Making a Grade
Victorian Examinations and the Rise of Standardized Testing
Published on 18. March 2021
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-1-4875-0893-7 (ISBN)
Description
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 more than 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 practices 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 first appeared as "cameras" to neutrally record achievement, and then became "engines" to change education as people tailored their behaviour to fit these tests. Taking the perspectives of both examiners and examinees, Making a Grade claims that our own culture's desire for accountability through objective testing has a long history.
Written with humour, Making a Grade looks at how standardized testing practices 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 first appeared as "cameras" to neutrally record achievement, and then became "engines" to change education as people tailored their behaviour to fit these tests. Taking the perspectives of both examiners and examinees, Making a Grade claims that our own culture's desire for accountability through objective testing has a long history.
Reviews / Votes
"This is a book which is committed, from the outset, to the reconstruction and analysis of numerous aspects of the rise of examinations. It involves some excellent detailed recovery of individual cases from a range of archives, and the author is to be congratulated on his nose for a good source."- Roy Lowe (British Journal of Educational Studies) "Making a Grade makes an important contribution to the world of science and educational assessment research. Elwick's thorough review of Victorian examinations helps to historicize key stakeholders' perspectives in the science of measurement (i.e., standardized testing) in recent educational history."
- Peiyu Wang and Liying Cheng, Queen's University (Historical Studies in Education/Revue d'histoire de l'education) "Elwick's systemic approach allows him to accommodate both the incredible pluralism of Victorian education and the growing homogeneity of its exam culture." - Peter Mandler, University of Cambridge (Victorian Studies)
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
6 b&w illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
646 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4875-0893-7 (9781487508937)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
James Elwick is an associate professor in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at York University.
Content
List of Figures
Preface and Acknowledgments
Introduction
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 Examination
Part Two: Examiners
4 Daguerreotypes of the Mind: Paper, Partition, and Specialization
5 Machining Minds: Commensuration, Tabulation, and Standardization
6 Thin Descriptions: Credentials and Other Signals
Part 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 Inclusion
Conclusion
Appendix A: Important Dates
Appendix B: Biographical List
Notes
Bibliography
Index
List of Figures
Preface and Acknowledgments
Introduction
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 Examination
Part Two: Examiners
4. Daguerreotypes of the Mind: Paper, Partition, and Specialization
5. Machining Minds: Commensuration, Tabulation, and Standardization
6. Thin Descriptions: Credentials and Other Signals
Part 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 Inclusion
Conclusion
Appendix A: Important Dates
Appendix B: Biographical List
Notes
Bibliography
Preface and Acknowledgments
Introduction
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 Examination
Part Two: Examiners
4 Daguerreotypes of the Mind: Paper, Partition, and Specialization
5 Machining Minds: Commensuration, Tabulation, and Standardization
6 Thin Descriptions: Credentials and Other Signals
Part 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 Inclusion
Conclusion
Appendix A: Important Dates
Appendix B: Biographical List
Notes
Bibliography
Index
List of Figures
Preface and Acknowledgments
Introduction
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 Examination
Part Two: Examiners
4. Daguerreotypes of the Mind: Paper, Partition, and Specialization
5. Machining Minds: Commensuration, Tabulation, and Standardization
6. Thin Descriptions: Credentials and Other Signals
Part 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 Inclusion
Conclusion
Appendix A: Important Dates
Appendix B: Biographical List
Notes
Bibliography