Pencils keep rolling off the desks in Mr. Park's class. A pencil holder would fix it. Mr. Park asks the class to design one.
A sentence nobody can test
Suppose Mr. Park just says, "Make a good pencil holder."
What counts as good? Erin says tall. Luis says wide. Nobody can test "good."
So "Make a good pencil holder" is not a criterion.
Sentences anyone can test
Now Mr. Park says, "The holder must keep ten pencils standing up." Anyone can count ten pencils. That is a criterion.
And, "The holder must not tip when the desk is bumped." Anyone can bump the desk and watch. That is a criterion.
And, "One pencil must come out with one pull." Anyone can pull one and watch. That is a criterion.
One more sentence nobody can test
But, "The holder must look neat." Neat is a judging word: neat to Erin is messy to Luis. Nobody can test it. That is not a criterion.
| Mr. Park's sentence | Can anyone test it? | Criterion? |
|---|---|---|
| Make a good pencil holder. | No. What counts as good? | No |
| The holder must keep ten pencils standing up. | Yes. Count the pencils. | Yes |
| The holder must not tip when the desk is bumped. | Yes. Bump the desk and watch. | Yes |
| One pencil must come out with one pull. | Yes. Pull one and watch. | Yes |
| The holder must look neat. | No. Neat to one person is messy to another. | No |
A criterion is a job the design must do, that anyone can test.
Two or more are criteria.