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Extrapolation as here defined is to be distinguished
from application in that the thinking is characterized by the
extension of that which is given to intermediate, past, future,
or other conditions or situations. The thinking is usually
less abstract than in the case of application where use is
made of generalizations, rules of procedure, and the like.
2.30 Extrapolation--Illustrative educational objectives
The ability to deal with the conclusions of a work
in terms of the immediate inferences made from
the explicit statements.
The ability to draw conclusions and state them ef-
fective ly. (Recognizing the limitations of the data,
formulating accurate inferences and tenable hy-
potheses. )
Skill in predicting continuation of trends.
Skill in interpolation where there are gaps in data.
The ability to estimate or predict consequences
courses of action described in a communication.
The ability to be sensitive to factors which may
render predictions inaccurate.
The ability to distinguish consequences which are
only relatively probable fr'om those for which
there is a high degree of probability.
The ability to differentiate value judgments
predictions of consequences.
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TESTING FOR COMPREHENSION, AND
ILLUSTRATIVE TEST ITEMS
Testing for translation objectives
In appraising student ability to translate technical terms,
physics principles expressed in algebraic symbols, diagrams,
or graphs by means of recall or recognition types of exer-
cises, there may be clear-cut relationships between what is
given and the response written or identified by the student.
For example, terms may be listed and their definitions re-
quested, or the definitions may be given and the student
merely asked to recall or recognize the appropriate terms.
In this situation the behaviors evaluated are equivalent to
those listed under the category of knowledge, and this is
particularly true where instruction has made explicit such
formal associations. But these identical exercises may
evaluate translation objectives which involve more than mere
recall or recognition if instruction has been less formal and
the thought processes of the student involve making new
associations. For example, the answer to be selected as the
definition of a term may be a definition which differs in
phraseology from the formal one he has learned, and hence
constitutes a novel situation.
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of Student ability to translate formal definitions or state-
!
ments of principles may also be evaluated by exercises re-
quiring him to recall or recognize correct illustrations or
examples. But exercises requiring the selection of the
"best" definition of a term may require more than the asso-
ciation of definition with term, if the student must judge the
adequacy of the various definitions given. In still other
types of exercises, more may be given than the terms or
symbols and the student may have the advantage of contextual
clues. Here again the nature of the previous instruction
from is the deciding factor rather than the appearance of the item.
If the evaluation is to be of a behavior transcending knowl-
edge, the context in which the terms or symbols appear must
be to some extent novel context.
Additional complexity at the translation level of behavior
occurs in certain types of exercises where more than one
new term or symbol occurs and the student, while success-
ively translating the terms or symbols, will need to consider
their interrelationships. Item 18 on page 104 is an example
of this sort of evaluation.