Question types that can’t be easily shared

If answering most questions in a test involves the simple recall of static information like definitions and facts, then it will be both tempting and relatively easy for early testing students to give specific and usable information about test content to those testing later. On the other hand, if the questions ask students to make complex judgments about some relevant issue then the specific nature of the question is simply more difficult to relate in a meaningful way to other students. Questions that measure higher order thinking regardless of the specific type of question used will be more difficult to pass from early testing students to those testing later. Here are several types of questions that can contribute to securing specific test content:

1. Simulation type questions

   Where student performance is the combination of several factors or data, points will be nearly impossible to share. The scoring this type of question depends on what specific set of actions a student takes inside the simulation. Students will find it very difficult if not impossible to give other students specific information that will improve their performance on tasks like this.

2. Case studies

   A case study described with images, movies and/or text contains too much information to remember so students will not be able to share enough meaningful detail. Important information about the case can be changed to make parallel forms of the question.

3. Multiple response questions

   These require students to carefully evaluate each response and can be difficult for students to talk about. Students will have to remember the set of answers rather than a single answer.

4. Fixed response questions (multiple choice and true/false)

   Responses which contain both an answer and the rationale for the answer can be difficult to share because students must evaluate the combination of answer and reasoning.

5. Constructed response questions (short answer and essay)

   Questions that ask students to evaluate a proposition and record their answer in one or two sentences or paragraphs can be difficult to share.

6. Matching questions

   These can be constructed so that the context must be taken into account in answering and this may be difficult to tell other students about. An example is a matching question where choices can be used more than one time.

In each of these examples, the response that students make to the question is based on complex reasoning, can involve multiple responses to a single question and involve problem solving and other higher order thinking skills.