Formats
I believe each Professor/teacher/instructor is different in that they have their preferred way to test but at the same time may not have their option. Their institute may have a standard. Here where I work, I've seen all types of ways to test to include a system where the test is put up on a screen and each student answers the question from their seat like playing the game jeopardy. I believe a combination of true/false and multiple choice are significant but as you climb the ranks in education/college they should turn inturn essay type questions.
Hi Rick, Thanks for your post to the forum. Good strategies for assessment! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I think this depends on the type of class this is. I teach IT courses and very few of them that I do would really benefit from essay questions. For example, for a 200-level course on MS Excel, writing an essay isn't, in my opinion, very valuable. Now if I go with Skill Application and multiple-choice, students are being evaluated on their ability to use the tool as well as their knowledge of it.
If the class is about assimilating information, then yes, an essay is viable, but I also would look at whether the students have advanced to that level of knowledge yet. They may need factual assessments before going to the assimilative.
Cheers,
-R
