Apparently, there has been a great deal of moral outrage regarding SAT testing recently. Several years ago, the College Board added an essay portion in order to gauge the writing ability and critical thinking skills of students. This essay portion has been highly controversial as it can allegedly be gamed.
The most recent controversy surrounds the choice of essay prompt on a recent version of the SAT. Students were asked to write an essay using this prompt:
Reality television programs, which feature real people engaged in real activities rather than professional actors performing scripted scenes, are increasingly popular. These shows depict ordinary people competing in everything from singing and dancing to losing weight, or just living their everyday lives. Most people believe that the reality these shows portray is authentic, but they are being misled. How authentic can these shows be when producers design challenges for the participants and then editors alter filmed scenes?
Do people benefit from forms of entertainment that show so-called reality, or are such forms of entertainment harmful?
Several test-takers were quite upset by this prompt. The problem is, students did not need to have any knowledge of reality television to write a good essay. The prompt asks the writer to evaluate a form of low culture. The prompt could just as easily ask about blaxploitation films or pornography. The prompt is not about the cultural relevance of The Apprentice or American Idol. The prompt is intended to gauge the ability of the test-taker to make evaluative statements regarding the societal impacts of mass culture, which is a legitimate academic undertaking and something they'll be expected to to at any university.
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