An Alternative Scoring Formula for Multiple-Choice and True-False Tests

Abstract

Scoring multipie-choice questions according to the simple scoring systems S₁ = R, where R is the number of correct answers, produces an upward bias in scores of poorer students as a result of guessing. The scoring formula conventionally used to adjust for guessing is S₂ R-W/(n-1), where W is the number of wrong answers and nis the number of choices per question. However, S₂ is based on the unrealistic assumption that on each question the student either knows the correct answer or guesses randomly. On the basis of a more realistic assumption an alternative scoring formula is derived, S₄ = [nR + (n-1)Q - Q²/R]/2(n-1), where Q is the number of questions. Compared to S₄, the conventional formula (S₂) has a downward bias for Q/n < R < Q and the simple formula (S₁) has a downward bias for Q/(n-2)<R<Q in addition to its upward bias for R<Q/(n-2).     

会计教学中批判性思维培养方案设计

为提高学生的批判性思维能力，设计了一个将批判性思维融入整个会计课程教学体系的方案。在这个设计方案中，将批判性思维培养过程划分为不同的阶段，使其充分融入整个会计课程的各个教学环节中。在运用设计方案时，要注意学生专业知识水平与其批判性思维发展阶段的协调统一。     

Formula Scoring of Multiple-Choice Tests (Correction for Guessing)

Formula scoring is a procedure designed to reduce multiple-choice test score irregularities due to guessing. Typically, a formula score is obtained by subtracting a proportion of the number of wrong responses from the number correct. Examinees are instructed to omit items when their answers would be sheer guesses among all choices but otherwise to guess when unsure of an answer. Thus, formula scoring is not intended to discourage guessing when an examinee can rule out one or more of the options within a multiple-choice item. Examinees who, contrary to the instructions, do guess blindly among all choices are not penalized by formula scoring on the average; depending on luck, they may obtain better or worse scores than if they had refrained from this guessing. In contrast, examinees with partial information who refrain from answering tend to obtain lower formula scores than if they had guessed among the remaining choices. (Examinees with misinformation may be exceptions.) Formula scoring is viewed as inappropriate for most classroom testing but may be desirable for speeded tests and for difficult tests with low passing scores. Formula scores do not approximate scores from comparable fill-in-the-blank tests, nor can formula scoring preclude unrealistically high scores for examinees who are very lucky.     

A Statistical Test for Detecting Answer Copying on Multiple-Choice Tests

A statistical test for the detection of answer copying on multiple-choice tests is presented. The test is based on the idea that the answers of examinees to test items may be the result of three possible processes: (1) knowing, (2) guessing, and (3) copying, but that examinees who do not have access to the answers of other examinees can arrive at their answers only through the first two processes. This assumption leads to a distribution for the number of matched incorrect alternatives between the examinee suspected of copying and the examinee believed to be the source that belongs to a family of "shifted binomials." Power functions for the tests for several sets of parameter values are analyzed. An extension of the test to include matched numbers of correct alternatives would lead to improper statistical hypotheses.     

大学教学与批判性思维培养

批判性思维是一个大学生最为典型的认知性功能之一，是其应该具备的思维元素和社会生存之道，同时也是今天民主社会必需的一项政治素质。要让学生在一个文化多元的社会环境中形成并保持文化自觉的习惯，并对其它文化有批判扬弃的信心和能力，就应该在大学教学中强调对学生批判性思维的培养，使大学教学充满批判性的理性色彩，充满思想的张力和思维的冲击，让大学成为一个讲究学术自由、独立思考的精神家园。     

Developing Critical Thinking in the Current Events Class

Abstract

The investigation tested the effectiveness of machine instruction in the teaching of spelling to a sample of fifty-four second- and third-grade students. All subjects were located in the same school, and groups were formed on the basis of spelling achievement matching. The analysis of variance statistical technique was employed in the treatment of the data. Although no differences were found in main effects (i.e., machine versus teacher), a differential (Interaction) effect was found at the .002 level of confidence. Further analysis revealed that: (1) on the third-grade level, the machine had proved more effective (.01 level of confidence) than the traditional method, and (2) on the second-grade level the traditional method had produced significantly more achievement (above the .01 level) than the machine method. The strength of the reversal is strongly suggestive of an age level below which this type of machine instruction loses its effectiveness.     

