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c) Maslow
d) Kohlberg
Which one of the following best illustrates the law of diminishing returns
a) A factory doubled its labor force and increased production by 50 per cent
b) The demand for an electronic product increased faster than the supply of the product
c) The population of a country increased faster than agricultural self sufficiency
d) A machine decreased in efficacy as its parts became worn out
(Adapted from Linn and Miller 2005, p, 193).
There are several other advantages of multiple choice items. Students have to recognize the correct answer not
just know the incorrect answer as they do in true/false items. Also, the opportunity for guessing is reduced because
four or five alternatives are usually provided whereas in true/false items students only have to choose between two
choices. Also, multiple choice items do not need homogeneous material as matching items do.
However, creating good multiple choice test items is difficult and students (maybe including you) often become
frustrated when taking a test with poor multiple choice items. Three steps have to be considered when constructing
a multiple choice item: formulating a clearly stated problem, identifying plausible alternatives, and removing
irrelevant clues to the answer. Common problems in each of these steps are summarized in Table 38
Constructed response items
Formal assessment also includes constructed response items in which students are asked to recall information
and create an answer—not just recognize if the answer is correct—so guessing is reduced. Constructed response
items can be used to assess a wide variety of kinds of knowledge and two major kinds are discussed: completion or
short answer (also called short response) and extended response.
Completion and short answer
Completion and short answer items can be answered in a word, phrase, number, or symbol. These types of items
are essentially the same only varying in whether the problem is presented as a statement or a question (Linn &
Miller 2005). For example:
Completion: The first traffic light in the US was invented by................
Short Answer: Who invented the first traffic light in the US?
These items are often used in mathematics tests, e.g.
3 + 10 = ..............?
If x = 6, what does x(x-1) =..........
Draw the line of symmetry on the following shape
A major advantage of these items is they that they are easy to construct. However, apart from their use in
mathematics they are unsuitable for measuring complex learning outcomes and are often difficult to score.
Completion and short answer tests are sometimes called objective tests as the intent is that there is only one correct
Educational Psychology 254 A Global Text