Ep 5. Bell Curve

Crash Course season 1 episode 5, titled "Bell Curve", dives deep into the history and controversy surrounding the use of standardized testing. The episode begins by exploring the role of testing in education and how it has been used as a tool for ranking and labeling students based on their abilities.

The host of the show, John Green, explains how the concept of intelligence has been defined and measured over time, tracing back to the work of French psychologist Alfred Binet in the early 1900s. Binet created the first standardized test designed to measure the intelligence of children, but as John explains, the test was never meant to be used as a way to label or sort students.

However, as standardized testing became more prevalent in education across the world, it led to the advent of the bell curve. The bell curve, also known as the normal distribution, is a statistical model used to describe the distribution of scores on standardized tests. The model shows that the majority of scores fall in the middle or average range, with smaller numbers of students on either end of the spectrum.

The episode goes on to discuss the controversy surrounding the use of the bell curve in education. While some argue that it provides a way to objectively measure student performance, others believe that it perpetuates inequality by labeling certain groups of students as "below average" or "below basic."

John explores a particular example of this controversy by discussing the debate over the use of the SAT as a college admissions requirement. He examines the argument that the test unfairly favors wealthy students who have access to expensive test prep programs. This leads to a discussion of the wider issue of socioeconomic inequality in education, and how standardized testing can be used as a tool to both exacerbate and address this problem.

Throughout the episode, John emphasizes the importance of understanding the limitations of standardized testing and the broader issues surrounding education. He stresses that while testing can be a valuable tool for educators, it should not be used as the sole measure of a student's intelligence or potential.

Overall, "Bell Curve" provides a thought-provoking exploration of the role of testing in education and the issues surrounding its use. It challenges viewers to consider their own perspectives on the subject, and to think critically about how we can create a more equitable and just education system.