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Learning and Assessing with Multiple Choice Questions in College Classrooms

Drew Bell

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Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are a ubiquitous assessment tool in college classrooms, used to test students' knowledge and understanding of course content. While MCQs can be an efficient and objective way to assess student learning, they can also be challenging to write, and their use can lead to unintended consequences.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to learning and assessing with MCQs in college classrooms. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of MCQs, how to write effective MCQs, and how to use them to promote student learning.

MCQs have several advantages over other assessment formats, including:

Learning and Assessing with Multiple-Choice Questions in College Classrooms

by Jay Parkes

5 out of 5

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Objectivity: MCQs are scored objectively, meaning that there is no room for bias or subjectivity on the part of the grader.
Efficiency: MCQs can be administered and scored quickly and easily, making them a time-efficient way to assess large numbers of students.
Reliability: MCQs are reliable, meaning that they yield consistent results when administered to different groups of students.
Validity: MCQs can be valid, meaning that they measure what they are intended to measure.

However, MCQs also have some disadvantages, including:

Limited scope: MCQs can only assess a limited range of knowledge and skills. They are not well-suited for assessing higher-Free Download thinking skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving.
Guessing: Students can guess the correct answer to an MCQ, even if they do not know the material. This can lead to artificially inflated scores.
Rote memorization: MCQs can encourage students to memorize facts and definitions without understanding the underlying concepts.

To write effective MCQs, it is important to follow these guidelines:

Start with a clear learning objective. What do you want students to learn from this MCQ?
Write the stem clearly and concisely. The stem is the question or statement that introduces the MCQ. It should be unambiguous and provide all the information students need to answer the question.
Use distractors that are plausible. The distractors are the incorrect answer choices. They should be plausible, but not so similar to the correct answer that students can easily eliminate them.
Make the correct answer unambiguous. The correct answer should be clearly and unambiguously stated.
Test for higher-Free Download thinking skills. While MCQs are often used to assess lower-Free Download thinking skills, it is possible to write MCQs that test for higher-Free Download thinking skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving.

MCQs can be used to promote student learning in a variety of ways, including:

As a pre-test: MCQs can be used as a pre-test to assess students' prior knowledge and identify areas where they need additional support.
As a formative assessment: MCQs can be used as a formative assessment to provide students with feedback on their progress and help them to identify areas where they need to improve.
As a summative assessment: MCQs can be used as a summative assessment to assess students' overall understanding of the course content.
As a review tool: MCQs can be used as a review tool to help students prepare for exams.

MCQs are a valuable assessment tool in college classrooms. However, it is important to use them wisely. By following the guidelines provided in this article, you can write effective MCQs that promote student learning and provide valuable feedback on student progress.

Learning and Assessing with Multiple-Choice Questions in College Classrooms

by Jay Parkes

5 out of 5