EDUC 603-Chapters 6-7 Practice

The following is a multiple-choice assessment item that includes poorly written directions for a selected-response item. Choose the sentence(s) you would add in order to fix the problem(s) with the initial directions. Select all that apply.

• The Word Bank is the list of words inside the box.

• This matching item should take less than 5 minutes to complete.

• The words in the word bank are not used in alphabetical order.

• You can only use each word from the word bank one time.

2 The following represents a multiple binary-choice assessment item (with 5 statements to evaluate), along with poorly written directions.

Directions: The U.S. Constitution serves as the supreme law of the United States and the foundation of its government. The document establishes a federal system that balances powers among three branches: the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. Its preamble outlines the purpose, including forming a more perfect union, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty. The Constitution comprises seven articles, addressing the structure of the government, its powers, and the relationship between the federal and state governments. The Constitution's enduring significance lies in its adaptability, as demonstrated by the inclusion of the amendment process, allowing for changes reflective of evolving societal values and needs. The following five statements about the U.S. Constitution are either True or False. Select all the statements that are true.

1. The U.S. Constitution was drafted in the year 1787 during the Philadelphia Convention.

2. The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

3. The President of the United States has the power to propose amendments to the Constitution.

4. The Constitution grants the power of impeachment solely to the House of Representatives.

5. The Necessary and Proper Clause, also known as the Elastic Clause, gives Congress the authority to make laws deemed necessary for the execution of its enumerated powers.

Choose the revision to the directions that best addresses any issues in the original.

• The following five statements about the U.S. Constitution are either completely true or completely false. Select all the statements that are completely true. If part of the statement is true and part of the statement is false, then consider the entire statement as false even though part of it might be true.

• The U.S. Constitution, serving as the supreme law of the United States and the foundation of its government, is comprised of seven articles addressing the structure of the government, its powers, and the relationship between the federal and state governments. The following five statements about the U.S. Constitution are either True or False. Select all the statements that are true. Which of the following statements about the U.S. Constitution is/are true?

• The following statements about the U.S. Constitution contain factual information as well as some errors. Underline all the parts of each statement that is true, and cross a line through all the parts that are false.

• Which of the following statements about the U.S. Constitution is/are true? Select all that apply.

The following is a poorly-developed matching item for third-grade science. Select all the statement that reflect revisions to the item to make it more effective.

Directions: Match the Simple machine on the left with an example of it on the right.

Which of the following revisions would improve this item? Choose all that apply.

• Include more Examples than Simple Machines.

• List the items in both columns alphabetically.

• Explain that some machines CAN have more than one example from the list.

• Include directions indicating that only one example will be used for each machine, examples cannot be used more than once, and some examples won’t be used at all.

The following multiple-choice item is poorly written. Identify the revisions that would make it a better item.

Stylists at a hair salon charge $26 for each haircut. If they gave 63 haircuts, how much money did they collect, not including tips?

$89

$1,538,023,987

$1,638

$504

• Include more details about the salon.

• List the amounts (choices) in order, lowest to highest value.

• Revise the $1,538,023,987 option to make it more believable.

• Include fewer choices.

Suppose you were trying to help fifth-grade students learn the following objective: “Learners will identify the main idea of nonfiction texts.”

Which of the following two multiple-choice assessment items would be best at measuring the intentions of this objective?

• 1. Which of the following best describes what a “main idea” is in a nonfiction text?

  A. The overall message the author is trying to communicate

  B. The information at the beginning of a text that is designed to gain your attention

  C. The material in the text that presents most of the work’s information

  D. The part of the text that “wraps up” the overall presentation at the end

• 2. After reading the nonfiction text “Change the Game”, select the statement below that best presents the main idea:

  A. This story describes the life of Colin Kaepernick in high school, detailing some of the important decisions he made that led to his advocacy and leadership later in life.

  B. This story describes the negative effects of Colin Kaepernick’s protests and advocacy while a student athlete in high school.

  C. This story is about the different ways people in the United States continue to promote both racist beliefs and discrimination practices.

  D. This story details the evolution professional American football, from the early days of leather helmets to today’s protest-driven entertainment enterprise.

Suppose you were trying to help fifth-grade students learn the following objective: “Students will explain that natural selection is a mechanism that leads to adaptations and may lead to the emergence of new species."

Which of the following two multiple-choice assessment items would be best at measuring the intentions of this objective?

• 1. Which of the following statements best explains the role of natural selection in the context of adaptations and the emergence of new species?

  A. Natural selection ensures that all individuals within a population are identical, promoting stability.

  B. Natural selection is a random process that results in unpredictable changes in species characteristics.

  C. Natural selection acts on heritable traits, favoring those that increase an organism's fitness in a specific environment, leading to adaptations.

  D. Natural selection primarily depends on human intervention to guide the evolution of a species.

• 2. Which of the following is/are true about natural selection? Choose all that apply.

  A. Natural selection is a mechanism that leads to adaptations.

  B. Natural selection may lead to the emergence of new species.

  C. Natural selection is central to the “Intelligent design” model of life.

  D. The theory of natural selection was first proposed by Finneas O'Connell in 1827.

The following directions were included in a middle school social studies assessment: “In the space provided below, describe the accomplishments of George Washington.”

Which of the following represents an improvement to these directions?

• Explain all the reasons why George Washington is considered the “Father of Our Country”.

• Describe three important accomplishments in George Washington’s career as a military leader.

• Explain why you think George Washington is on the face of the lowest denomination paper money (one dollar bill) in America.

• None of these are improvements to the initial directions stated.

The following directions were included on a high school biology assessment: Chemical and biochemical processes are essential for life. One of the most important things scientists on Earth have determined is that water chemistry has an influence on life processes. Explain why.

Which of the following represents revised directions that are an improvement to these initial statements?

• Choose any form of life and explain how water chemistry affects its ability to thrive on planet Earth.

• Chemical and biochemical processes are essential for life, and scientists have determined is that water chemistry has an influence on life processes. Explain why.

• In the space provided below, explain why water chemistry has an influence on life processes.

• None of these revised directions are an improvement to the original.

The following fill-in-the-blank assessment item was included in a social studies assessment for fifth-grade students: 15. __________ wrote the Monroe Doctrine to warn European nations not to __________ with the Western _____________________.

Which of the following revisions would improve its quality? Choose all that apply

• Remove blanks from beginning of statement.

• Reduce the number of blanks to one.

• If more than one blank is to be used, ensure all blanks are equal length.

• Ensure that “James Monroe” is not one of the answers because it is cued.

Suppose a history teacher included the following essay item on one of his assessments: Discuss the economic factors which led to the Great Recession of 2008-2009.

Which of the following revised versions of this question would be an improvement?

• What caused the Great Recession of 2008-2009? Be specific.

• Identify two of the major economic conditions which led to the Great Recession of 2008-2009. Explain briefly each condition in correct chronological sequence, and in one paragraph indicate how these two factors were related to each other.

• Describe an important economic event occurring in your own lifetime and explain how it affected society in general. The effects could be positive or negative.

• None of these are improvements from the original essay question.