Actually, I would consider the large research projects to be the tests of that course. Besides, the English/lit/composition courses I've taken don't really give small daily or regularly assigned "homework" assignments anyway, so this plan wouldn't really apply to those.
What if the teacher feels that ten homework assignments can cover more breadth than two or three tests, and therefore can give a more accurate picture of the student's abilities? Would you also redefine those homework assignments as "tests"?
