Putting the cart before the horse: testing to improve learning

One source of tension and debate among educators is the role that tests should play in education.On the one hand, some argue that there is a clear need for reliable and valid assessment.Others, however, worry about negative consequences of tests, such as "cramming."Although the cost:benefit ratio is highly dependent on the context in which testing is used, recent literature is burgeoning with suggestions that there may be pedagogical benefits to testing that have been underappreciated and understudied.