Describes a study that implemented an Internet-based project in a Taiwanese secondary school biology class and investigated its effect on the cognitive preferences held by students and on their performance. Reports results of analyses of covariance that compared scores of short-answer questions, multiple choice items, and total final examination…

A study evaluated the use of a "none-of-these" option on multiple-choice achievement tests in undergraduate dental education. Results indicated this option neither enhanced nor diminished examinee performance stability but did reduce the examinee's opportunity to select correct choices by means unrelated to course objectives, thereby enhancing…

The relevance of verbal reports of thinking for validating multiple-choice critical thinking tests was examined. Results from 342 senior high school students in Newfoundland (Canada) indicate that verbal reports can meet a necessary condition of validation data and collecting data does not alter thinking and performance. (SLD)

The accuracy and relations between 38 undergraduates' knowledge of content and origin of course information were examined. Results indicate a relationship between correct answers on a multiple-choice test and knowledge concerning the origin of information pertinent to the answers. Findings are discussed in terms of a reality-monitoring model. (TJH)

A suit filed by Steven E. Wynne, who has dyslexia, against the Tufts School of Medicine charged that the school discriminated against him when it refused to provide a test that did not use multiple-choice questions. Tufts filed an appeal saying the decision is an encroachment on academic freedom. (MLW)

A review of the development and innovation of testing at the higher education level focuses on Ralph Tyler's testing emphasis on the educational process and the objectives of instruction, a precursor to the current trend of integrating formative evaluation into the curriculum development process. (CB)

Two studies of the relationship between learner interest and advance organizers (AOs) with test performance were conducted: one with 33 and one with 66 undergraduates. Although the AO had no effect on test performance, student interest appeared affected by the presence of an AO. (SLD)

Differential tendencies to avoid guessing on the Psychometric Entrance Test (the Israeli college entrance examination) were studied as a function of language group, gender, and examination date for over 10,000 students. Students with different cultural backgrounds and genders differed in their tendencies to guess. Implications for test results are…

Literature related to the multiple true-false (MTF) item format is reviewed. Each answer cluster of a MTF item may have several true items and the correctness of each is judged independently. MTF tests appear efficient and reliable, although they are a bit harder than multiple choice items for examinees. (SLD)

This study at 21 colleges found that having entering freshmen write a short holistically scored essay added nothing to the prediction of freshman grade point average compared to predictions made from high school grade point average, Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, and a multiple-choice test of writing-related skills. (Author/DB)

Performances of 60 male and 60 female undergraduates on a conventional multiple-choice test were compared with their performances on a test that enabled them to assess the correctness of their own answers. The self-assessment approach reduced the bias seen in differences between male and female scores. (SLD)

The reliabilities of 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-choice tests were compared through an incremental-option model on a test taken by 154 high school seniors. Creating the test forms incrementally more closely approximates actual test construction. The nonsignificant differences among the option choices support the three-option item. (SLD)

It is proposed that the multiple-choice test can be useful in helping language students understand the meaning of text better without overwhelming them. Techniques for drafting effective questions are discussed, and a sample list of questions is presented. (MSE)

To investigate the ability of multiple-choice tests to assess higher order thinking skills, examinations were constructed as half multiple choice and half constructed response. Results with 90 undergraduate and graduate students indicate that the 2 formats measure similar constructs at different levels of complexity. (SLD)

Analysis of educational psychology textbooks identified textbook authors' guidelines for teachers to follow when writing multiple-choice test items. Selected guidelines were used to evaluate multiple-choice items (N=1,080) from 18 college instructor guides to educational psychology texts. Results indicated that approximately 60 percent of the…