1. Greg Miller Iowa State University
MCQs
Greg Miller
Iowa State University

2. Outcomes
Explain how MCQs can be used to promote and evaluate learning.
Apply principles for designing good multiple choice questions.
Analyze and evaluate multiple choice exams and multiple choice questions.

3. Activity 1 Write one good MCQ. Share with a peer.
Why do you think it is well constructed?
What does your peer think?
Make note of things you could do to improve the MCQ
Keep the MCQ and your notes. We will use them later.

4. Pretest

5. Evaluate learning Are students achieving intended outcomes?
Where do they stand relative to others?
How well are you teaching?
To promote learning.

6. Consider pre and post testing
What should be emphasized?
What not to teach?
Demonstrate growth as a result of instruction.
Reveal areas where instruction could be improved.

7. Remember...
Assessments should be aligned with course outcomes and also with what was actually taught.
What is actually taught depends a great deal on how it is taught.
It is not cheating to “teach to the assessment”.

8. Advantages Disadvantages Used for many purposes
Machine scoring is possible
Familiar to students
Time to develop
Poor distractors
Tendency to measure lower level outcomes
Not appropriate for all situations

11. Writing good MCQs Grammatical consistency Responses similar length
Four response choices
Randomly distribute correct answers
Avoid all/none of the above
Word stems positively or highlight negative words
Distractors should be plausible, familiar, not obviously incorrect.

12. Analyzing the test
Consider purpose: measure mastery or spread students out.
Is the test valid and reliable?
Is the overall mean and standard deviation acceptable?

13. Analyzing the items Item difficulty Item discrimination
Distractor analysis
Note: Evaluate the statistics in light of your assessment purpose. It is ultimately a judgement call about whether to delete or revise a question.

14. Item Analysis
Blackboard

15. Posttest

16. Activity 2 Have another look at the MCQ you wrote earlier.
Work with your partner to revise the MCQ.
Be prepared to share with everyone your original and revised MCQ. Explain how you changed it and why.

17. References
Newcomb, L. H., McCracken, J. D., Warmbrod, J. R., & Whittington, M. S. (2004). Methods of teaching agriculture Danville, IL: Interstate.
assesslearning-exams-item_analysis.pdf
Resource