EFFECTIVE ITEM WRITING

Item Writing RetreatOrlando Florida

January 2012

Steps for Item Development1. Test Design2. Item Specifications3. Item Writing4. Item Review

Steps for Item Development1. Test Design

• Creates a design for what an effective end-of-course exam would look like for the selected course

• Determines which benchmarks are evaluated at what cognitive complexity level

2. Item SpecificationsSteps for Item Development

Writing Test Item Specifications: A Template

Step 1: Narrative & Depth of Knowledge

Narrative

Subject Area

Grade Level

Strand

Standard

Benchmark

Depth of Knowledge

Cognitive Complexity Level

Step 2: Assessment Item Type

Objective Item/ Multiple-choice

Performance Item

Step 3: Item Contexts, Content Limits, Key Vocabulary, & Prior Skills

Item Context

Content Limits

Key Vocabulary

Prior Skills

Step 4: Essential Questions

Question 1

Question 2

• Creates an outline to construct items to effectively measure the intended content

Steps for Item Development3. Item Writing

• Uses the course description and item specifications document to create items

• Items written to cognitive complexity levels that the benchmark warrants

Steps for Item Development4. Item Review

• Reviews to look for bias, grammar, punctuation• Pilot testing to determine validity and reliability

Item Types

Multiple-choiceWhat is the capital of Florida?

A. Miami

C. OrlandoD. Jacksonville

This is considered the ‘STEM’

B. Tallahassee

Incorrect answers are called ‘DISTRACTORS’

What is the capital of Florida?

Item Types

Multiple-choice

The advantage is that, with careful construction, this type can be used to measure knowledge at most levels.

The disadvantage is that it's hard to write good distracters for levels beyond factual recall.

Item TypesTrue/False

The border between the U.S. and Canada is longer than the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

A. True B. False

Item TypesTrue/False

The advantage is that, it's the most efficient way to measure a lot of content in a short period of test time.

The disadvantages are that it's hard to measure higher-level knowledge areas, and guessing (50% chance of being right).

Item TypesMultiple Select

What colors are in the American flag? Mark all that are correct.

__ Red __ Green __ White __ Blue __ Black

Item TypesMultiple Select

The advantage is that, it is an efficient way of measuring a set of facts or concepts that cluster together.

The disadvantage is that, this is suitable only for certain knowledge areas.

Item TypesMatching

For each concept on the left, select the word from the list on the right that best matches it.

__Test predicts future performance

__Test appears a reasonable measure __Re-test scores are very similar

__Low standard error

A. Face validityB. ReliabilityC. AccuracyD. ValidityE. Consistency

Item TypesMatching

The advantage is, that it allows the comparison of related ideas or concepts.

The disadvantages are that it's not suitable for measuring isolated facts and information, and scoring can be complex.

Item TypesRanking

Put the following steps in the correct order a test author should take in writing a new test.

__ Prepare test blueprint __ Determine test objectives __ Draft test items __ Evaluate items against criteria __ Perform item analysis __ Check with subject matter experts __ Select item types to be used __ Pilot the test and modify as needed

Item TypesRanking

The advantage is, that this is perfect when knowing the correct order is important.

The disadvantages are, that it's not suitable for anything else, and scoring can be complex.

Item TypesFill in the blank

The first President of the United States was ___________________.

Item TypesFill in the blank

This type has little advantage over well-written multiple-choice items..

The disadvantages are that scoring can be difficult (and sometimes subjective).

Effective Item ChecklistTrying to measure more than one thing with a single item is a mistake commonly made by new test authors.

Importance is sometimes confused with item difficulty. Something could be extremely important, but if 100% of the test takers always get the item right, it's probably trivial and should be eliminated.

The easiest way to tell if the stem is a complete thought is to cover up the response options and see if you know what you're supposed to do.

Effective Item ChecklistWrite each item as concisely as you can.

As you ensure that all response options are grammatically correct with respect to the stem, try to avoid the "a(n)," "is/are" solution. Rewrite the item so you can measure the knowledge or skill without getting hung up on the grammar.

Writing plausible distracters is both an art and a science, and it's very hard work.

