Tips on Assessments

TIPS: Matching questions:

 Effective way to test students recognition of the relationships between words and definitions,
events and dates, categories and examples
 Place “items” in order: alphabetical, chronological, or conceptual; limit to 2-5 items per column;
longer items require students to spend too much time searching for responses

TIPS: Multiple-choice questions:

 Can be used to measure both simple and complex concepts

 Should include no more than 5 choices (a, b, c, d, e)
 Student should be advised to select the “best” answer rather than the “correct answer” to avoid
arguments

TIPS: Oral reports/exams:

 Consumes a large amount of time

 Can be difficult to score
 Student should receive questions in advance

TIPS: Portfolio:

 Is a selection of coursework that a student assembles in order to illustrate growth and

accomplishment over the term
 Might include one or more papers (drafts, revisions, journal entries, essay exams)
 Electronic portfolios are becoming common

TIPS: Problem-based learning:

 Students learn about the topic through real-world situations/problems

 Helps students develop “flexible knowledge”; develops application skills
 Students may work in groups or individually

Adapted from Tools for Teaching (Davis, 2009) 1|

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 Tips on Assessments (Continued)

TIPS: Role play:

 Students are given a situation and a cast of characters, they improvise dialogue and actions
 Scenarios should be compelling issue or problem that can only be solved through negotiation or
analysis and action
 Help student prepare by reading assignments, data and other materials

TIPS: Short answer and essay questions:

 Calls for 1-2 sentences or a long paragraph

 Easier to write than multiple choice test, but longer to grade
 Appropriate for assessing reasoning and thinking skills such as: analyzing, applying, comparing,
designing, evaluating, inferring, justifying
 Use a scoring guide or rubric to grade

TIPS: Simulations:

 Ask students to demonstrate proficiency in reacting to simulated situations/problem situations

 Can be administered individually or in groups
 Can be difficult to set-up; hard to score
 Assess higher order thinking skills
 Include a self-assessment

TIPS: True-false questions:

 Guessing will produce the correct answer ½ the time – generally scores are high
 Can add an “explain” column for students to justify their response

Adapted from Tools for Teaching (Davis, 2009) 2|

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