Multiple Choice Exams: An Alternative Structure

Unfortunately, various analyses of multiple-choice test questions have revealed that many of them do not test higher-order thinking abilities. Questions that test higher-order thinking abilities are difficult and time-consuming to write. But for many teachers, those teaching multiple courses and those teaching large sections, multiple-choice tests are really the only viable option, or at least that's what most faculty think. Here's an intriguing option that still retains the efficiency of machine-scoring but does involve more student thinking and cleverly motivates them to do this additional mental work.

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
From an early age, I was immersed in the Muslim tradition that taught me to learn from every...
Lately, social media videos have been flooded with discourse and arguments as to what constitutes a man and...
One of the biggest problems with homework is that students who make a mistake or get stuck have...
A childhood friend of mine passed away a few years ago. We worked on the high school yearbook...
Since I began teaching 15 years ago, I’ve noticed more and more students self-disclose aspects of their mental...
Rubrics have been indispensable in education for providing clarity on performance expectations, consistency in grading, and detailed feedback...

Are you signed up for free weekly Teaching Professor updates?

You'll get notified of the newest articles.