Teaching Excellence Seminar: Effective Multiple Choice Testing
Ed Neal
Director of Faculty Development, Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
October 15, 2008
Description
Multiple-choice tests are the most widely used type of exams in large classes. Many textbooks come with test banks, but what do you do when you want to make your own test questions? How do you make sure your questions are testing what you want the students to know?
View this seminar to:
- Review the principles of writing valid and reliable test items
- Explore how to use test-item analysis
- Learn how to create tests that measure higher-order objectives
Applying these principles can make your exams more effective at measuring student learning.
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Topic Relevant Information
- Effective Multiple Choice Testing Handout (PDF).
This is a handout for the seminar.
(Login with your USC Network username and password. HELP.) - Effective Multiple Choice Testing Presentation (PDF).
These are the presentation slides from the seminar.
(Login with your USC Network username and password. HELP.) - Teaching and Evaluating Critical Thinking (PDF).
This is the handout from the workshop on critical thinking.
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About the Presenter
Ed Neal began his college teaching career in 1968 as a professor of Russian history. In 1978, he created the first faculty development program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Currently, as Director of Faculty Development in the UNC Center for Teaching and Learning, he is responsible for programs that help faculty members and graduate students become more effective teachers. As an adjunct faculty member in Education, Nursing, Dentistry, and Communication Studies, he teaches graduate and post-doctoral courses in college teaching and higher education pedagogy. He is also active in regional and national faculty development organizations. He is the editor of The Journal of Faculty Development and serves on the editorial boards of The National Teaching and Learning Forum and Innovative Higher Education.
This Teaching Excellence Seminar was sponsored by the Center for Teaching Excellence and the College of Arts and Sciences.