Abstract
We discuss a study to evaluate the extent to which free-response questions can be approximated by multiple-choice equivalents. Two carefully designed research-based multiple-choice questions were transformed into a free-response format and administered on the final exam in a calculusbased introductory physics course. The original multiple-choice questions were administered in another, similar introductory physics course on the final exam. Our findings suggest that carefully designed multiple-choice questions can reflect the relative performance on the free-response questions while maintaining the benefits of ease of grading and quantitative analysis, especially if the different choices in the multiple-choice questions are weighted to reflect the different levels of understanding that students display.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 624-629 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | American Journal of Physics |
| Volume | 81 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 Jan 1 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
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Can free-response questions be approximated by multiple-choice equivalents? / Lin, Shih-Yin; Singh, Chandralekha.
In: American Journal of Physics, Vol. 81, No. 8, 01.01.2013, p. 624-629.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Can free-response questions be approximated by multiple-choice equivalents?
AU - Lin, Shih-Yin
AU - Singh, Chandralekha
PY - 2013/1/1
Y1 - 2013/1/1
N2 - We discuss a study to evaluate the extent to which free-response questions can be approximated by multiple-choice equivalents. Two carefully designed research-based multiple-choice questions were transformed into a free-response format and administered on the final exam in a calculusbased introductory physics course. The original multiple-choice questions were administered in another, similar introductory physics course on the final exam. Our findings suggest that carefully designed multiple-choice questions can reflect the relative performance on the free-response questions while maintaining the benefits of ease of grading and quantitative analysis, especially if the different choices in the multiple-choice questions are weighted to reflect the different levels of understanding that students display.
AB - We discuss a study to evaluate the extent to which free-response questions can be approximated by multiple-choice equivalents. Two carefully designed research-based multiple-choice questions were transformed into a free-response format and administered on the final exam in a calculusbased introductory physics course. The original multiple-choice questions were administered in another, similar introductory physics course on the final exam. Our findings suggest that carefully designed multiple-choice questions can reflect the relative performance on the free-response questions while maintaining the benefits of ease of grading and quantitative analysis, especially if the different choices in the multiple-choice questions are weighted to reflect the different levels of understanding that students display.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84908395461&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1119/1.4804194
DO - 10.1119/1.4804194
M3 - Article
VL - 81
SP - 624
EP - 629
JO - American Journal of Physics
JF - American Journal of Physics
SN - 0002-9505
IS - 8
ER -