Recomendaciones al hacer preguntas

Lea:

• http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=52747
• https://www.utexas.edu/academic/ctl/assessment/iar/students/plan/method/exams-writing.php

   Begin writing questions well ahead of the time when they will be used; allow time for revision.
   Match questions to intended outcomes at the proper difficulty level to provide a valid measure of the instructional objectives.
   Be sure each question deals with an important aspect of the content area and not with trivia.
   Be sure that the problem posed is clear and unambiguous.
   Be sure that each question is independent of all other questions (i.e., a hint to an answer should not be unintentionally embedded in another question).
   Be sure the question has one correct or best answer on which experts would agree.
   Prevent unintended clues to the answer in the statement or question (e.g., grammatical inconsistencies such as ‘a’ or ‘an’ give clues).
   Avoid duplication of the textbook in writing exam questions; don’t lift quotes directly from any textual materials.
   Avoid trick questions in an achievement exam. (Don’t waste time testing how well the student can interpret your intentions).
   On a exam with different question formats (e.g., multiple-choice and true-false), one should group all questions of similar format together.
   Questions should follow an easy to difficult progression.
   Space the questions to eliminate overcrowding.
   Have diagrams and tables above the question using the information, not below.

Evaluación

Activity: Good/Poor fixed-choice questions

For each pair of questions, decide which question is better and why. Question 1

1A. The promiscuous use of sprays, oils, and antiseptics in the nose during acute colds is a pernicious practice because it may have a deleterious effect on:

   the sinuses  
   red blood cells
   white blood cells
   the olfactory nerve

1B. Frequent use of sprays, oils, and antiseptics in the nose during a bad cold may result in:

   the spreading of the infection to the sinuses
   damage to the olfactory nerve
   destruction of white blood cells
   congestion of the mucous membrane in the nose

Question 2

2A. In 1965, the death rate from accidents of all types per 100,000 population in the 15-24 age group was:

   59.0
   59.1
   59.2
   59.3

2B. In 1965, the leading cause of death per 100,000 population in the 15-24 age group was from:

   respiratory disease
   cancer
   accidents
   rheumatic heart disease

Question 3

3A. About how many calories are recommended daily for a 14-year old who is 62 in. tall, weighs 103 lbs., and is moderately active?

   1,500
   2,000
   2,500
   3,000

3B. About how many calories are recommended daily for a 14-year old who is 62 in. tall, weighs 103 lbs., and is moderately active?

   0
   2,000
   2,500
   3,000

Question 4

4A. Which of the following is a category in the taxonomy of the cognitive domain?

   Reasoning ability
   Critical thinking
   Rote learning
   All of the above
   None of the above

4B. What is the most complex level in the taxonomy of the cognitive domain?

   Knowledge
   Synthesis
   Evaluation
   Analysis
   Comprehension

Question 5 5A. True False

According to your textbook, alcoholism is a disease. 5B. True False Alcoholism is a disease. Question 6 6A. True False

Tuberculosis is not a noncommunicable disease. 6B. True False Tuberculosis is a communicable disease. Question 7 7A. True False

The true false question is also called an alternative response question. 7B. True False The true false question, which is favored by all test experts, is also called an alternative-response question. Question 8 8A. True False

Guessing on an exam is never a good idea. 8B. True False You should guess on an exam when you can eliminate at least some of the incorrect answers. Question 9

9A. In terms of type of response, the (matching) question is most like the (multiple-choice) question.

9B. In terms of type of responses, which question is most like the matching question? (multiple-choice) Question 10

10A. When an exam is lengthened, reliability is likely to (increase).

10B. (Reliability) is likely to increase when an exam is lengthened. Question 11

11A. The supply type question used to measure the ability to organize and integrate material is called an (essay question).

11B. Supply-type questions used to measure the ability to organize and integrate material are called (essay questions).

RESPUESTAS

Answer: Good/Poor fixed-choice questions Question 1

1A. The promiscuous use of sprays, oils, and antiseptics in the nose during acute colds is a pernicious practice because it may have a deleterious effect on:

   the sinuses  
   red blood cells
   white blood cells
   the olfactory nerve

1B. Frequent use of sprays, oils, and antiseptics in the nose during a bad cold may result in:

   the spreading of the infection to the sinuses
   damage to the olfactory nerve
   destruction of white blood cells
   congestion of the mucous membrane in the nose

1B is the better question. 1A is wordy and uses vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to many students. 1B not only asks what part of the body is affected (sinuses) but also what is the result (spreading of infection). Question 2

2A. In 1965, the death rate from accidents of all types per 100,000 population in the 15-24 age group was:

   59.0
   59.1
   59.2
   59.3

2B. In 1965, the leading cause of death per 100,000 population in the 15-24 age group was from:

   respiratory disease
   cancer
   accidents
   rheumatic heart disease

2B is the better question. The difference between the options in 2A is trivial. Also, 2A asks for memorization of factual information. Question 3

3A. About how many calories are recommended daily for a 14-year old who is 62 in. tall, weighs 103 lbs., and is moderately active?

   1,500
   2,000
   2,500
   3,000

3B. About how many calories are recommended daily for a 14-year old who is 62 in. tall, weighs 103 lbs., and is moderately active?

   0
   2,000
   2,500
   3,000

3A is the better question. 3B contains a distractor that is not plausible (0 calories). Question 4

4A. Which of the following is a category in the taxonomy of the cognitive domain?

   Reasoning ability
   Critical thinking
   Rote learning
   All of the above
   None of the above

4B. What is the most complex level in the taxonomy of the cognitive domain?

   Knowledge
   Synthesis
   Evaluation
   Analysis
   Comprehension

4B is the better question. 4A asks for simple identification of a category, whereas 4B asks for differentiation between the levels. 4A also contains “all of the above” and “none of the above” as option choices, which should be avoided, if possible. Question 5 5A. True False

According to your textbook, alcoholism is a disease. 5B. True False Alcoholism is a disease.

5A is the better question. 5A sites the source of the information, whereas 5B can be construed as an opinion question. Question 6 6A. True False

Tuberculosis is not a noncommunicable disease. 6B. True False Tuberculosis is a communicable disease.

6B is the better question. 6A contains a double negative (not and non) which is confusing language. Question 7 7A. True False

The true false question is also called an alternative response question. 7B. True False The true false question, which is favored by all test experts, is also called an alternative-response question.

7A is the better question. 7B is a double-barreled question in that contains two separate ideas (Is the true false question favored by all experts? Is the true false questions also called an alternative response question?). Question 8 8A. True False

Guessing on an exam is never a good idea. 8B. True False You should guess on an exam when you can eliminate at least some of the incorrect answers.

8B is the better question. 8A uses “never” in the question, a practice which should be avoided. Question 9

9A. In terms of type of response, the (matching) question is most like the (multiple-choice) question.

9B. In terms of type of responses, which question is most like the matching question? (multiple-choice)

9B is the better question. 9A has two blanks, which can be confusing for students. Question 10

10A. When an exam is lengthened, reliability is likely to (increase).

10B. (Reliability) is likely to increase when an exam is lengthened.

10A is the better question. 10B has the blank at the end of the question which is a clearer way to write the question. The blank at the beginning of the question in 10A can be confusing. Question 11

11A. The supply type question used to measure the ability to organize and integrate material is called an (essay question).

11B. Supply-type questions used to measure the ability to organize and integrate material are called (essay questions).

11B is the better question. 11A cues students to the answer by using an in front of the answer blank, indicating that the question starts with a vowel.