ASSESSING HIGHER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS THROUGH MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2024/6my4vc58Keywords:
assessment, higher-order thinking skills, multiple-choice questions, Bloom’s Taxonomy, analytical thinking, critical thinkingAbstract
Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are favored by educators for their simplicity in both construction and grading, as well as for their utility in data collection and analysis. However, it is often assumed that MCQs can only measure lower-order thinking skills (LOTS). This paper challenges that assumption by examining three case studies - the Force Concept Inventory, a university biology exam developed by Jamie Jensen and colleagues, and the NCLEX-RN - to illustrate how scenario-based questions and carefully crafted distractors can successfully assess higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). The findings suggest that the deliberate design of MCQs around real-world scenarios and plausible distractors can elicit application, analysis, and evaluation, thereby expanding the potential of MCQs beyond the testing of rote memorization.
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