An Experiment in Developing Critical Thinking in Children

A three week experiment was conducted comparing the academic achievement of pupils in five classrooms (N = 108) taught in small cooperative groups against that of pupils from five classes (N = 109) taught in the traditional whole-class approach. Special achievement tests were prepared for each grade level, two through six. These tests were constructed with items requiring responses at low and high levels of cognitive functioning. Pupils in grades two, four, and six from small-group classrooms excelled on high level items as predicted. Pupils in the fifth grade produced superior answers on questions requiring original contributions. Achievement scores of both groups did not differ on items measuring low level cognitive functioning.     

合作学习和大学生批判性思维品质的培养

随着我国社会经济文化的不断发展．在面对不断出现的新问题时,大学生们缺乏分析问题和解决问题的能力．凸显出学生批判性思维的缺失．而批判性思维品质对于学生批判性思维的形成具有关键作用。合作学习作为我国现阶段教学组织形式改革的主流．对学生新的思维方式的形成有一定作用。所以,探讨如何在合作学习的过程中培养学生的批判性思维品质．对学生批判性思维的形成有重要意义。     

Effect of Critical Thinking Education on Epistemically Unwarranted Beliefs in College Students

Research in Higher Education - The degree to which students hold epistemically unwarranted beliefs, beliefs not founded on reliable reasoning or credible data, can be used as a measure of critical...     

英语专业研究生批判性思维能力现状及培养策略

基于批判性思维与英语专业研究生学术语篇建构具有相关性并呈正相关关系的理论基础及学生思维能力和语篇建构能力整体偏弱的现状,从二者之间的密切关系入手,提出培养英语专业研究生批判性思维能力,进而提高其学术语篇建构能力的有效策略。     

在口语教学中培养批判性思维能力

口语表达时缺乏批判性思维的能力是目前在非英语专业高年级阶段的学生中普遍存在的问题。采用批判性口语教学模式,是解决这一问题的有效途径。定性分析研究证明该模式有助于培养学生口语表达的批判性思维能力。     

Developing Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Courses: A Philosophical Approach

This paper is centred on twentieth century philosophers of science. I will examine how they have influenced current physics educational research by others and myself. I will also examine how I have introduced a study of these philosophers in several courses including the calculus-based introductory physics course on optics and modern physics. Students study one philosopher all semester as a group project and report regularly on how their philosopher would view the subject matter of the course. As a consequence of this use of philosophers of science, the students seem to have made a marked improvement in their critical thinking skills and in their grasp of the underlying concepts of the subject matter of the courses.     

中学数学教学中学生批判性思维培养策略分析

在中学数学教学中,解决问题的过程就是对学生进行批判性思维训练的过程。因此,数学教师应深刻理解批判性思维的内涵,并在此基础上采取有效策略,在教学中全方位地培养学生的批判性思维能力,既能提高数学教学质量,又可以促进学生的全面发展。     

Reducing Pseudoscientific and Paranormal Beliefs in University Students Through a Course in Science and Critical Thinking

This study measured the relationship between student’s religion, gender, and propensity for fantasy thinking with the change in belief for paranormal and pseudoscientific subjects following a science and critical thinking course that directly confronted these subjects. Student pre-course endorsement of religious, paranormal, and pseudoscientific beliefs ranged from 21 to 53%, with religion having the highest endorsement rate. Pre-course belief in paranormal and pseudoscientific subjects was correlated with high scores in some fantasy thinking scales and showed a gender and a religion effect with females having an 11.1% higher belief across all paranormal and pseudoscience subcategories. Students’ religion, and frequency of religious service attendance, was also important with agnostic or atheist students having lower beliefs in paranormal and pseudoscience subjects compared to religious students. Students with either low religious service attendance or very high attendance had lower paranormal and pseudoscientific beliefs. Following the critical thinking course, overall beliefs in paranormal and pseudoscientific subcategories lowered 6.8–28.9%, except for superstition, which did not significantly change. Change in belief had both a gender and religion effect with greater reductions among religious students and females.     

思维的批判性与大学的批判性思维教育

思维的批判性是人的思维方式的一项重要品质,它在人类自由的精神生产中形成了思想文化的批判传统,并不断拓展运用领域,提升批判水平。批判性思维这一称谓涵盖了包括思维的批判性在内的众多思维品质,"评判准则+思维方式"构成了现实的批判性思维活动,不同领域的批判有各自不同的批判逻辑。批判性思维教育是训练人的思维方式、培养人的思维品质的教育。大学开展批判性思维教育,要为培养思维的批判性品质创造良好的教育环境,处理好批判性思维教育与价值观教育的关系,加强关于批判性思维的逻辑研究。