Chapter 7:Constructed Response Tests

Popham, W. J (2007). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know. Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Presentation by Jeanne Sinclair / UTSAOctober 22, 2014

Constructed Response

Selected Response

•Predetermined list of answers

• e.g. Multiple Choice questions, True/False, and Matching

•Open-ended assessment, e.g. fill-in-the-blank, short answers, essays, oral presentations, demonstrations, portfolios, writing tasks

• a.k.a. Performance Assessment

•This chapter focuses on Short Answer Items and Essays

It is said that constructed response questions (like essays) are more difficult for students than selected response questions.

Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Popham says…

Partial knowledge is not enough to produce the correct answer in constructed response questions.

Part 1: Short-Answer Items

Short Answer Items

• Student supplies a word, phrase, or sentence to answer a question or complete a statement.

• These items usually show acquisition of knowledge. However, they can be constructed to demonstrate higher levels of thinking.

Examples: Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada?Columbus landed in this country in the year __________.In 100 words or less, describe the water cycle.

Popham’s Guidelines for Short Answer Items

• Use direct questions, not incomplete statements (especially for young students).

• If you use incomplete statements, construct them so there is only one unique answer.

• The item should require a very concise response.

• Use no more than one or two blanks in each.

• Make all blanks equal in length

• Use blanks at the end, not in the middle.

Let’s Grade the Test!

Short Answer Item –

Let’s Grade the Test

1. Ms. Joyce has dinner with three of her friends. The four friends decide to split the cost equally. The bill comes to $31.00, and the women plan to leave a small tip. How much should Ms. Joyce pay for her share of the dinner? ____________________

Short Answer Item –

Let’s Grade the Test

2. _____________ consists primarily of ____________ and _____________.

Short Answer Item –

Let’s Grade the Test

3. ____________ is the measure of central tendency that is most affected by extremely high or low scores.

Short Answer Item –

Let’s Grade the Test

4. Teachers’ salaries should not be based on their students’ test scores. Do you agree or disagree? Explain. _______________

Part 2: Writing essay prompts

Essay Items…

• Are longer than short answer

• Are useful to gauge a student's ability tosynthesize, evaluate, and compose.

• Can be a “performance test” if it is a writing sample.

• take time to create (prompts).

• sometimes have unreliable scoring.

Popham’s Guidelines for Essay Items

• Be clear about:

• how long response should be (preferably in words)

• explicit description of task: as detailed as possible

• time to be spent on each item and its value so students know where their energy should be spent

• no optional items

• imagine a quality response to see if the essay prompt is reasonable

Let’s Grade the Test!

Essay Item –

Let’s Grade the Test

1.

Essay Item –

Let’s Grade the Test

2.

Essay Item –

Let’s Grade the Test

3. Using details and information from the article (America’s Saltiest Sea: Great Salt Lake), summarize the main points of the article.

Essay Item

Let’s Grade the Test

4. Scientists have found that oceans can influence the temperature of nearby landmasses. Coastal landmasses tend to have more moderate temperatures in summer and winter than inland landmasses at the same latitude. List three coastal landmasses.

Essay item–

Let’s Grade the Test

5. Sample Question (10th Grade Social Studies) Consider the time period during the Vietnam War and the reasons there were riots in cities and at university campuses. Write an essay explaining three of those reasons. Include information on the impact (if any) of the riots. The essay should be approximately one page in length. Your score will depend on the accuracy of your reasons, the organization of your essay, and brevity. Although spelling, punctuation, and grammar will not be considered in grading, please do your best to consider them in your writing. (10 points possible)

Part 3: Essay scoring

Popham’s Guidelines for Scoring Essays

• Holistic scoring vs. analytical scoring

• Holistic can include evaluative criteria, but does not give points for each criterion

• Analytical: gives points for each category

• Hybrid: holistic for high achievers, analytical for low achievers

• Make a key before you grade

• Decide if mechanics are important

• score all of the same item at one time

• Try to keep it anonymous

Let’s Grade the Test!

Scoring –

Let’s Grade the Test

1. A high school class called U.S. Government Service.

"l was using a four-item essay examination. I worked up a tentative analytic scoring guide for each item. My scoring keys placed no emphasis on a student's use of mechanics. l scored each student's response to all four items at a single sitting, and I found I could usually interpret students' responses more sensibly because, from the student's name on the first page of the response booklet, I could tell whose responses I was grading.”

Scoring –

Let’s Grade the Test

2. (From earlier example about Vietnam War)

Content Accuracy -- up to 2 points for each accurate reason the riots ensued (6 points total)

Organization -- up to 3 points for essay organization (e.g., introduction, well expressed points, conclusion)

Brevity -- up to 1 point for appropriate brevity (i.e., no extraneous or "filler" information)

No penalty for spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors.

Constructed Response Pros and Cons

Popham says…

Authentic! Real-life

Requires that students create their responses

Time-consuming to grade

Inaccuracies in scoring

In sum…”they give up scoring accuracy for greater congruence between constructed response assessment strategies and the kinds of student behaviors about which inferences are to be made” (p. 150).

References

http://home.messiah.edu/~ab1418/cartoon.png

http://wamu.org/sites/wamu.org/files/styles/headline_landscape/public/images/attach/08.15.12news-flickr-multiple-choice-test-pencil-edit_0.jpg?itok=jErIcnEK

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/09/20/1190276115_1963.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBRZTIY_MxE/Ui9i7ONkfnI/AAAAAAAAAFI/d4iY3Jp5ZX4/s1600/agree-to-disagree.jpg

http://lunar.thegamez.net/greenenergyimage/pros-and-cons-of-alternative-energy-sources/people-often-make-lists-of-pros-and-cons-when-making-a-decision-1000x709.jpg

http://fcit.usf.edu/assessment/constructed/constructa.html