TEST WRITING STRATEGIES Opportunities to Improve Our Educational

TEST WRITING STRATEGIES Opportunities to Improve Our Educational Approach http://www2.palomar.edu/pages/testwritingstrategies Many of us have

no formal training in designing assessments. What is a good exam? An accurate measure of student

achievement of instructional objectives. Problems Too many questions or too few Too little feedback

Ambiguous or unclear questions Not offering a variety of test item formats Features Assesses mastery of topic Provides feedback on

teaching Items vary in difficulty level Questions are not easily answered without proper studying General Design Tips Not too long or too short

Clear, concise instructions Use a variety of item types Check for accuracy; proofread Avoid answer dependency Use humor! In the Beginning

What should the students get from the chapters and sections? What are the big picture goals? What are common mistakes Technical Quality

conformance to requirements fitness for use Quality Criteria

Cognitive complexity Content quality Meaningfulness

Language appropriateness Transfer & generalizability Reliability Fairness Fairness Rules Questions reflect course objectives

Expectations are clearly known Each item presents a clear task Ample time is allowed for completion Looking Closer

Blooms Taxonomy Recall of information Interpretation Grasping meaning

Application of methods, theories, and concepts to new situations Identification of patterns Recognition of

components and their Make judgments Assess value of ideas, theories Compare & discriminate between ideas

Generalize Use old ideas to create new Organize & relate The Value of Blooms http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/articles/bloom0405-3/bloo

mpix.html Level 1. Remembering When was this picture taken? Where was this picture taken? Question cues: List, define, tell, label

Level 2. Understanding What is happening in this picture? Why are these boys dressed like this? Question cues: Describe, Level 3. Applying

How would you describe the photograph to others? What caption would you write for this photograph (say, in a newspaper)? Question cues: Modify, solve, change, explain

Level 4. Analyzing Why are these boys here and not in school? What do you know about their lives based on this photo? Question cues: Analyze, separate, compare, contrast

Level 5. Evaluating What is the significance of this photo for the time period depicted? Compare this photo with one of three boys from today of the same age. How

are their lives similar? How are they different? Question cues: Give opinion, criticize, Level 6. Creating What might these boys say about their work in an

interview setting? What might they say about their future? Question cues: Create, construct, plan, role-play The photograph "Coal Breaker Boys" was taken in Kingston, Pennsylvania, between 1890 and 1910. It is available in the American Memory Collection

Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from t he Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920 , from the Library of Congress. Using Blooms Verb lists Question frames

Verb Lists Verb Lists Science Math Example Items

Remembering: Name the act that began the Civil War. Understanding: Explain Brutus motivation for participating in Caesars

Example Items Applying: Use the Addition Method to solve this linear system. Analyzing: Draw a Venn Diagram

illustrating the following argument. Example Items Evaluating: Decide if this argument is valid and provide your

reasons. Creating: Propose a solution to the traffic Question Frames Using Question

Frames Can you list three -- types of polygons? -- steps of cellular reproduction? What facts or ideas show -- the likely diagnosis? -- the protagonists

mindset? Using Question Frames What approach would you use to

-- identify the mammals skull? -- change the mood of the music? Can you make a distinction Using Question Frames

How would you select -- the bandaging method for a wound? -- the lighting for a scene? What is the importance of -- the antagonists

Even More Value Creates a culture of learning: Encourages deep thinking Models higher level thought processes Appreciates cognitive

challenges Shows students depth of Knowledge Domains Factual knowledge Conceptual knowledge Procedural knowledge Metacognitive knowledge

Give It a Try Factual knowledge Conceptual knowledge Procedural knowledge Metacognitive

Timer Quick Summary Write an accurate measure Consider good test design Know your testing goals Consider technical quality

Use Blooms Taxonomy Use verb lists, question frames This slide show is available on the blog. As are my notes for each slide.

The next direction for the blog is to study features of specific test item types. Thank You! Talk prepared by Tracy

Johnston as part of the STEM 1 grant of Palomar College August 2015 http://www2.palomar.edu/pages/testwritingstra tegies