Beyond multiple choice: how students answer in Algebra Readiness
· 2 min read
Students answer Algebra Readiness questions in four ways. Each format is built so that a wrong answer carries information, not just a missed point.
Multiple choice
Every wrong answer choice is tagged to a misconception. Because a student can guess the right answer to a multiple-choice question, the measurement model includes a guessing floor for these questions, which accounts for the chance of picking the right answer by luck.
Numeric entry
Students type their own answer, so there are no choices to guess from. Common wrong answers, such as the result of adding numerators and denominators, are each tagged to the misconception behind them.
Multi-select
Some questions ask students to choose every answer that applies. That suits ideas where more than one statement can be true at once, and the wrong choices are tagged in the same way.
Graphing
Students plot points and draw lines, line segments or polygons on a coordinate grid. Common wrong graphs carry tags of their own, so a student who plots the point (3, 5) at (5, 3) is recognized for reversing the order of the coordinates.
Why mix formats
Each format shows a different kind of evidence. Multiple choice can offer wrong answers written to reveal particular misconceptions. Numeric entry asks students to produce an answer with nothing to choose from. Multi-select suits ideas where more than one statement is true at once. Graphing asks students to show an idea on a coordinate grid rather than describe it. Using all four lets a question fit the skill it’s asking about, instead of fitting every skill into one format.
The same idea, different formats
A misconception can show up in more than one format. The catalog names it the same way wherever it appears, so a misconception revealed by a wrong choice in one question and by a typed answer in another carries the same tag.