We’ve been having a rather spirited discussion in my department about a common final exam for one of the math courses, and the need for an easy-to-score learning assessment (i.e. multiple choice).

The two biggest problems regarding math and multiple-choice tests are

  1. Students cannot show and get credit for work.
  2. Students can too easily “try out” answers to each problem (especially on factoring problems and equation solving problems).

Regarding #1, there is, I think, a point in the semester when students should be able to demonstrate that they can do problems, correctly, to completion. Especially in algebra-level courses, there is often not a lot of work that they could show that I might give them credit for.

If it’s a 50 question final exam, and each problem is worth 2 points for 100 points total, how much partial credit can there really be? Students who get every single problem 75% right do NOT deserve a passing grade of 75%. Every problem 75% right means 100% of the problems done with some kind of mistake. That is not a “passing” performance.

Now… on to issue #2. I think I have a solution to this problem… seriously. Why do we have to use the five choices on scantron tests as only 5 unique answers? Why not let these five choices (A,B,C,D,E) generate 25 unique answers instead? Take a look at my new take on “multiple-choice” and tell me what you think:

It’s about time we thought outside the box on these scantron forms!