Which would any of you consider more practical: essay questions or multiple choice?
I'd say multiple choice, but that is just me.
2007-02-03 07:36:55 · 13 answers · asked by Diego S 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
i think multiple choice are easier but i always do much better on essay exams for some reason
2007-02-03 07:40:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you mean by practical. If by practical you mean easy to grade, then yes, by all means, multiple choice. If by practical you mean what you can actually use and apply in the real world, then essay questions hands down. The only time MY life is multiple choice is when I'm at the drive-thru or watching some silly game show. Multiple choice questions don't actually show what you know. It just shows that you can pick the best of a given set of choices. Life doesn't always work like that. Essay questions make you THINK and come up with an answer from scratch. You have to support your opinion with facts in an essay question. When I have students getting multiple choice questions right because of some odd association that has NOTHING to do with why the answer is right, then they're obviously not a good assessment. It's just guessing. Anyone can do that.
2007-02-03 09:14:58 · answer #2 · answered by elizabeth_ashley44 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Multiple choice is excellent for grading but if you want an accurate gage of your students knowledge of the topic then essay questions are the way to go. On my tests I use multiple choice for the basic fact questions and then I have one or two essay questions so I can get a good feel for my students learning.
2007-02-03 10:50:18 · answer #3 · answered by Ms. H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You ask which is more practical, essay or multiple choice questions. If you want to measure how much the student has learned then essay questions, but you have to be sure that there is not just one answer. Students need to know that they have the right to express themselves in their answer. Only ask questions that are pertaining to the subject at hand. Multiple choice questions are great for quick quizzes or just thrown in for a little relief from the essay questions. Always remember the more you let the student use his/her own mind the more they will learn.
2007-02-03 08:22:21 · answer #4 · answered by Catie I 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
multiple choice bc there isnt as much pressure and you know that the answer is in front of you. also a essay is just one question: just one chance for you to either have the test in the bag or just totally destroy your grade. with multiple choice you have a lot more questions and are bound to know one of them.
2007-02-03 07:48:29 · answer #5 · answered by <3pirate 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That would depend on what information you are testing and what level of learning you want to your students to acquire. Multiple choice is useful to see if a student has acquired the minimal level of learning called comprehension. Essay questions test a deeper level of learning called synthesis.
2007-02-03 11:14:45 · answer #6 · answered by Blessed 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Multiple choice is easier for me.
2007-02-03 07:44:49 · answer #7 · answered by Troy K 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
MC is easier to grade. It shows you exactly what kids don't know. Also the MC could be ineffectual because students can use other parts of the test to get the answers, process of elimination, or just make a lucky guess.
Essay takes longer to grade. It shows you all they did learn. I'm partial to essay myself. :)
2007-02-03 09:39:07 · answer #8 · answered by Konswayla 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It all depends on your style and what you are trying to teach. Some topics lend themselves to one type of question over another.
By the way, multiple choice questions can test more than just recall of facts - IF they are written well!
2007-02-03 12:11:24 · answer #9 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
multiple choice.
2007-02-03 07:44:00 · answer #10 · answered by MissLibra 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