Graded Response Method (GRM) is an alternative to multiple-choice testing where students rank options accordingto their relevance to the question. GRM requires discrimination and inference between statements and is acost-effective critical thinking assessment in large courses where open-ended answers are not feasible. This studyexamined critical thinking assessment in GRM versus open-ended and multiple-choice questions composed fromBloom’s taxonomy in an introductory undergraduate course in anthropology and archaeology (N=53students).Critical thinking was operationalized as the ability to assess a question with evidence to support or evaluatearguments (Ennis, 1993). We predicted that students who performed well on multiple-choice from Bloom’staxonomy levels 4-6 and open-ended questions would perform well on GRM involving similar concepts. Highperforming students on GRM were predicted to have higher course grades. The null hypothesis was question typewould not have an effect on critical thinking assessment. In two quizzes, there was weak correlation between GRMand open-ended questions (R2=0.15), however there was strong correlation in the exam (R2=0.56). Correlations wereconsistently higher between GRM and multiple-choice from Bloom’s taxonomy levels 4-6 (R2=0.23,0.31,0.21)versus levels 1-3 (R2=0.13,0.29,0.18). GRM is a viable alternative to multiple-choice in critical thinking assessmentwithout added resources and grading efforts.
Graded Response Method: Does Question Type Influence the Assessment of Critical Thinking?
