Formative online assessments using Questionmark

Tracey Wilkinson School of Biosciences

Why use formative assessments?

Advantages of online testing

What are the disadvantages?

Logic and reasoningTrain service suffers when a railroad combines commuter and freight service. By dividing its attention between its freight and commuter customers, a railroad serves neither particularly well. Therefore, if a railroad is going to be a successful business, then it must concentrate exclusively on one of these two markets.

For the argument to be logically correct, it must make which one of the following assumptions?

a. Commuter and freight services have little in common with each other.b. The first priority of a railroad is to be a successful business.c. Unless a railroad serves its customers well, it will not be a successful business.d. If a railroad concentrates on commuter service, it will be a successful business.e. Railroad commuters rarely want freight services as well.

American LSAT (Law School Admissions Test)

Answer = c

What kinds of questions can Questionmark provide?

True-false

Multiple choice (single best answer)

Multiple response

Multiple response feedback

Matching

Matching

Matching

Ranking

Ranking feedback

Fill in blank

Fill in blank

Select a blank

Drag and drop

Drag and drop

What do the students think?

found them usefulask for more‘under pressure to do well as teacher sees results’useful for revision before summative tests and exams

uptake

References

• Brown G, Bull J and Pendlebury M (1997) Assessing student learning in higher education. London: Routledge.

• Bull J and McKenna C (2004) Good practice guide in question and test design.

• Fry H, Ketteridge S and Marshall S (2003) A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

• Miller T (2009) Formative computer-based assessment in higher education: the effectiveness of feedback in supporting student learning. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 34:181-192.

• Nicol D (2007) E-assessment by design: using multiple choice tests to good effect. Journal of Further and Higher Education 31: 53-64.

• Wiliam and Black (2003) In praise of educational research: formative assessment. British Educational Research Journal 29:623-637.

Speak to Pete if you’re interested!