Designing Effective Exams

Janet BranchawCarol HurneyJenny KnightAlix Darden

Exams:are a form of summative assessment

measure learning outcomes (the significant and essential learning that learners have achieved)

should align with learning objectives and formative assessment activities and assignments (use learning taxonomies to do this!)

Learning Objectives for This SessionYou will: consider the process that you currently

use to write exams and outline a plan to improve your process in the future

use a taxonomy of learning to align your exam questions with your learning objectives

practice writing different types of exam questions

Nilson, L.B. (2003) Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors, Anker Publishing

How do you write exams?

Consider the following:• How often do you do summative assessment

of your students’ learning (give an exam) during the course of a semester?• When do you write the exams?• How do you ensure that your exams reflect

what was actually taught?• How do you determine how much time it will

take for students to complete your exams?• How do you know if the questions you’ve

written are clear and not prone to misinterpretation?• What is your greatest challenge in

writing exams?

Exam Writing Guidelines/Tips

• Examine early and often (low high stakes)• Compose exam questions immediately after

you cover material in class to ensure appropriate “coverage”• Use learning objectives to guide the writing of

exam questions• Start the test with some warm-up questions• Ask a colleague (TA) to evaluate the exam for

clarity, content and alignment with your learning objectives• Proofread! • Give detailed instructions and allow students

sufficient time to complete each question (instructor time x 4)• Use a variety of question types

Exam Question Types

Objective• Multiple Choice• True / False• Matching

Constructed Response

• Short Answer• Completion• Essay• Problem Solving

• Advantages, Disadvantages and Construction (handout)

ExampleLearning Objective Students will be able to

predict and explain changes in nervous system activity in response to drugs that alter the function of nervous system proteins.

Set up Smoking cigarettes introduces nicotine into the blood stream via the respiratory epithelium. Nicotine is a nicotinic acetylcholine (N-Ach) receptor agonist.

Questions:1.Where in the autonomic nervous system are nicotinic

Ach receptors located? (Know, SA)

2.How will nicotine affect activity (the generation of electrical signals) in the parasympathetic (& sympathetic) division of the autonomic nervous system? (App, MC)a) increase activity b) decrease activity c) no effect

3.People smoke cigarettes in the morning to help them wake up, and also after stressful events to help them relax. Explain how the nicotine in cigarettes can produce these apparently opposing effects with regard to the autonomic nervous system. (Syn, Essay)

Taxonomies and Question Types

Bloom’s Learning Level Sample MC Stem Question

Remember What is a typical growth rate of the azalea?

Understanding What is distinctive about the azalea compared to other spring-flowering shrubs?

Application & Analysis(critical thinking)

What happens if an azalea receives a plant food high in alkaline and low in acid?

Analysis & Evaluation(critical thinking)

Given highly acidic soil and an annual rainfall of 40 inches, what is the most effective plant food for an azalea?

Analysis & Evaluation(Problem Solving)

Your azalea is planted in full shade under the eaves of your house. Leaves are yellowing, and the plant has shown little growth in two years. What is the best treatment of this problem?

Your TurnPick one of your learning objectives

Categorize it in a learning taxonomy framework (e.g. Bloom it, Fink it)

Identify (or write) an exam question to assess that learning objective

Rewrite your question in at least two other formats

David R. Krathwohl, A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy: An Overview, 2002.

Learning Taxonomies – Bloom

Learning Taxonomies – Fink

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Learning Howto Learn

• Self-directedlearning

CaringDeveloping new:• Feelings• Interests• values

Application• Skills• Thinking• Managing projects

IntegrationConnecting:• Ideas• People• Realms of life

FoundationalKnowledge

• Understanding• Remembering

HumanDimension

Learning about:• Oneself• Others

©2003 L. Dee Fink, Creating Significant Learning Experiences