Exploring the Impact of Required Justifications in Multiple-Choice Elaboration Questions on Student Experiences and Performance
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Abstract
Assessment can be a balance between practicality and authenticity. Assessments that are authentic and engaging (projects, papers) can be challenging to create and grade, whereas assessments that are quick (traditional test formats) can be too narrow in scope and don’t always showcase the depth of student learning. The present work investigated a blended approach – multiple-choice questions with elaboration (MCEQ). MCEQs require students to justify their answers to multiple-choice questions. Across 4 sections of an upper division Psychology Research Methods course at a large open-enrollment, public institution in the US, students took quizzes that contained both traditional multiple-choice and MCE questions and evaluated their experience with the two assessment types. Results showed that students had better performance on MCE questions and evaluated them as better assessments of their learning. I suggest that teachers who want a relatively quick form of assessment that challenges students to create explanations should consider the use of MCEQs considering elements that may impact student experience.
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