Creating Quality Assessments

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The first thing that needs to be done to improve instructor developed assessments is teach them how to match the type of assessment to the learning objectives. Teachers need to understand what each type of assessment really does. This understanding will increase the quality of the assessment. The major types include selected response/short answer, extended written response, performance assessment, and personal communication.
Selected response consists of multiple choice or true/false questions. Short response requires just a few words to answer the question. This assessment method is appropriate when mastery of discrete elements of knowledge is the learning objective; i.e. history facts, spelling words, vocabulary, parts of plants, etc.
Extended written response requires students to construct a written answer in response to a question. The answer is several sentences in length and involves students in comparing, analyzing, interpreting, solving, or describing things. This ...