make better objective tests

5 Ways to…

Make Better Objective Tests

Bill Cerbin

“Take Five: Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning” - January 19, 2010Hosted by the UW-L Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning – website: http://www.uwlax.edu/catl

Tip 1 – Create a Test Plan

A Test Plan keeps track of –number of items– content or topic of item– learning objective of item

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“Take Five: Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning” - January 19, 2010Hosted by the UW-L Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning – website: http://www.uwlax.edu/catl

Test Plan ExampleTest Plan

Subject Matterconcepts,

topics, ideas

Learning ObjectivesKnowledge

(recall)Analyze Apply Interpret Total

Topic A

Topic B

Topic C

Topic D

Why bother?

A test plan can help you– match what you test to what you

taught (content validity)– use items appropriate for learning

objectives– prevent over- or under-representing

topics

Tip 2 – Write Items After Class

Write items while the class period isstill fresh

Write matching pairs of items—two that test the same thing. Use one for the test and one for review or practice

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“Take Five: Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning” - January 19, 2010Hosted by the UW-L Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning – website: http://www.uwlax.edu/catl

Tip 3 – Ten Rules for Writing Good Test Items

STEM of the question 1. Short, sharply focused 2. A complete, direct question or a

statement that needs to be completed

3. Avoid negative construction, i.e., which one is not . . .

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“Take Five: Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning” - January 19, 2010Hosted by the UW-L Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning – website: http://www.uwlax.edu/catl

More Rules for Writing Good Test Items

RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES 4. Should be brief5. Grammatically parallel and consistent with

the stem6. Roughly equal in length7. Avoid no-exception words—all, none,

always, never8. Avoid all of or none of the above9. Vary the number of response alternatives

as appropriate10. Vary the position of the best answer

Tip 4 – Test Complex Learning Objectives

Items that test complex learning– Prediction– Identify a principle or theory– Assertion-reason– You-are-the-teacher– ConcepTests– Multiple choice + short written

justification

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“Take Five: Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning” - January 19, 2010Hosted by the UW-L Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning – website: http://www.uwlax.edu/catl

Prediction

Identify Principle or Theory

Assertion-Reason

You are the teacher

ConcepTests

Tip 5 – Use Feedback to Improve Test Items

Use feedback from– Fellow instructors– Students—review test results with

students and look for patterns of confusion or complaints

– Item Analysis– Item difficulty – Item discrimination

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“Take Five: Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning” - January 19, 2010Hosted by the UW-L Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning – website: http://www.uwlax.edu/catl

Summary/Questions

Summary1. Write a Test Plan2. Write matching items after class3. Follow rules for writing good items4. Use items that measure complex learning5. Use feedback from colleagues, students

and item analysis

Questions—anyone, anyone?

“Take Five: Strategies to Improve Teaching and Learning” - January 19, 2010Hosted by the UW-L Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning – website: http://www.uwlax.edu/catl

Contact information

Bill CerbinDirector CATLcerbin.will@uwlax.edu 785-6881184 Wing

Resources

Workshop opportunities: Contact Bill Cerbin, if you want to schedule a presentation or working session about writing better objective tests (e.g., for a department, program, or a few interested instructors)

Writing Better Objective Tests, Bill Cerbin. Handouts from campus workshop http://catl.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/writing-better-objectives-tests.html

Revised Test Scoring Display and Item Analysis. This handout describes the item analysis available when you have your tests scored by UW-L IT. Ask for it at the IT Support Center 103 Wing.

How to Prepare Better Multiple-Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty Steven J. Burton, et al. Helpful guide that covers a lot of multiple choice test issues. http://testing.byu.edu/info/handbooks/betteritems.pdf

National Board of Medical Examiners Test Writer’s Manual http://www.nbme.org/publications/item-writing-manual-download.html This one is for fun—to boggle your mind.

ReferencesSlavin, R. E. (2000). Educational psychology:

Theory and practice, 6th edition. Allyn and Bacon: Boston, MA.

Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for teaching, 2nd edition. Jossey Bass Publisher: San Francisco.

Stiggins, R. J. (1994). Student-Centered Classroom Assessment. Macmillan Publisher: NY.

Wiggins, G. (1998). Understanding by design. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: Alexandria, VA.

Revised Test Scoring Display and Item Analysis. Available from UW-La Crosse IT Support Center.