testing

Pop Quiz: What famous landscape from history is this?

Sometimes I think it would be easier to teach classes myself than to TA for others. Today was the midterm review session for the class I'm TAing. Frankly I feel bad for the students. I have a pretty good idea of the big concepts involved but I don't know all the little dates and details they are being expected to memorize. Frankly I'm not a big fan of scantron tests and memorization. I don't think the professor knows all the details she is asking the students to remember, but more importantly, I don't think spending all that time on the details really helps students to understand the important concepts involved. I would rather students understand the social forces at work during different times in history. Right now I'm afraid that all they will end up knowing is the names and dates without any deeper understanding.