Objectives

1. Write effective short answer (fill-in-the-blank) assessment items.
2. Write appropriate essay questions -- both short and extended response.
3. Outline scoring techniques for constructed response assessments.
4. Create a quiz using an online program.

Overview

With selected response assessment items, the answer is visible, and the student needs only to recognize it. Although selective response items can address the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy, many of them demand only lower levels of cognition. With constructed response assessments (also referred to as subjective assessments), the answer is not visible -- the student must recall or construct it. Constructed response assessments are conducive to higher level thinking skills.

In the broadest sense, constructed response assessments could refer to almost anything other than objective quizzes, including essays, art projects, and personal communication.  For the purposes of this lesson, constructed response assessments will focus on written assessments-- short answer items and essays. Performance assessment and classroom interactions are discussed in other lessons.

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This course was developed in partnership between the Pinellas School
District and the Florida Center for Instructional Technology at USF