To whom it may concern – Multi Choice Exams don’t work!
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To whom it may concern,
During my last semester, I was faced with an increasing number of multiple-choice tests.
I have had at most one multi-choice question exam each semester since my first year at Shankar College (and some semesters not even one).
The last semester was the first semester of my third year at Shenkar. Three of my exams had multiple-choice questions, and one had fill-in-the-blank questions (that is, the answer was only a number, without any indication of how you solved it).
Four out of seven exams were multiple choice!
So let’s look at their pros- and cons when it comes to Multi-Choice exams:
(The following reasons are part of a research I read about online.)
Pros:
- Scoring is quick and easy, especially if a machine is involved.
- Easy creation of multiple versions. Plus, there’s the potential to grow the collection of questions every time the course is taught.
- Simple statistics. Allow item analysis to reveal how well a question discriminates between those who know the material and those who don’t.
- Can be graded objectively without rater bias.
- Allow for inclusion of a broad range of topics on a single exam thereby effectively testing the breadth of a student’s knowledge
Cons:
- On too many multiple-choice tests, the questions do nothing more than assess whether students have memorized certain facts and details.
- A careful reading of some questions can reveal the right answer, and test-savvy students will use this to their advantage. It might be the grammatical structure that only fits one answer option or the longer length of the correct response. What happens here is that the questions end up testing literary skills rather than content knowledge.
- With lucky guesses, students get credit for correct answers. It looks like they know something they don’t know.
- Calculation mistakes can ruin a student’s chances of scoring well if they make a single error in typing on the calculator.
What conclusion can be drawn from these pros and cons?
The multi-choice exams make the lecturers’ lives easier, they make the exams easier to write and to check, and even the students have little room to appeal.
What about the students?
It does not give them a chance to show knowledge, leaves no room for error.
You may lose all your points if you make a small mistake in the mathematical test.
In non-mathematical courses, you have no way to demonstrate your knowledge -how you understand the material you’ve learned.
Thus, from my perspective, with so many multiple-choice exams,
It teaches us, the students, that what’s important in life is not what we do to achieve our goals, but what we achieve in the end.
Is it really what matters most in life? Does hard work no longer matter?
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter,
Moreover, I would appreciate it if you would consider what I wrote about abs to see if this is what an institute that teaches future engineers wants to achieve.
Thanks again,
Hila
Published: Mar 8, 2022
Latest Revision: Mar 8, 2022
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צודקת בכל מילה!!
i feel you
You’re absolutely right! We need to send this letter to Shenkar
We are with you!
lets make a revolution in this mediocre collage
Well written. I’m with you!!
You made an interesting point…