Developing exams
When devolping exams, faculty should consider using a mix of different style questions to better serve the various learning styles of the student. For example, I recommend that faculty use essays, T/F, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and matching.
Samuel,
Good way to prepare your students for board exams. This way they will be comfortable with how the questions are constructed so they will know how to better prepare when they study for boards.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have starting using test bank questions to develop exams because most of the time these questions are more in line with the format of questions the students will see on the national board exam. This way I am testing knowledge as well as preparing them for board exam.
Hi Anis,
I wish you much success with your exam development. I know you are going to get good results.
Gary
That's a grate idea. Using all these techniques in one exam. It will balance out, I am going to try it for the next exam.
I agree, variety in performance indices is useful for many reasons, but one must always recognize the fundamental rule in test/assessment construction. The mechanism for measurement must in fact measure what it purports to measure. The construction of test questions must parallel both learning objectives and learning activities. In addition, unexpected and unintended learning outcomes need to be considered in developing measurement tools.
(Another case for formative evaluation.) Using atypical measures (poster, PPt's, etc.)pose a problem when evaluating such measures for validity--they are more difficult to quantify and may lead to errors of leniency or even worse the nominal fallacy ( since I am calling it an assessment tool, it therefore, is one}. Here's the point: creating good measures of learning outcomes is both an art and science, and requires time, patience, and care.
Hi Alice,
You are right there are many different ways at assessing the learning of students. We need to look for and incorporate those methods into our courses. The key is when the students' finish the course they have mastery. There are many different ways we can come at finding that out.
Gary
I certainly agree the various learning styles need to be addressed in any exam. However, I would go further by suggesting that there are other demonstrations of mastery that could sometimes be added or substituted for at least part of the exam process.
In some courses, making a product, a poster, a powerpoint presentation, or even a brief oral report could be used. As a public school teacher I would sometimes allow students themselves choose which form of evaluation they preferred...within reason, of course. I didn't always evaluate every student in a class in the same manner.
Depending on the subject-matter, the time available, the learning styles of each student, and physical limitations or opportunities within a school or room, there are many choices which might be considered.
