they assume prior exposure to certain information or ignore different learning paces. The other thing to consider with both types of test is the quality of the item writing.
My understanding is that testing INTELLIGENCE typically involves measuring cognitive ABILITIES such as reasoning, problem-solving, memory, and abstract thinking. These tests aim to ASSESS POTENTIAL OR CAPACITY (future tense) to learn, rather than what has already been learned. On the other hand, KNOWLEDGE testing evaluates what someone has ALREADY LEARNED (past tense), usually based on specific content like historical facts, mathematical formulas, or vocabulary.
Intelligence tests are more suitable for understanding cognitive strengths and weaknesses so that education can be tailored to individual needs and supports can be put in place. Intelligence testing is most commonly used in early education, career counseling, or diagnosing learning disabilities. Knowledge testing is more appropriate in academic settings, certification exams, or when evaluating how well someone has mastered a specific curriculum.
Inappropriate Uses:
Using intelligence tests to determine educational worth or future success can be misleading and inequitable, especially if cultural bias is involved.
Knowledge tests may disadvantage learners from different backgrounds if they assume prior exposure to certain information or ignore different learning paces. The other thing to consider with both types of test is the quality of the item writing.
Testing for intelligence is testing an individual's cognitive ability and problem-solving skills, while testing for knowledge is about specific content and skills.
Intelligence testing may be appropriate for assessing cognitive function in school settings as it can be one way to identify students who are either gifted and talented or who may need extra support. In health care, it can be used to identify individuals with cognitive impairments or those who have intellectual disabilities. In the workplace, it can be used to screen candidates for jobs in particular industries.
Intelligence testing may be inappropriate if it is used as a single measure on which to base decisions or to label people. It also may be inappropriate to use if it has not been standardized for that particular population; there may be cultural differences that render the results invalid. It also has to be accessible to the person being tested.
Testing for knowledge is appropriate for measuring student progress over time in a particular subject or area of study and to ensure that a particular standard is met for degree and certification programs. Knowledge testing can be used to measure the effectiveness of educational programs and interventions. It is also used to compare the progress of groups of students.
It is not appropriate to use knowledge testing as a measure of potential except in very specific circumstances, such as a pre-requisite for a class. It also should not be used in situations where students did not have appropriate access or exposure to the material they are being tested on.
One of the problems I see with intelligence testing is that it is almost impossible, even with modern tests, to not require some level of “general” knowledge in order to answer the questions correctly and that can lead to cultural bias.
The difference between testing intelligence and testing knowledge lies in what is being measured.
Testing intelligence focuses on assessing a person’s ability to reason, solve problems, think abstractly, and learn from experience. These tests usually include tasks like pattern recognition, logical reasoning, memory, and processing speed.
Testing knowledge, on the other hand, measures what a person has already learned or acquired through education and experience. It usually involves recalling facts, concepts, or procedures.
Each approach is appropriate in different contexts:
Intelligence tests are appropriate when we want to understand someone’s potential to learn or solve new problems—useful in cognitive assessments, job placements, or psychological evaluations.
Knowledge tests are more suitable in academic or training settings, where we aim to assess whether someone has mastered specific content.
However, using them in the wrong context can be problematic. For example, testing intelligence to evaluate someone's mastery of a school subject may not reflect their actual knowledge, while testing knowledge alone might overlook a person's ability to think critically or adapt to new challenges.
As I have understood intelligence is something inborn but knowledge is our comprehension or realities which is to a great extant bond to cultural knowledge and social literacy of individuals. Hence, different kinds of IQ tests that lecturers in this MOOC elaborated on were not successful in measuring individuals intelligence since there were too much bond to cultural norms
Glyka Angel Raganas
Intelligence tests measure cognitive abilities like reasoning and problem-solving, suitable for assessing general potential or identifying learning disabilities, but inappropriate for evaluating specific knowledge or predicting success solely based on a single score. Conversely, knowledge tests assess understanding of specific information, ideal for evaluating learning in a subject or determining competence in a skill, but unsuitable for predicting future potential beyond the tested domain or equating knowledge with overall intelligence. The appropriate choice depends on the assessment's purpose, with a balanced approach often providing a more comprehensive evaluation.@Yasin Sancak,
Glyka Angel Raganas
Intelligence tests measure cognitive abilities like reasoning and problem-solving, suitable for assessing general potential or identifying learning disabilities, but inappropriate for evaluating specific knowledge or predicting success solely based on a single score. Conversely, knowledge tests assess understanding of specific information, ideal for evaluating learning in a subject or determining competence in a skill, but unsuitable for predicting future potential beyond the tested domain or equating knowledge with overall intelligence. The appropriate choice depends on the assessment's purpose, with a balanced approach often providing a more comprehensive evaluation.@Yasin Sancak,
Glyka Angel Raganas
Intelligence tests measure cognitive abilities like reasoning and problem-solving, suitable for assessing general potential or identifying learning disabilities, but inappropriate for evaluating specific knowledge or predicting success solely based on a single score. Conversely, knowledge tests assess understanding of specific information, ideal for evaluating learning in a subject or determining competence in a skill, but unsuitable for predicting future potential beyond the tested domain or equating knowledge with overall intelligence. The appropriate choice depends on the assessment's purpose, with a balanced approach often providing a more comprehensive evaluation.@Yasin Sancak,
Intelligence tests measure cognitive abilities like reasoning and problem-solving, suitable for assessing general potential or identifying learning disabilities, but inappropriate for evaluating specific knowledge or predicting success solely based on a single score. Conversely, knowledge tests assess understanding of specific information, ideal for evaluating learning in a subject or determining competence in a skill, but unsuitable for predicting future potential beyond the tested domain or equating knowledge with overall intelligence. The appropriate choice depends on the assessment's purpose, with a balanced approach often providing a more comprehensive evaluation.@Yasmine Bey,