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This guide provides valuable tips for designing effective exams to measure student learning at the University of Georgia. It emphasizes the importance of understanding learning, measurement, and evaluation. Key strategies include ensuring validity and reliability in assessments, crafting plausible multiple-choice options, using diverse measurement methods, and providing clear guidance on essay exams. Additional advice covers the significance of timely feedback and collaboration with colleagues to enhance the quality of exams. Incorporate these practices to foster a better learning environment and evaluate student performance accurately.
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Building Exams Dennis Duncan University of Georgia
Tips for Measuring Learning • Learning – the ability to comprehend and retain subject matter. • Measurement – determine a student’s learning abilities. • Evaluation – Critique a student’s performance. Grade students on: 1. growth; 2. effort; 3. aptitude; and 4. compare to others.
Tips for Creating Exams • Validity (content & cognitive levels) – may ask colleagues to review exam questions before administering exam • Reliability – looking for consistency – often related to the length of the test • The longer the test - less chance for error
Factors to Consider when Designing Multiple Choice Exams • Every choice must be plausible – don’t give bad choices • Don’t use “none of the above” students can guess and get the correct answer • Don’t use “all of the above” – has flaws
Using Multiple Measures • Group like items and questions • True/False not recommended – students have a 50% chance of getting correct answer • Always create questions based on course objectives and prescribed learning outcomes
Additional Tips • Review your instructional objectives before and after writing each test • Consider handing out a study guide a week before each test. Make it thorough • Announce point values for each item • Have a colleague or graduate student read (or work through) the test. Revise again if necessary
Additional Tips • Consider using a short paragraph, charts or graphs followed by a series of questions • Return graded tests promptly to maximize learning • Consider a time limit for requesting re-grading ( e.g., one week)
Designing Essay Exams • Discuss types of questions and show sample answers • Announce how spelling, grammar, and handwriting will affect essay grades • Only try to test one or two objectives per item
Designing Essay Exams • Reserve essay questions for Blooms application level or higher • Have a colleague read each question for clarity • Indicate on test the point value and an appropriate response length or time • Allow students three times longer to answer a question than it takes you to answer it
Grading Essay Exams • Outline a model answer with point values • Keep student identities anonymous • Score all Question 1’s, then all Question 2 's, etc. • Shuffle papers between grading of different questions • Provide written feedback and/or model answers
References • R M. Felder & R Brent, National Effective Teaching Institute, 2000‘ • http://www.unc.edu/depts/ctl/fyc.html