Background: Within undergraduate science courses, instructors often assess student thinking using closed-ended question formats, such as multiple-choice (MC) and multiple-true-false (MTF), where students provide answers with respect to predetermined response options. While MC and MTF questions both consist of a question stem followed by a series…

Writing multiple-choice test items to measure student learning in higher education is a challenge. Based on extensive scholarly research and experience, the author describes various item formats, offers guidelines for creating these items, and provides many examples of both good and bad test items. He also suggests some shortcuts for developing…

Assessment instruments designed to measure student conceptual understanding and skills proficiency related to biochemistry are important to transform undergraduate biochemistry education. The purpose of this study was to develop an assessment instrument to measure student understanding of protein structure and enzyme inhibition in a new context,…

Measuring students' conceptual understandings has become increasingly important to biology faculty members involved in evaluating and improving departmental programs. We developed the Molecular Biology Capstone Assessment (MBCA) to gauge comprehension of fundamental concepts in molecular and cell biology and the ability to apply these concepts in…

Does correctly answering a test question about a multiterm fact enhance memory for the entire fact? We explored that issue in 4 experiments. Subjects first studied Advanced Placement History or Biology facts. Half of those facts were then restudied, whereas the remainder were tested using "5 W" (i.e., "who, what, when, where",…

The Science Learning Assessment (SLA) is an individually administered, instructionally sensitive science assessment for kindergarten students. The SLA is a 24-item objective test, broken down into two subtests. The Scientific Inquiry Processes subtest consists of 9 items designed to measure young children's functional understanding of the nature…

An experimental study of 170 undergraduate biology students at a suburban community college revealed that the final evaluation of these students was based more heavily on verbal and written aspects of biology than on practical application of concepts. (IAH)

Two different types of examinations are discussed and compared using correlation coefiicients obtained between the examinations and tests of intelligence and verbal reasoning. (DF)

Two problems are investigated: (1) the fact that statistics from pretests sometimes vary widely from those for the actual test; (2) whether or not a correction factor should be applied for guessing. (DF)

THIS STUDY PROVIDES A PORTFOLIO OF SEVERAL THOUSAND FIELD-TESTED MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST ITEMS COORDINATED WITH THE CHAPTERS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES CURRICULUM STUDY (BSCS) YELLOW VERSION TEXTBOOK. THE ITEMS WERE DEVELOPED BY A TEAM OF HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY TEACHERS AND WERE EVALUATED UNDER CLASSROOM CONDITIONS WITH GRADE 10 STUDENTS. A…

This concise guide to objective testing, prepared by the Centre for Studies in Science Education at the University of Leeds, is intended as a manual for those science teachers who wish to understand the scope and limitations of objective questions and to construct satisfactory test items for their own use. The first section discusses the nature of…

This study focused on developing group test items which measure the science process skills, "Formulating Hypotheses" and "Defining Operationally". Thirty-six multiple choice questions were developed by using behavioral objectives of "Science - A Process Approach" materials. A group of 56 students who had used these…

Chemistry 30 is a 12th-grade science course for students in Alberta, Canada. This document is the final test for the course. Intended for administration during January 1988, it contains 56 multiple-choice questions and three written-response questions. Two-and-one-half hours are allowed for completing the test. No answer key is included since…

Physics 30 is a 12th-grade science course for students in Alberta, Canada. This document is the major examination for the course. Both English and French versions are provided. Intended for administration during January 1988, it contains 56 multiple-choice questions and three written-response questions. Two-and-one-half hours are allowed for…