The Place of Diagnostic Testing in Preparing Students For 21st Century University Education

摘要

University education is not only meant for brightest top 10% of the country students, but open to all that can meet the basic criteria of entrance qualifications. Selection of students into the Malaysian public universities is guided by a quota requirement so as to ensure a representative sample of students based on racial composition of the national population, has access to university education. Thus, those who are somewhat deprived of quality education because of this schools locations including schools for the marginalized in the remote areas and handicapped children have a fair chance of gaining access to higher education. As result, the students are not only diverscd in composition but also more diverse in their preparation for university education. More and more students are entering universities now than a decade ago. This paper reports on some works to overcome students deficiencies of preparation for university education in the sciences and engineering. The traditional standardized examination results do not provide the feedback on what the student needs were nor their strengths and their weaknesses to face university education. This paper describes the development of diagnostic tests to identify their needs. One of the areas that have been embarked is in the development of diagnostic tests such as mathematic and research skills, prior knowledge tests of physics for university education in various physics related disciplines. The model emphasizes the need for the development of a system in self-diagnostic tests and interventions programmes, but informally administered as students arc left to decide whether they should follow self-diagnose interventions programmes or not. The local universities have yet to develop a system of a formalized remedial programmes like those practiced in some universities in the USA and Britain, even though some research projects have begun which is presented in this paper. The focus of the research is broad encompassing a range of basic 21s1 learning skills.