Designing Tests

For testing to be as effective and worthwhile for you and your students as possible, consider the exams you’ll implement when you’re designing a course. If evaluation is considered only in hindsight, it’s likely your time will be used ineffectively and students will be discontent with how their learning was assessed.

Design tests that will measure the goals you set out to achieve in the course and be clear in your instructions. Walvoord and Anderson recommend teachers ask themselves the following question: “By the end of the course, I want my students to be able to (fill in the blank).” Use your responses to guide assessment design.

It’s often advantageous to mix types of items (multiple choice, essay, short answer) on a written exam or to mix assessments throughout the course (e.g., a performance component with a written component). Weaknesses connected with one type of item or aspect of students’ test taking skills will be minimized. It’s also useful to ask how students in the future would be likely to use what they are learning in your course. If they’ll be expected to recognize an example of a phenomenon or category, then give them opportunities to attempt such recognition in your course. If they’ll be asked to evaluate the evidence for a claim relevant to your field, then your assignments should give them practice in such evaluation and graded feedback on their skill at it. Be sure that your assignments (both for practice and for grading) engage students in the kind of knowing or understanding that will be useful to them in future courses and in application to real life.