Multiple Choice Questions
This page describes an implementation of an assessment method by a lecturer or group of lecturers. The content of the page is the result of an interview conducted through the RAFT project in DIT in the 2013-14 Academic Year.
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Lecturer and Contact Details
Programme and year on which assessment was offered
- BSc Computer Science, Year 1
Description
On-line multi-choice of 50 questions through Webcourses
Why did you use this Assessment?
Multiple-choice test is used, by me, to demonstrate student’s ability to reflect on a subject, and to demonstrate knowledge of the features and lexicon of the subject.
What have you found are the advantages of using this form of assessment?
- It is prescriptive
- It is equal
- Its marks are feedback to students
What have you found are the dis-advantages of using this form of assessment?
- It is open to plagiarism
- It is difficult to remove language ambiguities
- It is summative assessment
Alternatives
Short project or researched essay
Assessment in practice
- Suitability for large classes,
- Not suitable for group work
- Time-specific (i.e. timed in lab) so inflexible
Assessment Time
- Preparation time (lecturer) @ 20 hours
- Student time to complete 1 hour
- Marking time immediate (computerised)
- Ease of Feedback automatic scoring – instant feedback
Writing guidelines for staff
Questions must be unambiguous, grammatically correct and relevant to the subject.
Guidelines/Handouts for students
Students must be supplied with an extensive set of relevant notes at least one week ahead of the lab test (multiple choice).
Templates / Marking Grids / Rubrics
The design/implementation of the multi-choice creates a template of sorts. The rubrics are ‘one right response out of four’ – a recognition of correctness in four options.
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