How to measure knowledge attainment

"I should have liked to be asked to say what I knew. They always tried to ask what I did not know. When I would have willingly displayed my knowledge, they sought to expose my ignorance. This sort of treatment had only one result: I did not do well in examinations."
~Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister 1974-1965) My most memorable academic exam was in 7th grade. Our assignment was to write as many facts about Russia as we could remember in the 45 minutes allotted. I feverishly wrote 196 before I ran out of time. It was encouraging to realize I know so much information and I thought our teacher was brilliant for testing us that way instead of asking if we remembered the 20 facts she found most critical.

However, something was still wrong with the process because 19 years later, if given the same exam, I doubt I could list 5 facts. As with the rest of my academic career, I memorized but did not learn. My goal is that 20 years past my teaching, my children will still remember the things they learned.