To Test or Not to Test

I wish today's quandary involved a beach ball, a beach, or even one of those cold, refreshing beach cocktails delivered to me by a cabana boy. But, no such luck. Today, I'm faced with the question: to test the students or not to test the students?

One of the coures I will be teaching at a local community college is called "COM101 Fundamentals of Communication." For this course, students are required to purchase a $100 textbook, however they are not required to read it. Yes, you read that correctly: they are NOT required to read it.

I've reviewed several syllabi (for this course taught by various instructors at the same community college) and none of them outline any reading assignments from the book. None. Not once did I come across something such as "Read Chapter 1: The Foundations of Communication" or "Read Chapter 13: Organizing Your Speech."

Instead the syllabi is filled with assignments centered around public speaking, group interaction, and interviewing skills. Just over one-half of the class assignments are graded on public speaking (51%), another 20% says it is based on tests/quizzes/exams (all of which do not exist), the balance is based on small group problem-solving assignments and two short papers.

Now, this is where the institutional geniuses lose me: the 20% of required tests is NOT listed in any syllabus. Now, I'm certain an old business colleague that now works at the Board of Regents would absolutely flip if she knew this was happening. However, I can't tell her. I'd get fired from my new job before I even started it. So I sigh deeply.

My gut feeling is to test the students. Why have them buy the book if they are not responsible for reading it and learning the context? How else are they going to learn the concepts of communication and how the concepts will apply to life without studying it? Life isn't all about standing in front of a podium and giving a speech that you may or may not have memorized. It's helpful, in life, when you know how to communicate in any given situation. So, wouldn't I be selling the students and myself short if I ignored teaching them the basics and just let them be talking heads? I think so.

So the question remains: to test or not to test? What would you do?

It's after 11 p.m. Where's that damn cabana boy anyhow? I need a decaf coffee with a shot of Bailey's and Kaluha. Does that count as a beach drink? Maybe he will put a little umbrella in it for me. Hmmmm.