Allowing Choice on a Traditional Test
Debbie Willingham
Apr 12, 2010
Most teachers of academic subjects tend to have several common characteristics when it comes to giving tests. First, we think all the details are important, so we tend to ask lots of short-answer questions (fill in, matching, true/false) or in math courses a list of problems, that are all at the lower end of Bloom's Taxonomy (revised in 2001). Second, we create what we feel is a very thorough test and then give it, with little or no modification, year after year. Third, we usually give only one version of a test, or if t wo just rearrange the order of the same questions.
Although we know that it is important for our students to think more analytically and at higher levels, we usually ask them to do this more through class discussion and projects rather than on tests. One easy way to develop higher quality tests by including more high level questions is to use the revised Bloom's as the basis and provide some choice among the questions to be answered. Questions at different difficulty levels should be awarded different point values:
- 5 points each at the levels of Remembering (Knowledge) and Understanding (Comprehension)
- 10 points each at the Applying (Application) level
- 15 points each at the Analyzing (Analysis) level
- 20 points each at the levels of Evaluating and Creating (Synthesis and Evaluation)
Students then choose the questions they want to answer from each area with whatever parameters the teacher includes, such as choosing at least one from each area, having some mandatory and some student choice, or choosing any combination of questions as long as they total 100 points.
As a guide to developing questions, use verbiage that fits the levels of the Taxonomy in your construction of both assessment prompts in lessons and on the test. Don't forget that assessment prompts can be great test questions. A few examples to remind teachers of the types of questions that fit each level are:
- Remembering: describe, identify, list, define
- Understanding: summarize, explain, categorize, generalize
- Applying: predict, diagnose, estimate, plan, construct a theory as to why, apply a procedure to a familiar or unfamiliar task
- Analyzing: distinguish between, examine perspectives, deduce, determine bias or intent, draw conclusions by constructing support
- Evaluating: assess for correctness, detect fallacies or inconsistencies, determine appropriateness, judge among options, critique
- Creating: compose, design, plan, generate a hypothesis for, devise a procedure for, invent
Think about a unit of study recently completed with students and consider what questions you can develop for each level. You do not always have to include every level; do what makes sense for the content rather than forcing an unnatural fit for a particular type of question. Students appreciate a differentiated test for two reasons: first, they do have some choice in which questions they answer, which gives them the sense that they have control and are in a way "cheating;" and if you include questions you used during teaching as Assessment Prompts, students better understand the importance of paying attention and being engaged during lessons.
For more detail and examples, refer to A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing,
Lorin W. Anderson and David R. Krathwohl, ed.
