The Acquisition of Knowledge
Context: This essay was written in 25 minutes for the Writing section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). This essay earned a perfect score of 12, meaning that two different judges gave it 6 points (out of 6 possible). For more information, please see the CollegeBoard SAT Writing Essay Scoring Guide.
Evidence: The exam judges the ability to use elements of style and composition, rather than the correctness of the content. Accordingly, this essay cites material that does not exist in order to demonstrate the ability to factually support an argument.
In today's modern world, each individual should decide what they learn and how they will acquire the knowledge.
In America, students are given freedom in the decision of choosing their education path, and eventually their career, but in the European nations, students are tested at an early age to determine the skill set that they "best" embody. These European students find themselves locked securely into a rigid system from which they find it nearly impossible to escape. Decades into their lives, these students may experience a shift in interests or desires from those that their childhood tests exemplified, but due to the rigid educational culture and society, they are many times unable to explore a career shift or alternate path of education. While these people may prove to be proficient in their work, they experience reduced enthusiasm and a lowered degree of optimism through the duration of their careers.
However, American educational culture allows almost complete freedom in educational choice and direction, which may, in turn, lead to higher overall productivity, creativity, and enthusiasm in students' individual lives. In America, and at this school, students constantly shift their interests to explore many potential venues for success before eventually settling on a degree in college and, subsequentially, a career following the achievement of their higher education. This allows students a wide allotment of freedom for experimentation with interests and strengths before deciding, later in life, on one set of skills and direction that they feel will produce the most rewarding and satisfying result. Due to the freedom found in American society and education systems, workers and students enjoy more fulfilling and rewarding lives and careers.
Along with freedom in the selection of desired knowledge, the selection of educational methods for learning should be a personal decision for each student. In "The Unreachable Student," a study by John Schulz, a student is given a myriad of unique learning methods by his teacher, from auditory lecture to hands-on experience, before one is chosen (visual coaching) that serves the student best. Some styles, such as auditory lecture, appeal highly to his classmates, but severely handicap this particular student's ability to learn. In classrooms everywhere, students like this are recorded as failures because they simply cannot comprehend the material in the manner by which it is presented to them. Thus, students should be permitted to select the learning style that best suits their needs, in order to achieve the maximum potential of their learning ability.
Overall, it is shown through both studies and real-world precedent that students who are given freedom in the selection of their desired knowledge, and the methodology by which they receive it, are more successful that those who receive no such freedom. Therefore, all students should be allowed this freedom.
Citation
Eckert, Daniel C. The Acquisition of Knowledge. (2006, April).