Describe the differences between constructed-response and fixed-response assessments. When would you use each type of assessment in eLearning? Why?
As stated in blog #4 (http://maj-eln.blogspot.com/2014/02/blog-4-pros-and-cons-of-constructed.html), there are two different types of constructed
response test items -- completion items and essay items. A completion item is
often known as a “fill-in-the-blank” item. The student often just completes the
sentence. In an essay item (short or
long format) the student provides a narrative response to the test item. In a constructed response test item, the
student must enter or write out their answer.
Fix-response test items
prompt the student to select their answer from the response options. The most
common types of fix-response items are multiple-choice or true-false test
items. However, variations of fixed-response include matching, ranking,
multiple true-false, and embedded-choice items.
Time Considerations
Student can answer more
multiple choice questions in a shorter period of time than constructed response
items. Students generally can answer 1 multiple-choice item per minute and 2
true-false test items per minute
For both types of
assessment options, it takes time to write a well-crafted test item to measure
the indented performance objective. The teacher’s challenge is to write constructed
response items so that there is only one correct answer since there can be
multiple answers. A teacher may take only a few minutes to create a constructed
response items, such as a short answer or essay; they need to make sure that
the question is measuring the instructional objectives and the scoring plan is
well-defined. Creation of a well-defined scoring plan can be time consuming.
A fixed-response test
item also takes time to write since the teacher must create an appropriate stem
and response options. The response options should be able to measure not only
what the student knows but the distractors should help the teacher in identifying
the student’s thought process. For example when creating a multiple-choice item
about the American Revolution, the teacher might include some prominent
historical figures from the time but not directly associated with the
Revolutionary War. All the wrong answers
are plausible, but not valid for that particular test item.
With online assessments,
scoring can be instant. With a fixed-response, computers can quickly score and
grade a student’s test. There is consistency
and objective scoring since the computer can quickly do this and the teacher
doesn’t have to be involved. The computer can quickly check the student’s
selection (e.g., A, B, C, etc. for multiple-choice or true/false) and assign
the student the correct point value for the correct answer. Students can get
immediate feedback on how they did on their test.
Constructed response
items can also be scored using technology. A response textbox is part of
the test item; the student types their answer in the provided textbox. The
computer program automatically scores and grades their response using letter
recognition algorithm. Since a student can make mistakes typing but response is
recognizable, teacher has the ability to overwrite computer’s score and assign
partial credit (points) following the test item’s scoring plan.
The scoring plan should
be clearly defined. Oosterhof, Conrad, and Ely (2008,
p. 92) states that a scoring plan should have 3 characteristics: (1)
total number of points assigned to the item based on its importance relative to
other items, (2) specific attributes to be evaluated in students’ responses,
and (3) for each attribute, criteria for awarding points, including partial
credit. A scoring plan is essential for constructed response (especially short
answer or essay).
Student KnowledgeIn a fixed-response, when students know something of the subject, they have a better chance of getting the answer correct over a constructed response item. Part of this is due to guess parameters (guessing is discussed later in this blog) and part of it can be attributed to recognition of terms or concepts.
Immediate student
feedback is possible in both fixed-response and constructed response. As
mentioned above, the scoring is done using technology so the student can get
immediate feedback on fixed-response test items. The student selects “A” for
their answer and the student has it right or wrong. For a constructed response,
the student can still receive feedback, but the feedback may be delayed if the
teacher must review the test item (especially in a fill-in-the-blank scenario
where the computer is looking for letter-to-letter recognition) or when there
is a score plan and thus teacher review.
Both fixed-response and
constructed response items can measure declarative and procedural knowledge
what Webb refers to as level 1 (http://www.aps.edu/rda/documents/resources/Webbs_DOK_Guide.pdf) and Bloom’s Taxonomy refers to as remembering (http://ww2.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm). A
well-crafted test item (either fixed-response or constructed response) can
measure various procedural knowledge capabilities when well-written. The higher
knowledge areas involves more complex skills such as problem solving is where
both fixed-response and constructed response fall short. So based on the type
of information the teacher is looking to get about their student’s mastery of
the subject, it may be necessary to use fixed-response and constructed response
items.
Measurable Items
Both types of test items
can be used in variety of subject areas (e.g., English, math, science, social
studies). A teacher can easily write a constructed response on factual
knowledge of space exploration and write fixed-response multiple choice items
on the same topic. However, both test items may not be suitable for other
subject areas such as music and even certain concepts/aspects of science and
math. In music, for example, a teacher cannot write a constructed response or
fixed-response for Arizona’s music standard Strand 1: Create, Concept 2:
Playing instructions, alone and with others, music from various genres and
diverse cultures (http://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/files/2011/09/music.pdf). In
science one cannot write test items to address science problems and math
computations. Other test item formats must be used to address these concepts.
Fixed-response items are
susceptible to guessing. For example a four alternative test item, the student
has 25% chance of selecting the correct answer; a true-false the student has a
50% chance of selecting the correct answer. Test reliability increases when
there are multiple-choice, alternate-choice, and essay test items in the same
assessment.
For constructed response
test it may include many items in one test. This allows more adequate sampling
of content and thus increases the number of test items must be included. Compared to short answer or essays,
fixed-response allows for better sampling of content.
Format
It goes without saying,
but both types of test items need to be free of grammatical errors and
extraneous wording. The constructed response must be written in such a way that
there is only a single or homogeneous set of responses. Multiple-choice fixed-responses
must have a stem that clearly presents the problem to be addressed and the
grammar in each option is consistent with the stem.
The teacher (that is the
test writer) must keep in mind the reading level of the students. Is the
student being assessed on their reading skills or their knowledge of the
learning objective? Using vocabulary and wording that is of higher reading
level than the student prevents the educator from knowing if the student did
not master the objective because of their reading level or because of the
subject matter.
Constructed response may
be more suitable for younger students since they can just “fill-in-the-blank”
as they read on the computer. Fixed-response may be more challenging for
younger students since there is often much more reading involved. Therefore, it
is important to note that both of these testing options may not be appropriate
for younger students if their reading skills have not yet fully developed.
Conclusion
In an eLearning
environment, the educator needs to use both fixed-response and constructed
response test items. However, it is important to utilize them appropriately.
Looking to see if the student can demonstrate a realistic task, such as those
required in the workforce, students should not be asked to answer
multiple-choice or true/false questions, but extended constructed response so
that they can demonstrate their organize and communicate their thoughts.
Oosterhof, A., Conrad, R.-M., & Ely, D. P. (2008).
Assessing Learners Online. Upper Saddle River: Merrill/Prentice Hall
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