Overheads for Unit 5--Chapter 8 (Multiple Choice)
Multiple Choice: Format and Uses
- Direct question
- Or incomplete statement
- Correct or best answer
- Distracters (foils, decoys)
- Knowledge outcomes
- Methods and procedures
- Understanding and application
- Identify application of facts/principles
- Interpret cause-effect relations
- Justify methods and procedures
Multiple Choice: Advantages and Limitations
- Learning outcomes from simple to moderately complex can be
- Highly structured and clear tasks are provided
- Broad sample of achievement can be measured
- Relatively free from response sets
- Incorrect alternatives provide diagnostic information
- Scoring is easy, objective, and reliable
- Compared to short-answer, less likely to be vague and ambiguous
- Compared to true-false, more reliable
- Compared to matching, requires less homogeneous material
Multiple Choice: Advantages and Limitations
- Time consuming to construct good items (but higher quality for time spent)
- Often difficult to find plausible distracters
- Ineffective for measuring some types of problem solving, ability to
organize and express ideas (because require selection, not
- Abstracted from factors in natural settings
- Scores can be influenced by reading ability
Multiple Choice: General Suggestions for Constructing Them
- Clearly stated problem
- Plausible distracters
- No clues
For the stem:
- Present a single clearly formulated problem.
- Use simple, clear language and no irrelevant material.
- Put as much of the wording of the item as possible in its stem.
- State in positive form, whenever possible.
- Highlight any negative wording.
For the alternatives:
- All are parallel and grammatically consistent with the
- Intended answer is correct or clearly best.
- Avoid verbal clues (e.g., verbal associations).
- Keep relative length from becoming a clue.
- Distracters are plausible and attractive to the uninformed.
- Minimize or avoid use of "none of the above" and "all of the above."
- Vary position of correct answer in a random order.
- Understanding items must have some, but not too much,
- Donít use multiple choice when other item types more appropriate.
Ideas for Good Distracters
- Draw from studentsí most common errors
- Use important sounding words (sometimes)
- Include verbal associations with the stem
- Use textbook language
- Think of the most likely misunderstandings
- Keep alternatives parallel in form and grammatically consistent with the stem
- Keep alternatives homogeneous in content
- Keep alternatives similar in length, vocabulary, complexity, structure
Multiple Choice Items: Do you know when to use them?
When are multiple choice items more appropriate or less appropriate than the following item types?
- Short answer
- Performance-based tasks
Illustrative Stems for Multiple Choice Knowledge Items
(Source: Gronlund, 1998, Assessment of Student
- Knowledge of terminology
Knowledge of specific facts
- What word means the same as __________?
- Which statement best defines the term_________?
- In this sentence, what is the meaning of the word________?
Knowledge of conventions
- Where would you find ________?
- Who first discovered ________?
- What is the name of ________?
Knowledge of trends and sequences
- What is the correct form for ________?
- Which statement indicates correct usage of ________?
- Which of the following rules applies to ________?
Knowledge of classifications and categories
- Which of the following best describes the trend of ________?
- What is the most important cause of ________?
- Which of the following indicates the proper order of ________?
Knowledge of criteria
- What are the main types of ________?
- What are the major classifications of ________?
- What are the characteristics of ________?
Knowledge of methodology
- Which of the following is a criterion for judging ________?
- What is the most important criterion for selecting ________?
- What criteria are used to classify ________?
Knowledge of principles and generalizations
- What method is used for ________?
- What is the best way to ________?
- What would be the first step in making ________?
Knowledge of theories and structures
- Which statement best expresses the principle of ________?
- Which statement best summarizes the belief that ________?
- Which of the following principles best explains ________?
- Which statement is most consistent with the theory of ________?
- Which of the following best describes the structure of ________?
- What evidence best supports the theory of ________?
Illustrative Stems for Multiple Choice Comprehension and
(Source: Gronlund, 1998, Assessment of Student Achievement, p.
- Which of the following is an example of ________?
- What is the main thought expressed by ________?
- What are the main differences between ________?
- What are the common characteristics of ________?
- Which of the following is another form of ________?
- Which of the following best explains ________?
- Which of the following best summarizes ________?
- Which of the following best illustrates ________?
- What do you predict would happen if ________?
- What trend do you predict in ________?
- Which of the following methods is best for ________?
- What steps should be followed in applying ________?
- Which situation would require the use of ________?
- Which principle would be best for solving ________?
- What procedure is best for improving ________?
- What procedure is best for constructing ________?
- What procedure is best for correcting ________?
- Which of the following is the best plan for ________?
- Which of the following provides the proper sequence for ________?
- What is the most probable effect of ________?