Writing Good Multiple Choice Items

1. Writing GoodMultiple Choice Items

2. Good Item or Bad?

3. X Good or Bad? • I took a class on a topic I knew nothing about, clicked through the materials and took the test without reading anything. I passed! What does that suggest? • I am a genius! • The assessment was too easy • The course was too easy • The course didn’t even need to be written • b, c and d

4. X Good or Bad? 2. In a multiple-choice question, when is the longest answer the correct answer? • Rarely • Sometimes • It’s almost always the correct answer, and it’s often stuffed with new information that should have gone in the main part of the course but we forgot so now we’re putting it in the quiz because we can’t possible leave out the tiniest detail • Occasionally http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/assessment/writing-good-multiple-choice-test-questions/

5. X Good or Bad? 3. When is “all of the above” the correct answer? • With alarming regularity • When we try to cover too much in one question • When we use a question to teach instead of assess • All of the above

6. X Good or Bad? 4. We can confuse learners when we: • Fail to actually complete the sentence we started in the question • Inconsistent grammar in the option • Sometimes we veer off into another idea entirely • wombats www.blogcathy-moore.com/2007/08/can-you-answer-these-6-questions-about-multiple-choice-questions/

7. ✓ Good or Bad? 5. Which statement refers to measurement as opposed to evaluation? • Emily got 90% correct on a math test • Lin’s test scores have increased satisfactorily this year. • Justin’s score of 20 on this test indicates that his study habits are ineffective • Keesha got straight A’s in her history courses this year Tomorrow’s Professor Mailing List from Stanford Center for Teaching & Learning

8. ✓ Good or Bad? 6. The nurse is making a home visit to a 75 year old male client who has had Parkinson’s disease for the past five years. Which finding has the greatest implication for this patient’s care? • The client’s wife tells the nurse that the grandchildren have not been to visit for over a month • The nurse notes that there are numerous throw rugs throughout the client’s home • The client has a towel wrapped around his neck that the wife uses to wipe her husband’s face • The client is sitting in an armchair, and the nurse notes that he is gripping the arms of the chair

9. Good or Bad? ✓ X 8. What literary device is best illustrated in the cartoon below? • Situational irony • Plot twist • Sarcasm

10. Starters

11. Write a Knowledge Item • Write the fact statement • Transform the statement into a positive question • Write 3-4 plausible distractors and 1 correct answer

12. Write a Comprehension Item • Use this template: Which of the following is an example of ______________________?

13. Write an Application Item • Prepare a short case study or example. • Write a stem that asks the student to demonstrate the use of the procedural knowledge or solve a problem Example: What are the stoichiometric coefficients for the following chemical reaction? ___NH3+___O2☐___NO+___H2O • 2, 5, 2 and 6 • 3, 6, 3 and 4 • 4, 5, 5 and 6 • 5, 5, 5 and 6

14. Write an Application Item • Present the student with a diagram and ask for analysis. Example • Given the following chart, which of the following is the most likely to occur next?

15. Write an Evaluation Item • Give the student a short case study • Ask: Which of the following would have been a better plan of action?

16. Samples

17. Knowledge - Vocab • Locomotion is the same as: • When you make crazy looking movements • When the feet move the body from one place to another • When any part of the body is in motion • When your movements sound like a train PE Central - Search: Paper and Pencil Assessments

18. Comprehension/ApplicationVocab • Which of the following is an example of locomotion? • Sitting • Standing • Winking • Running

19. Comprehension/ApplicationConcept • Which of the following is the best health benefit of 30 minutes of daily locomotion? • Stronger heart and lungs • Toned muscles • Improved athletic skills • Better digestion

20. Analysis - Procedure • John’s Day: • 10 minutes - Walk to school (eat breakfast bar on the way) • 200 minutes – Math, Reading, Science, Soc St • 30 minutes - lunch • 15 minutes – recess (hang out with friends on steps) • 50 minutes – specials class • 10 minutes – walk home (eat chips on the way) • 200 minutes – watch tv and eat supper • 60 minutes – video games Which advice statement below would improve John’s health the most? • Jog to and from school • Listen to TV on headset while walking 30 minutes every day. • Join a baseball team in the summer • Help Mom with chores everyday (dishes, trash, feed dog)

21. Comprehension/Application • This image is a good example of which statement below? • Use of linear perspective • Showing form through dark and light • Use of variation in contour line • Use of shading

22. Analysis http://www.Pics4learning.com

23. Music • Sample Vocabulary Items (Knowledge Level)http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=elements-music-test • Sample with Auditory Excerpts (Comprehension/Application) http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/MFT/pdf/mft_samp_questions_music.pdf