Making Multiple-Choice Exam Easy to Check

by: J. Policarpio

According to Wikipedia, multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer (or answers) out of the choices from a list. 

I will not be discussing about how to develop or what are the advantages or disadvantages of using such kind of test - it's another topic and i think educators are well-versed about it. This post is about making your multiple choice exam easy to check.

I've got this idea when I was in another College, I was at the Registrar and the staff there are checking the Entrance Examination of the applicants. I've asked if they have a template for checking but they've replied that they have the difficulty in punching the hole. Their idea was to punch the hole for the correct answer in the answer sheet, usually this is done using 'katol'. 

My suggestion was what if we do the other way around, instead of the correct answer, let's consider the wrong answers! - and fortunately, it's successful! Here's the step-by-step procedure;

Step 1: Test Construction

Test Construction

Step 2: Prepare the Answer Sheet

Preparing the Answer Sheet

Step 3: Prepare the Negative

What is the Negative?
Using your answer sheet, shade those letters that corresponds to the wrong answers. That means that the one left unshaded is the CORRECT answers, thus the name used is Negative.

Preparing the Negative

Don't forget the important stats at the bottom 

Step 4: Photocopy the Negative in a clear Acetate

Make sure that your photocopied Acetate is exactly the same as your original Negative, not enlarged or reduced.

Step 5: Check their Answer Sheets Using your Acetate

Do this by overlaying the acetate to their answer sheet. If your student is perfect the overlays of acetate and the answer sheet should look dark or black. This is because in their answer sheet they have shaded the CORRECT answer and in your Negative, you have shaded the WRONG answers. If one letter in an item appears white, that means that they have shaded the wrong answer. Count these letters that appeared white, these are the mistakes and deduct it to the number of items and that's the score!

Mnemonic Device as an Effective Teaching Technique

by: J. Policarpio

What is a Mnemonic Device?

According to Wikipedia, a mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids information retention and aims to translate information or concept into a form that the human brain can retain better than its original form.



The Initiative

The good thing about 'Demonstration Teaching' and 'Observation Teaching' is the free-flowing ideas between the one doing the demonstration and the  observers. A couple of years ago our department (as spearheaded by our Department Head) launched a program entitled, 'Show your Best'. The program aimed to come up with one demonstration teaching per year level and this will be observed by the teachers that are vacant during that time slot. (This program happened when we were not yet given a teaching load like todate). For Science IV, we have volunteered (not the teacher volunteered by herself) our colleague assigned to the cream section.


The Lesson and the Strategy

The topic during that time, based on our Budget of Work, was Electromagnetic Waves - regions of EM Waves, properties and its corresponding applications. The strategy was simple, it was just a lively discussion about the topic and was accompanied by a very interesting activity.

One of the main objectives that must be imparted to the students was the proper order of these waves. After the session, they should be able to arrange the different regions of EM waves according to increasing or decreasing wavelength or frequency.

The Regions of Electromagnetic Waves (Image Source: public.navy.mil)

The assigned activity which also served as an assessment was not complicated. She grouped the class into five and instructed them to create a mnemonic device for the different regions of the spectrum (of course, following the correct order).


The Application

Since then, I've adapted that strategy. These are some of the output of my previous students.......

Remember Me In your Vision Until eXtreme pain is Gone

Red Mark Indicates the Very Unforgetable eXamples of fail Grades

God eXists Under a Very Ideal and More Realistic world

Rape Me I'm Very Urge to eXpose my Great body

Real Men Indicates Virginity Unless eXcitement Goes on

Green X-rated Videos Usually Indicate Man was Rude

Ramen May Include Vegetables like Upo eXposing its Great taste

Receive More Incoming Voice-call Underneath the eXosphere of the Globe

Right Man Is Very Understanding and eXpert ib Giving advices

Rico Martin Intends to Visit his Uncle playing Xylophone on his Garden

The Learning

What I've realized about this approach is that the process should be given importance that the result. Although the outcome is equally of value and sometimes even given more focus than the process, I've realized that if the process of arriving to the correct answer was established properly, the desired result will always follow. Say for example, for that particular lesson about EM Waves mentioned above, one of the most important objectives there would be the proper sequencing. If you are result-oriented, you would actually do all means for the students to be able to answer your quiz later - this is the most common approach. The process is always taken for granted. On the other hand, if you are process-oriented, and you focus on HOW the students will correctly arrive to the right answer, just like in the first case, they will also be able to answer the test.

Now, what's the difference? Well, after a week, try to administer the test again. Which group would be able to answer it significantly higher than the other?

Whether we accept it or not, the truth is most of what we've taught will be forgotten by our students. Even if they forget the concept, if they remember the steps of arriving to the desired result, then they would be able to recall it again and again.

References:

Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic (Retrieved, 3 February 2013)

Image Source:
http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/Pages/acquisition/radio_frequency-radiation.aspx (Retrieved, 3 March 2013)