July 1, 2013
Blog Post
When I was thinking about my test items I let the
objectives guide my way. For example objectives two, five and six lend
themselves to essay questions because I am asking my students to explain in
detail or put into their own words the book. I am also asking them to compare
the story as a whole to an event in the past or present. With these particular
objectives I can only tell if the student has learned what I am looking for by
having them give me an extensive answer that cannot possibly be covered by
multiple choices or true/false. I am
asking the student use higher thinking skills and to use their problem solving
skills with these objectives. I am not looking for them to relay information
that is memorized or that can be taken from the text word for word (Kubiszyn,
& Borich, 2013). I am looking for the students insights in the book, not
the authors.
For objectives one, three, and four I am looking for the
students’ knowledge or objective items. So, with these three objectives I will
use fill in the blank, true/false, matching, and even some multiple choice.
Because I am looking for a test or tests that are easy to score, but that will
show me that the students have read the book, these tests will be able to
evaluate this knowledge for me (Kubiszyn, & Borich, 2013). In This way I can cover the book more fully
with the students, and make sure they understand what they have read and
understand the book itself (Kubiszyn, & Borich, 2013). I can score them
quickly and tell if the students are keeping up with their reading and understanding,
or if we need to slow down or use different tactics (Kubiszyn, & Borich,
2013). These tests are not looking for opinions, or higher thinking, or problem
solving, just what the student has read and the facts of what they have read (Kubiszyn,
& Borich, 2013).
Reference:
Kubiszyn, T. &
Borich, G. (2013). Educational testing & measurement: Classroom
application and practice (10th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken,
NJ.
