Assessment in a problem-based learning course: Twelve tips for constructing multiple choice questions that test students' cognitive skills

This article describes the results of Action Research conducted in an ESP classroom of Dhofar University located in Oman. Following the call of Oman Vision 2040 to emphasize educational practices that promote the development of higher-order cognitive processes, this study raises the following question: Can an online multiple choice question (MCQ) quiz tap into the higher-order cognitive skills of apply, analyze and evaluate? This question was also critical at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic when Omani universities switched to the online learning mode. The researchers administered an online MCQ quiz to 35 undergraduate students enrolled in an ESP course for Engineering and Sciences. The results showed that MCQ quizzes could be developed to tap into higher-order thinking skills when the stem of the MSQ is developed as a task or a scenario. The study also revealed that students performed better on MCQs that tap into low-level cognitive skills. This result can be attributed to the prevalent practice in Oman to develop assessment tools that tap only into a level of Bloom’s taxonomy, which involves the cognitive process of retrieving memorized information. The significance of the study lies in its pedagogical applications. The study calls for the use of teaching and assessment practices that target the development of higher-order thinking skills, which is aligned with the country’s strategic direction reflected in Oman vision 2040.

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TEACHING METHODOLOGIES;

The Professional Medical Journal ◽

10.29309/tpmj/2012.19.05.2325 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 19 (05) ◽

pp. 597-603

Author(s):

Fatima MUKHTAR ◽

NOREEN HASHMI ◽

MUHAMMAD ALI RAUF ◽

Amna Anzar ◽

Khurram Islam Butt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Teaching Methods ◽

Teaching Method ◽

Traditional Approach ◽

Multiple Choice ◽

Problem Based Learning ◽

Good Teacher ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Skills Laboratory

Objective: To determine preferences of medical students for modes of teaching, qualities of a good teacher and assessmenttechniques in medical education. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting: Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore. Period:January 2011. Material & Methods: All students of third and fourth year MBBS classes were included in the study (n=127). A pre-testedquestionnaire was used for data collection. A 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1(strongly disagree) to 7(strongly agree) was used to determinestudent’s preferences of teaching styles. The data was recorded using SPSS version 16.0. Descriptive statistics were computed. Results: Thepreferred teaching methods for basic science subjects were skills laboratory 88(70%), followed by problem based learning 70(55%) andinteractive lectures 65(51%). The same teaching methods i.e. skills laboratory 101(80%), problem based learning 89(70%) and interactivelectures 79(62%) were also popular for the teaching of clinical science subjects. The least preferred teaching method for both basic 51(40%)and clinical 58(46%) sciences was didactic lectures. The desirable quality of a good teacher was reported as teaching skills 111(87%) and thepreferred assessment technique was found to be multiple choice questions 90(71%). Conclusions: Students prefer the student centredteaching styles as opposed to the traditional approach. Good teaching skill is the most desirable quality of a teacher and most students like to beassessed by multiple choice questions.

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The trials and tribulations of designing and utilising MCQs in HE and for assessing forensic practitioner competency

New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences ◽

10.29311/ndtps.v0i7.474 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 72-78

Author(s):

Claire Gwinnett ◽

John Cassella ◽

Mike Allen

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Science Education ◽

Deep Learning ◽

Forensic Science ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Multiple Choice ◽

Higher Order ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Funded Project ◽

Method Of Assessment

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a very well known, traditional and accepted method of assessment. The use of MCQs for testing students has produced numerous debates amongst academics concerning their effectiveness as they are viewed as practical and efficient but also perceived as possibly „too easy‟ and potentially unable to appropriately test the higher order cognitive skills that essay questions can assess.The use of MCQs in a forensic science context is currently being investigated, not only for use within forensic science education, but also for the testing of competency of qualified forensic practitioners. This paper describes a Higher Education Academy funded project that is investigating the design and the implementation of MCQs for testing forensic practitioners and the lessons that have been learnt so far, that will assist academics in the development of robust MCQ assessments within forensic science degrees to promote and assess deep learning.

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Assessment of higher order cognitive skills in undergraduate education: modified essay or multiple choice questions? Research paper

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/1472-6920-7-49 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Edward J Palmer ◽

Peter G Devitt

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Education ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Multiple Choice ◽

Research Paper ◽

Higher Order ◽

Multiple Choice Questions

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Beyond Information Recall

American Association of Philosophy Teachers Studies in Pedagogy ◽

10.5840/aaptstudies2019121144 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 89-122

Author(s):

J. Robert Loftis ◽

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Multiple Choice ◽

Bloom's Taxonomy ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Information Recall ◽

Bloom’S Taxonomy ◽

Basic Facts

Multiple-choice questions have an undeserved reputation for only being able to test student recall of basic facts. In fact, well-crafted mechanically gradable questions can measure very sophisticated cognitive skills, including those engaged at the highest level of Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of outcomes. In this article, I argue that multiple-choice questions should be a part of the diversified assessment portfolio for most philosophy courses. I present three arguments broadly related to fairness. First, multiple-choice questions allow one to consolidate subjective decision making in a way that makes it easier to manage. Second, multiple-choice questions contribute to the diversity of an evaluation portfolio by balancing out problems with writing-based assessments. Third, by increasing the diversity of evaluations, multiple-choice questions increase the inclusiveness of the course. In the course of this argument, I provide examples of multiple-choice questions that measure sophisticated learning and advice for how to write good multiple-choice questions.

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21. Making the Most of Multiple-Choice Questions: Getting Beyond Remembering

Collected Essays on Learning and Teaching ◽

10.22329/celt.v1i0.3190 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 119 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David DiBattista

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Multiple Choice ◽

Higher Order ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Constructed Response ◽

Response Test

Multiple-choice questions are widely used in higher education and have some important advantages over constructed-response test questions. It seems, however, that many teachers underestimate the value of multiple-choice questions, believing them to be useful only for assessing how well students can memorize information, but not for assessing higher-order cognitive skills. Several strategies are presented for generating multiple-choice questions that can effectively assess students’ ability to understand, apply, analyze, and evaluate information.

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Pengaruh penerapan problem based learning terhadap literasi lingkungan siswa SMP pada materi pencemaran lingkungan

Assimilation: Indonesian Journal of Biology Education ◽

10.17509/aijbe.v3i1.23369 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 18-24

Author(s):

Muhamad Nur Siddiq ◽

Bambang Supriatno ◽

Saefudin Saefudin

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Junior High School ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Junior High ◽

Problem Based Learning ◽

Environmental Literacy ◽

Control Group ◽

Multiple Choice Questions ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Control

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of problem based learning to environmental literacy for junior high school in environmental pollution subject. The study of students’ environmental literacy covered three aspects, there were knowledge, attitudes, and cognitive skills. The research methods used quasi-experimental and non-equivalent control group design. The sample of this research was seventh grade students in junior high school consisting of 27 experimental class students and 25 control class students. The instruments used in this study were multiple choice questions for aspects of knowledge and cognitive skills with Jatigede Reservoir as an environmental content, Likert scale questionnaires for attitude aspects, observation sheets of problem based learning syntax and student questionnaire in learning problem based learning. Pre test was given to the experimental and control class before learning begun and post test was given to the experimental and control class after the last learning was held. The results showed that the knowledge aspect showed a significant difference which meant that there was an influence from the results of the treatment given, while the aspect of cognitive attitude and skills did not show a significant difference, which meant there was no influence from the results of the treatment given. The achievement of the syntax of problem based learning is in the category of almost all activities. Students’ responses to the implementation of problem based learning showed an agreed response.

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