Effective Item Checklist

Response options that aren't independent

a) <10 b) <20c) >40d) >50

The average combined score in the NFL playoff games in 2010 was:

Do’s and Do not'sThings to do:

• Ensure that there is only one true and defensible answer

• Ask peers for help

• Get clarification if you have questions

Do’s and Do not'sThings to avoid:

• Avoid Jargon and Textbook Language• Clichés • Common Misinformation • Logical Misinterpretations • Copy questions from a textbook• Partial Answers • “None of These” • “None of the Above” • “All of these” • “All of the Above”

Moderate Cognitive Complexity

Low Cognitive Complexity

Webb’s 3 Tier Cognitive Complexity

Webb’s 3 Tier Cognitive Complexity

Low Cognitive Complexity:

• One-step problem or basic facts

• Recall and basic comprehension, identify, label, define

Webb’s 3 Tier Cognitive ComplexityModerate Cognitive Complexity:

• Integrate and analyze

• Classify, analyze, explain, synthesize, implement

Webb’s 3 Tier Cognitive ComplexityHigh Cognitive Complexity:

• Analyze and represent knowledge in new and innovative ways

• Create, represent, rearticulate, argue, extend, - content knowledge

Webb’s 3 Tier Cognitive Complexity• DOK level should reflect the level of work

most commonly required to perform

• DOK level should reflect complexity of the cognitive processes

• DOK level describes the kind of thinking required by a task, not whether or not the task is “difficult”

• If there is a question between two levels select the higher of the levels

Examples of items

A test which may be scored merely by counting the correct responses is an _______________ test.

Locate and delete irrelevant clues

a) consistent b) objective c) stable d) standardized e) valid

The item could be rewritten.

A test which may be scored by counting the correct responses is said to be ____________

Examples of items

a) possible lack of fuel for industry. b) possibility of widespread

unemployment. c) threat to our environment from

pollution. d) possible increase in inflation. e) cost of developing alternate sources of

energy.

Include one correct or most defensible answer

The most serious aspect of the energy crisis is the According to the National Energy Council, the most serious aspect of the energy crisis is the

Examples of items

Multiple-choice items

a) may have several correct answers.

b) consists of a stem and some options.

c) always measure factual details.

The item should be revised

The components of a multiple-choice item are: a) stem and several foils. b) correct answer and several

foils. c) stem, a correct answer, and

some foils. d) stem and a correct answer.

Examples of items

Options should be presented in a logical and systematic order

What type of validity is determined by correlating scores on a test with scores on a criterion measured at a later date?

a) Concurrent b) Construct c) Content d) Predictive

Examples of items

Options should be grammatically parallel and consistent with the stem

A test which can be scored by a clerk untrained in the content area of the test is an

a) diagnostic test. b) criterion-referenced tests. c) objective test. d) reliable test. e) subjective test.

Examples of items

Options should be mutually exclusive

a) Less than 10b) Less than 20c) More than 80d) More than 90

What should be the index of difficulty for an effective mastery-model test item?What should be the index of difficulty for an effective mastery-model test item?

a) Approximately 10b) Approximately 20c) Approximately 80d) Approximately 90

Examples of items

Insure that correct responses are not consistently shorter or longer than the foils.

A random sample is one in which

a) subjects are selected by levels.b) each subject has an equal probability of being

chosen for the sample.c) every nth subject is chosen.d) groups are the unit of analysis.

a) subjects are selected by levels in proportion to the number at each level in the population.

b) each subject has an equal probability of being chosen.

c) every nth subject is chosen from a list.d) groups, rather than individuals, are the

unit of analysis.

Examples of items

Use negatively stated items infrequently

Which of the following is NOT a method of determining test reliability?

a) Coefficient of equivalence b) Coefficient of stability c) K-R #20 d) Split-halves procedure e) Test-criterion intercorrelation

Which of the following is a method of determining the validity of a test?

a) Coefficient of equivalence b) Coefficient of stability c) K-R #20 d) Split-halves procedure e) Test-criterion correlation

Examples of itemsThe quality of a test which indicates how consistently the test measures is called

a) objectivity. b) reliability. c) subjectivity. d) validity.

Easiest

Alter item difficulty by making options more alike or less alike in meaning

Examples of items

Alter item difficulty by making options more alike or less alike in meaning

The least expensive way to determine the reliability of a test is the

a) Kuder-Richardson procedure. b) test-retest procedure. c) parallel forms procedure. d) parallel forms over time procedure.

Harder

Examples of items

Alter Item Difficulty by Making Options More Alike or Less Alike in Meaning

Which of the following procedures provides the most stable estimate of equivalence?

a) K-R #20 b) K-R #21 c) Odd-even split-halves d) Randomized split-halves

Hardest

ValidityA test is valid when it:

• produces consistent scores over time

• correlates well with a parallel form

• measures what it purports to measure

• can be objectively scored

• has representative norms

Online training modules

http://www.coedu.usf.edu/ychen/hc-htm.htm

EFFECTIVE ITEM WRITING