Using Multiple Choice items
Multiple-choice (MC) items are often used in the context of summative assessments. Summative assessments are sometimes referred to as assessments “of” learning. This means that the assessment is being used to determine what a student has learned as a result of instruction (or other learning experience). The counterpart to summative assessment is formative assessment. Formative assessments are sometimes referred to as assessments “for” learning. This means that the assessment is being used to gauge student learning with the intent of using the information to shape the next steps in the learning process.
Multiple-choice items can be used in a variety of ways. They can be used for both formative and summative assessments. Remember, though, that there are many different ways to assess students. It is important to align the type of assessment with the learning outcome that is being addressed. Assessments need to be authentic in order to effectively gauge a student’s understanding of a concept or proficiency at a skill; therefore, MC items should only be used when it is appropriate to do so.
If you decide that the use of MC items is the best way to go, here are some ideas for how you can use MC items formatively.
• Pretesting… An advantage of using MC items is that a broad range of topics can be addressed in a relatively efficient manner. This means that a preassessment based on MC items can provide an instructor with a quick glance at where students are at for a given set of concepts. Based on the results of the preassessment, the instructor can determine which concepts may or may not need more emphasis during instruction. In the spirit of formative assessment, the results of a preassessment can be used to help shape subsequent instruction based on the learning needs of the students.
• Exit slip… Before students leave the class for the day, have them take a brief quiz comprised of 2-5 MC questions that address the concepts learned that day. Quickly grade the quizzes to gauge if students generally understand the material. It is important that the MC items are constructed so that the incorrect answers address common misconceptions or errors associated with the concepts. This will allow the instructor to identify any obstacles that students are encountering and to prepare to address any misconceptions that are identified.
• You write the stem/question. Have the students write the foils/options… Writing MC items can be used as an instructional activity. Present the students with the question that you want them to answer. The students then need to come up with the correct answer/key as well as 3-4 incorrect answers/distractors. For the correct answer, have the students write a brief rationale explaining why it is correct. For each of the incorrect answers, have the students write rationales for why the answers are plausible but not correct.
• Reflection questions… After completing a brief MC quiz, return the quiz to the students with the correct answers marked. For each question that was answered incorrectly, have the students answer the following questions: “Why did I choose that the answer that I did?” and “Why is the correct answer right?”
• Scaffolding to other assessment types… By virtue of their structure, MC items provides students with a certain level of scaffolded support. The correct answer is provided somewhere in the item, and students need to demonstrate that they can identify the correct solution. MC items can be used formatively as tasks that can lead up to more complex demonstrations of understanding. Suppose, for example, that a learning outcome is for students to solve a two-step equation (e.g., 2x + 5 = 13). An MC item could be written as a formative assessment that students complete prior to completing a more open-ended assessment where they have to demonstrate the entire solving process without a set of potential answers to choose from.
Writing better Multiple Choice Questions
The key to choosing an assessment lies in making sure that it is properly and authentically aligned to the intended learning outcomes. If a multiple-choice test is appropriate, then an instructor should feel comfortable using that type of assessment. It is important, though, that the questions that comprise the assessment are well-written and effectively reflect a student’s understanding of the targeted concepts. Developing high-quality MC items is not easy, so here are some tips to keep in mind when writing MC items for an objective assessment.
The stem (i.e., the question part of the MC item) should:
• Be meaningful by itself and should present a definite problem.
• Contain only relevant material.
• Use clear, straightforward, and level-appropriate language.
• Contain most of the information in the item.
• Be negatively stated only when the learning outcome requires it.
The foils (i.e., the options from which the correct answer is selected) should:
• Be plausible.
• Be stated clearly and concisely.
• Be mutually exclusive.
• Be homogeneous in content.
• Limit the use of “all of the above” or “none of the above.”
• Be presented in a logical order (e.g., alphabetical, numerical, chronological).
• Be free from unintended clues/cues about which response is correct.
• Have grammar that is consistent with the stem.
• Be parallel in form.
• Be similar in length.
• Use similar language.
When writing MC items, the following general ideas should be considered:
• Be consistent in the number of foils that are used in an assessment.
• Be consistent with stylistic choices (e.g., capitalization, spacing, punctuation, labeling).
• Within an assessment, keep the content of the items independent of one another.
• Make sure that there is one and only one key (i.e., correct answer).
• Limit the use of absolute terms (e.g., always, never, all).
• Limit of the use of vague terms (e.g., usually, sometimes).
• Make sure an item is testing a single concept.
• Vary the position of the key (i.e., the correct answer).
As the lists of tips above suggest, there are many things to consider when developing MC items that accurately assess a student’s understanding of a concept. Writing good MC items can be challenging, and it takes time, patience, and practice to develop one’s skill at writing effective items. Hopefully, the suggestions above provide some guidance when it comes to developing MC items. And for some additional ideas about how to use MC items in different ways, be sure to check out a previous Instructional Design Corner post (Using Multiple-Choice Items for Formative Assessment).