Multiple choice vs essay...
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Topic: Multiple choice vs essay...
Posted By: The T
Subject: Multiple choice vs essay...
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 11:36
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When I arrived to the US' education system I was baffled at the amount of multiple-choice, scantron-based tests you have here. Everything becomes a choice between options. In a way, it's easier: you can appeal to pure luck, and you can appeal to your memory being "ignited" by the gaze at that one word who reminds you of the answer. I used to think this was inferior to an essay-type exam where you actually had to answer questions using reason and your memory, too. But then I've gradually welcome the idea of multiple choice as more fair. In the end, when they thrown a lot of information at you and they want to know if you remember stuff, a multiple-choice 100% objective test is fairer than one where the professor judges your answers subjectively. A few professor can judge only how well argued your opinion is, but some will judge even your opinion itself. Then I've concluded it should depend on the subject at hand. But some exact science teachers still prefer essay tests, and some social science teachers prefer multiple choice tests, which seems rather incoherent. Thoughts? ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 11:47
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As a teacher, I never once gave a multiple choice test unless the state required it. Every single assessment I gave was open-ended. It was time consuming for me to grade, but as an English teacher, open-ended assessments enabled me to gauge students' overall comprehension of not just the material, but syntax, grammar, clarity, etc. I should add that all of my tests were open-book as well. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 11:51
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^I like that. Tests shouldn't just be memory contests but actually measure understanding and reasoning abilities. -------------
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Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:12
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As far as actually assessing what people really know, essay, but honestly those are a huge pain in the ass. You not only have to think about what you want to say, but then write it down over the course of an hour or two until you hand is going to fall off. Philosophy finals, man. Philosophy finals. It would be much more hard core just to sit down with the teacher and talk about the course and various things you covered. Like a 5 or 10 minute conversation. You could practically cover an essay test's worth of writing, save time, and have it be much less annoying. No annoying writing, no annoying reading annoying writing. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: progismylife
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:15
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For my exams in university I get multiple choice AND essay questions. I am on a science course though, so it is a good means of testing whether or not I know certain facts (multiple choice) and how those facts are applied to different situations (essay questions).
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Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:27
Major problem with that. Sure grading an essay is someone subjective, but a conversation is greatly subject, and worse, there is no document or record of your conclusions or analysis. Then teachers who harbor ill feelings against certain students can really shut them down. At least with a written essay, if you feel you've been graded unfairly, you have something you could show to the department chair or an administrator. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
stonebeard wrote:Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:28
Record the conversation? ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:29
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^Not only that but we know there are people who suck at speaking with others (specially when in need of doing so) yet shine in their knowledge and reasoning skills... Besides, a test of a 40-student class would take a LONG time -------------
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Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:32
10 minute conversation x 90 students = 900 minutes = 15 hours total. That assumes no lag between recordings, of course. That's a long day. Furthermore, it gives an unfair advantage to other students (if you go last, you get at least 14 hours and 50 minutes more study time than the person who went first). Then there's a possibility of the recording equipment failing. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:34
And the possibility of the teacher being so tired at the end of the day that he doesn't give a damn about the last students... And that attitude will show, and the students' response will be affected -------------
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Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:38
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Now all this said, we did provide oral tests for a few students on occasion due to IEPs (in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 12:45
This can happen anyway with grading papers. Especially in college, dealing with real professors, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that they don't bend over to make things fair for students. There's a lot of 'the luck of the draw' to do with it, especially in final exam scheduling. No system is perfect. And anyway, no one would have to watch the recordings unless there's an issue. If there is one, bring it up and see. it would take not much longer to hear/see the conversation than it would to read the essay. Maybe less time. And everyone has strengths and weaknesses, but being able to have a conversation and put your thoughts into words you make with your mouth can be a useful skill to say the least. Even in this day and age when antisocial computer programmers and graphic designers can never see the light of day for weeks and work from the Internet at home. Writing coherent arguments may be great for internet forum stuff and theses, but talking and real life conversations are more important in most situations. Not to say all testing should be like this, but we're amputating ourselves if we don't have anything like it. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 13:35
Excatly my thoughts. You can't test how well a candidate medic has learned the information he has to learn by putting him to write an essay, but you also can't test someone's acuity in perceiving, say, stylistical forms or cultural references in a literary text in other way than letting him write freely (or relatively free). |
Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 13:37
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Definitely depends on subject, a multiple choice math question is easier for me than an essay question while it's the exact opposite in English. ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">  
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Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 14:37
Multiple choice, as it reminds me of betting on the horses.  Also, I'm not good at writing essays without copious amounts of coffee at hand. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 15:17
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As a lazy person I much prefer multiple choice.
But mixed is probably the best way to do it. Depends on subject is also important. English/science/math are probably better open ended, where social studies/history/etc is better in multiple choice. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Rasvamakkara
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 15:42
| I prefer essays even if they mean more work. In my experience multiple choice assignments tend to be either very easy or they test needlessly detailed information. There's also nothing worse than a multiple choice question that's even a little open to interpretation. I want to scream every time I come across one of those in an exam. Essays are better at testing your understanding of a whole, which is more important than memorising some ridiculously small details. |
Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 15:49
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Essay. But some subjects suit other formats. Most of what I study in the arts relies upon the ability to formulate arguments and develop ideas rather than simple memory recall. The one exam I've had in recent years that was set in multi-choice and short answer format I scored 98% in, so I guess I can't have too many complaints.  |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 16:19
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Posted By: Formentera Lady
Date Posted: February 23 2011 at 18:08
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At school and at university we never had multiple choice tests, never ever. You get questions or tasks, and there are no options to choose from. You always have to come up with an answer yourself. At school a friend of mine was in the USA for a year, as part of an exchange programme. After she returned, she told us the incredible story: normally an average pupil here she was one of the best in the US. That is because the tests and exams were so easy. She told us, incredibly, the answers were already given, you only have to make a cross at the correct position.... (BTW, her US school year was not accepted, she had to repeat the year here in Germany.) |
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: February 24 2011 at 10:33
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Essay, for an understanding of the topic at hand. I prefer multiple choice myself...but I do believe essays are the best way to find out whether one knows what they're talking about. ------------- 
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: February 24 2011 at 10:39
| I can't recall actually sitting down for a "test" and having to handwrite a long essay when I was an undergrad (but I do remember doing this a bit in high school). Of course, I didn't take many history, english, etc. courses, but the ones I did take had no exams, just papers. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: February 24 2011 at 11:21
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I thinks the answers should be phrased in the form of a question. But seriously multiple choice are more amenable to just guessing. Essays do force you to think and write something. Being a lazy person, I prefer multiple choice. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: February 24 2011 at 12:27
We live in a complex world and most professional fields have so much data associated with them it is impossible to just memorize it. The truly successful know where there sources of reference are. Looking up an answer for multiple choice tests is cheating; looking them up for essay tests is research. One can easily discern understanding versus regurgitation. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Conor Fynes
Date Posted: February 24 2011 at 15:52
| If I was a teacher, it would be exams for the tests that matter, but multiple choice for tiny quizzes at the end of each week. I find multiple choice are better as learning tools than they ever could be for actual examination of someone's abilities. |
Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: February 24 2011 at 16:08
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I'd rather take a multiple choice question because it involves less writing however as far as fairness goes, I'd go with essays. The fault you highlighted is an issue, but these days (in England at least) no tutor will mark you on your opinion. I've given some pretty contraversial opinions in exams before and I feel like I've had fair marks for every one.
------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |