Design for recall of specific names, facts, and basic knowledge.
Focus the question so there a limited number of possible correct
responses (or only one) in order to discriminate achievement.
Make sure that question provides enough information so that students
know what constitutes a correct response. For example, if you discussed
four books written by a certain author and you want students to name
them, be specific on how many constitute a correct answer (i.e., name
two of four, or name any three, etc.).
Short answer protocol
Make sure that the answer will require only a few words.
If a list is expected, limit the number of items to be listed to 6
or so.
Write the stem in your own words; that is, don’t use wording
directly from a text or reading assignments.
Make the stem complete enough so that the meaning is clear.
When the stem is an incomplete statement, place the “blank”
for the correct choice at the end of the statement.
When a negative item is used, emphasize the negative word or phrase,
that is, underline, capitalize, or italicize, for example, “DOES
NOT.”
Avoid clues to the correct answer such as “a” or “an”
as the last word of the stem or plural verbs that match plural choices.
