*By Dr. Devan
Education, in its present form, rests on a paradox that is rarely questioned. Students spend an entire year absorbing information, memorizing facts, and rehearsing concepts, only to pour them out in a few hours during an annual examination. Within weeks—or sometimes days—much of this carefully accumulated knowledge fades. If forgetting is the natural outcome, one must ask a fundamental question: why do we still depend so heavily on annual exams? If the ultimate goal of education is understanding, retention, and application, then a system that largely produces short-term recall is deeply flawed.
Modern neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and educational research all point toward a simple truth: learning is not strengthened by passive intake followed by delayed testing; it is strengthened by continuous engagement and immediate recall. In this context, the traditional annual examination appears less like a measure of learning and more like a ritual inherited from an earlier era—one that values endurance and memory under pressure more than true comprehension.
The Problem with Annual ExaminationsAnnual exams reward a specific kind of behavior: cramming. Students often study intensively in the weeks preceding the test, relying on short-term memory. The hippocampus is flooded with information that is never sufficiently consolidated into long-term memory. Once the exam ends, the brain, efficient by design, discards what it no longer needs. This is not a failure of the student; it is a predictable biological outcome.
Moreover, annual exams create anxiety rather than curiosity. Fear becomes the primary motivator. Learning shifts from a joyful exploration of ideas to a survival exercise. Students ask not, “Why does this happen?” but “Will this come for the exam?” The syllabus becomes a boundary, and thinking outside it is subtly discouraged. Ironically, a system designed to test intelligence often suppresses it.
Annual examinations also assume uniformity: that all students learn at the same pace, in the same way, and can demonstrate understanding under identical conditions. This assumption is scientifically indefensible. Human cognition is diverse. Some learners need repetition, others dialogue; some learn visually, others by application. A once-a-year written test cannot possibly capture this richness.
Forgetting Is Not the Enemy—Poor Learning Design IsForgetting is a natural neurological process. The brain prioritizes what is frequently used and emotionally or intellectually relevant. Information that is passively read or heard, without interaction, is tagged as low priority. Annual exams attempt to fight forgetting at the very end of the learning cycle, instead of preventing it throughout the cycle.
The real issue is not that students forget, but how they are asked to learn in the first place. Long lectures, dense textbooks, and one-way communication place learners in a passive role. The mind becomes a container, not a participant. Under such conditions, forgetting is inevitable.
The Power of Interactive, Question-Driven LearningImagine an alternative. Instead of long chapters followed by an exam months later, learning occurs through an interactive module where a question is formulated after every sentence or concept. The learner cannot proceed without engaging. Each idea demands a response—reflection, choice, or explanation. Learning becomes active, not passive.
This approach aligns perfectly with what neuroscience calls active recall and retrieval practice. Every time the brain is asked a question, it must search, retrieve, and reconstruct information. This process strengthens neural pathways far more effectively than rereading or listening. In essence, the question itself becomes the teacher.
When a learner answers a question immediately after encountering a concept, errors are corrected instantly. There is no long gap in which misconceptions can solidify. Feedback is immediate, precise, and personalized. Learning becomes a dialogue rather than a monologue.
Learning Becomes Continuous AssessmentIn such a system, the need for annual exams disappears naturally. Assessment is no longer an event; it is a continuous process. Every interaction becomes a micro-evaluation. The system knows what the learner understands, where they hesitate, and what needs reinforcement.
This has profound psychological benefits. The fear of a single high-stakes exam is replaced by steady confidence. Progress is visible. Mastery feels achievable. Students are rewarded not for last-minute heroics, but for consistent engagement.
Deeper Understanding and Long-Term RetentionQuestion-driven learning forces comprehension. A student cannot simply memorize words; they must process meaning. When asked why, how, or what if, the mind forms connections. These connections anchor knowledge in long-term memory.
Furthermore, this method respects the brain’s natural learning rhythm. Concepts can be revisited in spaced intervals, strengthening retention. Difficulty can adapt to the learner’s level, ensuring optimal challenge—neither boredom nor overwhelm.
Rewarding Learning, Not EnduranceAnnual exams reward endurance under stress. Interactive learning rewards curiosity, persistence, and insight. It transforms education from a judgment system into a growth system. Students no longer learn to pass; they learn to understand, apply, and question.
Teachers, too, benefit. Their role shifts from invigilators and evaluators to mentors and designers of learning experiences. Education becomes collaborative rather than authoritarian.
A Necessary Evolution in EducationThe world has changed, but our examination system has not. In an age where information is instantly available, the value of education lies not in recall, but in interpretation, reasoning, and application. Annual exams test yesterday’s skills for tomorrow’s world.
An interactive learning module with questions after every sentence may seem radical, but it is in fact more aligned with how the human brain learns. It is efficient, humane, and intellectually honest. Most importantly, it respects the learner.
If much of what we study is forgotten, the fault does not lie with memory, but with method. It is time we stop testing learning at the end and start building learning into every moment.
Education should not be a yearly trial of memory.It should be a daily celebration of understanding.
*Dr Devan is a Mangaluru-based ENT specialist and author.
Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti