Instructor Training

Formative Assessment: Multiple Choice Questions

Well-made multiple choice questions let you perform a differential diagnosis of student misconceptions on the fly, so you can adjust your lesson accordingly. In this activity, your students will practice constructing a formative MCQ, and think about how to use them in a classroom setting.

Made by the Mozilla Science Lab

Steps for the Activity

  1. Lead the class through an example of what a good MCQ looks like:

    • 3-5 answers is a reasonable range of options.
    • Plausible distractors: wrong answers shoudn't be obviously wrong.
    • Concept motivation: Each wrong answer should be motivated by a specific misconception.
    A classic example is 27+35, with answers: 62 (correct); 52 (didn't carry); 512 (didn't regroup); and 53 (carried to same column).

  2. Create a new three-minute lesson, as well as an MCQ to test comprehension and misconceptions in that material. (20 min)

  3. Repeat the usual 3-person group exercise of teaching, observing and filming. After each lesson, have the observer answer the MCQ, and discuss.

  4. Optional: ask a couple of students to write their MCQs on the board, and discuss their distractors.

  5. Finally, practice what you preach by asking the class the following MCQ:

    Q: What is the main goal of polling your class with a formative MCQ?

    a. To assess how student are interpreting the concepts presented & reconciling them with existing information (no; misconception: MCQ just for assessment)

    b. To identify the weakest students for extra help from helpers (no; misconception: MCQ doesn't affect instructor action, doesn't use info about specific misconceptions)

    c. To measure the fraction of the class who understand the lesson before moving on (no; misconception: doesn't use info about specific misconceptions)

    d. To inform the most effective way of continuing the lesson (yes. Formative assessment is ultimately about delivering effective lessons; the other points are all means to this end)