How to Design Effective Multiple-Choice Tests that Assess Student Learning

1. How to Design Effective Multiple-Choice Tests that Assess Student Learning Debra Dunlap Runshe Instructional Development Specialist University Information Technology Services - Learning Technologies Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis March 22, 2010

2. Webinar Objectives By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: • describe strengths and limitations of multiple-choice tests. • evaluate appropriate uses of multiple-choice tests. • explain guidelines for constructing multiple-choice items. • learn how to create questions that address the different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. • review examples of effective and ineffective multiple choice tests. • write multiple choice questions at different cognitive levels.

3. About Multiple-Choice Tests

4. About Multiple-Choice Tests Students select the correct answer from alternative responses. Each item has: • item stem • correct or keyed option • several distractor options Format: • complete question • incomplete question (Clegg & Cashin, 1986)

5. Multiple-choice Test Construction “… the greater your experience in their construction, the longer it takes per [multiple-choice] item to construct a reasonably fair, accurate, and inclusive question.” - Wilbert J. McKeachie

6. Bloom’s Cognitive Domain Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge A Resource for Question Verbs: http://tep.uoregon.edu/resources/assessment/multiplechoicequestions/blooms.html

7. Advantages Multiple-choice items can provide: • versatility in measuring all levels of cognitive ability, • highly reliable test scores, • scoring efficiency and accuracy, • objective measurement of achievement or ability, • a wide sampling of content or objectives, • a reduced guessing factor compared with true-false items, and • different response alternatives which can provide diagnostic feedback. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

8. Limitations Multiple-choice items: • are difficult and time-consuming to construct, • lead an instructor to favor simple recall of facts, • place a high degree of dependence on the student’s reading ability and instructor’s writing ability, and • are particularly subject to clueing. (Students can often deduce the correct response by elimination.) (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

9. When to Use • To assess breadth of learning • To test a variety of levels of learning • When you have a large number of individuals taking the test • When you have time to construct the test items • When time is limited for scoring • When it is not important to determine how well individuals can formulate their own answer • When you want to prepare individuals for future assessments that use a similar format (Clegg & Cashin, 1986)

10. Planning a Test

11. General Tips for Writing Tests • Compose test items over time. • Test what you really want individuals to learn. • Check borrowed items carefully. • Create a test bank. • Start easy to build confidence. • Get feedback on items. (Nilson, 2010)

12. Planning a Test • Use a test matrix or blueprint. • Identify major ideas and skills rather than specific details. • Use Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy or something appropriate for your context. (Nilson, 2010)

13. Test Matrix Additional Techniques for Writing Multiple-Choice Items: http://tep.uoregon.edu/resources/assessment/multiplechoicequestions/sometechniques.html

14. Objectives at Different Levels Level: Knowledge Objective: State the average effective radiation dose from chest CT. What is the average effective radiation dose from chest CT? • 1 mSv • 8 mSv • 16 mSv • 24 mSv

15. Objectives at Different Levels Level: Comprehension and application Objective: Compare the radiation exposures from different radiologic examinations. Which of the following imaging examinations is associated with the highest effective radiation dose? • Abdominal and pelvic multidetector CT • Coronary artery multidetector CT • Conventional pulmonary angiography • Digital pulmonary angiography

16. Objectives at Different Levels Level: Problem solving Objective: Explain the effects that various factors have on radiation dose from chest CT. Which of the following actions would decrease the radiation dose from chest CT the least? • Decreasing mA from 250 to 125 • Decreasing kVp from 140 to 120 • Decreasing the pitch from 2 to 1 • Decreasing scan time from 1 to 0.5

17. Constructing Test Items

18. Writing Items • Write items on significant concepts, not trivial facts. • Write items that have a definite answer. • Communicate clearly. • Don’t give away the answer by including irrelevant cues in the item. • Don’t write items that require skills or knowledge irrelevant to what you are trying to measure. • Have items reviewed by knowledgeable persons other than the composer of the question if possible. (Clegg & Cashin, 1986)

19. Components Stem: presents the problem Correct or keyed options: correct option Distractor options: incorrect options (Clegg & Cashin, 1986)

20. Developing an Item • Choose an important concept • Write the stem • Write the correct answer (key) • Develop distractors • common misconceptions • errors that could be made • plausible, yet less important information • similar in style, length to the key • every distractor should be reasonable (Clegg & Cashin, 1986)

21. Issues Related to Testwiseness • grammatical cues • logical cues • absolute terms • long correct answer • word repeats • convergence strategy (Clegg & Cashin, 1986)

