Assessments and tests are integral components of the educational and professional landscape. They serve as tools for measuring knowledge, skills, and competencies. However, the effectiveness of any assessment largely depends on the quality of the questions it contains. Crafting well-designed questions is both an art and a science. In this blog post, we will delve into the principles and best practices for writing effective questions for assessments and testing purposes.
Understanding the Purpose of the Assessment Before diving into question creation, it's crucial to understand the purpose of the assessment. Is it formative, summative, diagnostic, or for self-assessment? Knowing the purpose will guide the complexity, format, and content of the questions.
Key Takeaways on assessment types:
Formative Assessments: For ongoing feedback from learners in terms of knowledge gain and adjustment of teaching methods and or content.
Summative Assessments: For evaluating learning at the end of an instructional period or course.
Diagnostic or Prescriptive Assessments: For identifying strengths and weaknesses before instruction or a course begins.
Self-Assessment: For learners to evaluate their own understanding and skills.
Types of Questions
There are various types of questions you can include in an assessment, each serving a different purpose. For the purpose of this guide we will cover 3:
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
Best For: Testing factual knowledge and recall.
Tips: Avoid tricky distractors (incorrect answers) and ensure only one correct answer.
True/False Questions
Best For: Quick assessments and quizzes.
Tips: Avoid ambiguous statements and qualifiers like 'always,' 'never,' etc.
Short Answer Questions
Best For: Testing understanding and ability to articulate concepts.
Tips: Keep the question prompt clear and concise.
The Anatomy of a Good Question
When writing and reviewing questions use these guiding points:
Clarity: The question should be easy to understand.
Relevance: It should align with the learning objectives.
Fairness: Avoid cultural or gender biases.
Complexity: Match the question's difficulty with the assessment's purpose.
Unambiguous: Ensure that there is only one correct answer unless otherwise specified.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid:
Leading questions - where you prompt for a specific answer
Double-barreled questions - where you ask two questions and only allow for one answer
Negative phrasing
Overcomplicated language - keep language simple
Tips for Crafting Effective Questions
Review Learning Objectives: Align questions with what was taught.
Pilot Test: Test questions on a smaller group before the actual assessment.
Peer Review: Have colleagues review the questions for clarity and effectiveness.
Iterate: Use feedback, question or item (question) analysis to refine questions for future assessments.
Crafting effective questions for assessments and tests is a skill that can be developed with practice and attention to detail. By understanding the purpose of the assessment, choosing the right types of questions, and following best practices, you can create assessments that are not only fair and clear but also effective in measuring what they are intended to measure. By following these guidelines, you'll be well on your way to creating assessments that serve as valuable tools for everyone.
LUMA1 offers a number of capabilities to make assessment, test and question creation simple using AI. Our AI "listens" to a video and can create many types of questions automatically. You can also use this to create assessments over a course or certification. If you need or want to make changes you simply use the quick editing facility. And of course all of the questions can be easily translated.