ELECTRONIC MCQs WITHOUT RIGHT-OR WRONG ANSWERS

George MacDonald Ross Director, PRS Subject Centre

Leeds L&T conference, 5 Jan. 2007

Programme

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Presentation on the project Demonstration of a sample MCQ Discussion of the applicability of the technique to other disciplines

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Context

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Full UTF, Jan. 2006 Project grant, £15k over 3 years (AY 05/06 to AY 07/08)

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Most expenditure on part-time researcher

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This the first progress report

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Progress

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Delay in appointment of researcher Real work begins January 2007 Enough will be done for pilots in 2007 and 2008

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Project finished by end of 2007/08 Complete set of materials used in 2008/09

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Purposes of project

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Two complementary purposes:

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To show that electronic MCQs can be used in subjects where there are few right-or-wrong answers

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To improve the quality of student learning in text-based subjects

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Using MCQs

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Pressure to introduce e-learning Temptation to search for factual questions for MCQs

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Factual questions give the wrong message to students in text-based subjects

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Need for alternative approach

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Improving learning (1)

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For students, reading primary texts is often passive This leads to boredom, and reliance on other ways of learning about the texts We need cost-effective means of engaging students actively

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Improving learning (2)

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I teach a module on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, with a running commentary Students are assessed on their ability to argue about how the text is to be interpreted, and whether it is right or wrong But while they are reading, they are not trained to argue

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Solution (1)

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Use MCQs to confront students with:

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Different possible interpretations

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Different possible arguments for or against each interpretation

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A commentary on each argument, not usually saying whether it is absolutely right or wrong

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Solution (2)

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Ideally students will go through all the interpretations and arguments

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They will be actively engaged in thinking about the issues They will have exemplars they can follow in actively reading other passages

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Solution (3)

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Electronic MCQs are used despite there being no right-or-wrong answers Students are engaged actively while reading primary texts Apart from the initial set-up cost, there is no additional cost in staff time

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Problems

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The initial set-up costs are high Students don’t receive individual feedback While it is possible to monitor whether students take the MCQs, they can’t count towards assessment, hence reducing motivation to take them

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Sample MCQ

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http://www.philosophy.leeds.ac.uk/G MR/hmp/modules/kantmcq/p19/p19fr ame.html

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You can adjust the height of the frames with the horizontal bar More MCQs will be added to the /kantmcq/ folder in due course

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Thank you for participating

George MacDonald Ross Department of Philosophy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK [email protected]

http://prs.heacademy.ac.uk

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