22. Issues Related to Irrelevant Difficulty • options long • numeric data not stated consistently • vague terms • language not parallel • options in no logical order • “none of the above” is used • stems tricky or unnecessarily complicated • answer to an item is “hinged” to the answer of a related item (Clegg & Cashin, 1986)

23. Writing Stems • Ensure that the directions in the stem are very clear. • Include the central idea in the stem instead of the choices. • Avoid window dressing (excessive verbiage). • Word the stem positively, avoid negatives such as NOT or EXCEPT. If negative words are used, use the word cautiously and always ensure that the word appears capitalized and boldface. (Haladyna, Downing & Rodriguez, 2002)

24. Writing Stems Avoid statements that fail to present a complete thought or question. Schizophrenia • is caused by excessive role playing in childhood. • causes hallucinations. • is a tendency toward ritualistic behavior. • is a psychosocial disorder. Better: Schizophrenia • an alternation between two or more personalities. • a tendency toward ritualistic behavior. • a fragmentation of psychological functioning. • an inability to inhibit emotional outbursts. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

25. Writing Stems Avoid stems that ask for a series of multiple true-false responses. Which of the following is true about the middle adult years? • It encompasses ages 19 to 30. • It is the most conflict-free period of life. • It is characterized by dramatic changes in our sense of values. • It is marked by a conflict between intimacy and isolation. Better: According to Erickson, the middle adult years are characterized by the conflict between ____ and ___ . • intimacy; isolation • generativity; stagnation • integrity; despair • industry; despondency (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

26. Writing Stems Eliminate excessive wording and irrelevant information. Sheldon developed a highly controversial theory of personality based on body type and temperament of the individual. Which of the following is a criticism of Sheldon’s theory? • He was influenced too much by Freudian psychoanalysis. • His ratings of physique and temperament were not independent. • He failed to use an empirical approach. • His research sample was improperly selected. Better: Which of the following is a criticism of Sheldon's theory of personality? (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

27. Writing Stems Include in the stem any word(s) that might otherwise be repeated in each alternative. The receptors for the vestibular sense are located • in the fovea. • in the brain. • in the middle ear. • in the inner ear. Better: The receptors for the vestibular sense are located in the (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

28. Writing Stems Use negatively stated stems sparingly. When used, underline and/or capitalize the negative word. Which is not a major technique for studying brain function? • accident and injury • cutting and removing • electrical stimulation • direct phrenology Better: Which is NOT a major technique for studying brain function? (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

29. Writing Stems When using incomplete statements avoid beginning with the blank space. ___ is the least severe form of behavior disorder. • Psychosis • Panic disorder • Neurasthenia • Neurosis Better: The least severe form of behavior disorder is ___ . (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

30. Writing Stems Use familiar language. According to Freud the raison d’être for hysteria was • sexual conflicts. • unresolved feelings of guilt. • latent tendencies. • repressed fear. Better: According to Freud hysteria was caused by … (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

31. Writing Stems Provide sufficient information in the stem to allow students to respond to the question. How many interrelated stages to creative problem solving are there? • Three • Four • Seven • Ten Better: The textbook indicates that there are ___ interrelated stages to creative problem solving. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

32. Writing Item Alternatives • Develop as many effective choices as you can, but research suggests three is adequate. • Make sure that only one of these choices is the right answer. • Vary the location of the right answer according to the number of choices • Place choices in logical or numerical order. • Keep choices independent; choices should not be overlapping. (Haladyna, Downing & Rodriguez, 2002)

33. Writing Item Alternatives • Keep choices homogeneous in content and grammatical structure. • Keep the length of the choices about equal. • None-of-the-above should be used carefully. • Avoid All-of-the-above. • Make all distractors plausible. • Use typical errors of students to write your distractors. • Use humor if it is compatible with the teacher and the learning environment. (Haladyna, Downing & Rodriguez, 2002)

34. Writing Item Alternatives • Phrase choices positively; avoid negatives such as NOT. • Avoid giving clues to the right answer, such as: • specific determiners including always, never, completely, and absolutely. • clang associations, choices identical to or resembling words in the stem. • conspicuous correct choice. • pairs or triplets of options that clue the test-taker to the correct choice. • blatantly absurd, ridiculous options. (Haladyna, Downing & Rodriguez, 2002)

35. Writing Item Alternatives Make sure there is one correct or best response. Which of the following does not belong with the others? • Wundt • Structuralism • James • Titchener (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

