In the age of Google, why are we still so focused on testing facts?

I agree with many of the points, and certainly agree that we need to go through a paradigm shift in how we do assessment and how that informs how we teach (or indeed if we're lucky, forced change to assessment driven by the Age of Google then drives forced change in teaching to adapt). However, there are numerous subjectivities to consider in changing the way that "we" as a collective teach. Teaching style and requirements vary from class size to discipline to access to technology to skills of the academic themselves (both pedagogical and digital). Honestly if you are a good lecturer than you expertly deliver a blend of content that promotes discussion to encourage the association of fact and application (and if you can keep their attention and interest throughout your teaching session by changing things up on a dime based on their interactions and reactions in the moment then you stand a much better chance of all of that coming together). If you're just lecturing (dry style), then yes I agree it is more about delivering facts and hoping that some kind of of evaluative skills emerge from the cocoon of knowledge absorption. At the moment we are at risk of a large scale shift based on a reflex rather than an adaptation and an evolution. Higher education is not one thing to all people, it has many things to many people. And we need to keep that in mind as we go through these changes and address what areas need them and what scale and what support may need to be put in place in order to make them a reality. There is also of course the student Factor to consider. Not only actually asking them what they feel they would most benefit from, having gone through a year of radically different content delivery to normal if not an increase in active learning to to make them feel part of a community. But also as to whether all our proclamations of students wanting the opportunity to design their own learning and discuss everything and do small group learning and actually used their knowledge, when we try it do any more than the 5% highflyers actually engage and participate? When a large class is asked a question to consider either for delivery to the whole group discussion in smaller groups, how many actually take part in that and volunteering formation? I'm certainly not against change and in fact spend most of my time trying to convince others to adapt and evolve. I just think that we need to include voices on the ground from academic and student perspectives, and actually test that which we assume to be the way that things should be. All that said, I have actually been doing online open book exams in final year for several years prior to the pandemic, have done digital assessment and skills assessment in a continuous fashion for large-scale modules in first year for almost 8-years, and help colleagues design practical assessments that encourage students to actually use that which they have already learnt by doing, and apply it to a hypothetical future situation. Learning by doing, and succeeding by engaging. So I'd like to think that I'm half on board and rather joyous about being on the "Change Train". In the age of Google it no longer matters what you know but what you do with what you know. We need to embrace that.