Show Multiple Choice x One of the big questions in college today concerns the testing There has been much discussion on type test is better essay or multiple The essay test is usually considered to bring out what knows about a subject and how well he can express himself on it and the multiple choice test concerned with the acquiring of facts gained in a particular There are pros and cons for each of An article appearing in the March issue of Harper's Magazine entitled Tyranny of Multiple- choice presents an interesting and new view on this type of i The Banesh professor of mathematics at Queens New gives the results oi his independent study of these He states that the multiple choice test has a strong and obvious combines efficiency and economy with the splendid advantage of being labeled it can be graded quickly by machine or with a scoring stencil that even a Child can No subjective elements enter the process o The important question that should be concerned with multiple choice tests is not how and economical the tests but how good the tests are Significant flaws in the tests we use so widely should certainly be of vital v Interpretation of a question has a great deal to do with the success of this An example illustrated in the article showed nine highly educated people answering a question on the U.S. State Department's Questions from the Foreign Service Officer each by different Each could have been correct as Hoffman questions of this sort really test what is Isn't it rather the ability to fathom what is in the mind of the Oftentimes the questions are ambiguous or there may be more than one right or nearly Hoffman points out many of the general protests against multiple Some of the complaints denying students the opportunity to show their penalization of the student who notices subtle degeneration into subjective guessing games which the student chooses the answer he thinks the examiner would consider the superficial and ambiguous and destructive effect on education and the recognition of Of there is a for the usefulness of multiple-choice if they are properly But such uses are limited to a myriad of educational University students should have the ability of creativity and be allowed to use Multiple choice this A potential tragedy in America's higher |