36. Writing Item Alternatives Make all alternatives plausible and equally attractive to both less-knowledgeable and skillful students. The number of photoreceptors in the retina of each human eye is about • 1000,000. • 2 million. • 115 million. • 2.37 billion. Better: • 5 million. • 35 million. • 65 million. • 115 million. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

37. Writing Item Alternatives Minimize the use of the all-of –the-above and none-of-the-above alternatives. Problem representation involves • determining which factors matter and which do not. • the initial state of problem solving. • both a and b. • neither a nor b. Better: • determining which factors matter and which do not. • the initial state of problem solving. • reducing the problem to manageable segments. • all of the above. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

38. Writing Item Alternatives Use between three and five alternatives for each item. What function is performed by the sensory neurons? • Receive information from the environment. • Carry information from the central nervous system to the muscles. • Connect one neuron to another. • Are only found inside the brain. Better: • Receive information from the environment. • Carry information from the central nervous system to the muscles. • Connect one neuron to another. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

39. Writing Item Alternatives All alternatives should be approximately equal in length. Latane and Darley smoke-filled room experiment suggested that people are less likely to help in groups than alone, because people • in groups talk to one another. • who are alone are more attentive. • in groups do not display pluralistic ignorance. • in groups allow others to define the situation as a non-emergency. Better: Latane and Darley smoke-filled room experiment suggested that people are less likely to help in groups than alone, because people • talk to one another. • are less attentive than people who are alone . • do not display pluralistic ignorance. • allow others to define the situation as a non-emergency (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

40. Writing Item Alternatives Make alternatives parallel in construction and consistent with the stem. Which of the following is NOT a defense mechanism? • Conflict. • Repression. • Reaction formation. • Rationalization. Better: • Rationalization. • Repression. • Reaction formation. • Regression. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

41. Writing Item Alternatives When possible, present alternatives in some logical order (e.g., most to least and chronological .) In the course of a dark adaptation , the eye’s best sensitivity to wavelength shifts to • 580 millimicrons. • 477 millimicrons. • 505 millimicrons. • 600 millimicrons. Better: • 600 millimicrons. • 580 millimicrons. • 505 millimicrons. • 477millimicrons. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

42. Writing Item Alternatives Make the alternatives mutually exclusive. Rods are found in the • blind spot. • fovea. • periphery of the retina. • back of the eye. Better: • blind spot. • periphery of the fovea. • periphery of the retina. • cornea. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

43. Writing Item Alternatives Avoid overly wordy alternatives that become confusing and difficult to read. Flooding differs from systematic desensitization in that • the former is based on classical conditioning and the latter on operant conditioning. • systematic desensitization requires insight and the flooding does not. • flooding has you start at the top of your fear hierarchy and systematic desensitization has you start at the bottom and work up gradually. • flooding emphasizes the use of cognitions to a much greater extent than does systematic desensitization. Better: Flooding differs from systematic desensitization in that flooding • is based on classical conditioning rather than operant conditioning. • doesn’t require insight. • starts at the top of the fear hierarchy. • places greater emphasis on the use of cognitions. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

44. Writing Item Alternatives Avoid irrelevant cues such as grammatical structure, well-known work associations, or connections between the stem and the correct answer. School psychologists who examine and place children in special education settings often apply the research done by • biopsychologists. • educational psychologists. • clinical psychologists. • counseling psychologists. Better: School psychologists often apply the research done by (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

45. Writing Item Alternatives Avoid language that may offend or exclude a particular group of individuals. Which of the following is a characteristic of persons with Down’s syndrome? • Larger than normal head • Obesity • Oriental-like skin folds over the eyes • Above average height. Better: • Larger than normal head • Obesity • Downward sloping skin fold over the eyes • Above average height. (Ory & Ryan, 1993)

46. Critiquing Test Items

47. Critiquing Test Items Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is considered to be: • an adventure story. • a science-fiction story. • an historical novel. • an autobiography. Could be either A or B; should have one best answer.

48. Critiquing Test Items When a court possesses appellate jurisdiction this means that it • must have a jury. • has the power or authority to review and decide appeals. • can conduct the original trial. • can declare laws unconstitutional. The term “appeal” in B is too close to “appellate” in the stem.

49. Critiquing Test Items Which of the following men invented the telephone? • Bell • Morse • Pasteur • Salk C & D are not plausible distractors and the answer (A) is too obvious.

50. Critiquing Test Items The indicator found by correlating students’ scores on a classroom math test with their scores on a standardized math test is called a • validity coefficient. • index of reliability. • equivalence coefficient. • internal consistency coefficient. The end of the stem is “a” which only matches answer (A).