No Shortcuts

Over the last few weeks, it has been brought to my attention that taking any type of shortcut when creating assessments, will often generate more work.  This is no fault of the teachers.  Time is always an issue, teachers are given resources with test generators, text books with sample questions, etc. that can be used to assess the students.  BUT do those questions actually tell us what the students don't understand or the misconceptions that they might have about the topic?

I'm curious how this blog post will turn out.  Am I for or against multiple choice questions?

When I was in the classroom I frequently used a test generator to create multiple choice questions. There may have also been that time when I selected Ch. 1 questions without really reading every question.  It wasn't until test day or while grading the test that I discovered questions that should not have been added to the test.

Then there are the online assessment tools (Quia, Socrative, Flubaroo) that make it very easy to grade and print off data about each question.  These saved me so many hours of grading and data at that time was formative.  The question is, did I use this data to change my teaching?

Present day, what do I think of multiple choice questions?  A very carefully written multiple choice question could give you the feedback on what the student knows or doesn't know, but you will never get rid of the probability that a student guessed.  Without some type of work written down, you are unable to follow the thought process of the student.  Short answer or constructed response questions are going to give you the most bang for your buck.

Student feedback is vital and without good questions/assessments you won't get good feedback.  This feedback is needed to change how and what you teach in class.

I guess I am not totally against multiple choice questions.  When used in moderation, they can provide good feedback.  In order to know exactly what the student does or does not know, you have to see the student work.  You have to see what it is that they know or don't know.