NC NAEP Project NC NAEP Project

Module 2 - Activity 3Multi-step NAEP Items: Exploring Distractor Answers

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

GoalsGoalsPractice analyzing and assessing

student workPractice analyzing and

developing distractor answers to multiple choice questions.

Practice predicting student thinking on a particular task or item.

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

What are distractors?What are distractors?

To be effective, multiple-choice items must have some choices that are reasonably close to the correct response.

These choices, called distractors, may be based on common misconceptions or student errors.

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

Becky’s Popcorn Balls NAEP Becky’s Popcorn Balls NAEP ProblemProblemOn Thursday Becky made some

popcorn balls.On Friday she made 6 popcorn balls.On Saturday she made 12 popcorn

balls.Becky took all 23 popcorn balls she

made to a party.How many popcorn balls did she

make on Thursday? a) 5 b)11 c)17 d)41

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

Becky’s Popcorn Balls NAEP Becky’s Popcorn Balls NAEP ProblemProblem

How can these distractor answers be obtained?

 a) 5 b)11 c)17 d)41

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

Becky’s Popcorn Balls NAEP Becky’s Popcorn Balls NAEP ProblemProblem

Description: Solve a multi-step word problem

Grade: 4 Year: 2003 Block & Number:

Block M10 Question #7 Type of Question: Multiple Choice Difficulty: Easy (78.26% Correct)

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

Becky’s Popcorn Balls NAEP Becky’s Popcorn Balls NAEP ProblemProblemPerformance DataPerformance Data

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

Estela’s Notebooks NAEP Estela’s Notebooks NAEP ProblemProblem

Estela wants to buy 2 notebooks that cost $2.79 each, including tax. If she has one-dollar bills and no coins, how many one-dollar bills does she need?a) 3 b) 4 c) 5 d)6

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

Estela’s Notebooks NAEP Estela’s Notebooks NAEP ProblemProblem

How can these distractor answers be obtained?

a) 3 b) 4 c) 5 d)6

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

Estela’s Notebooks NAEP Estela’s Notebooks NAEP ProblemProblem

Description: Estimate solution of a multi-step word problem

Grade: 4 Year: 2003 Block & Number:

Block M10 Question #15 Type of Question: Multiple Choice Difficulty: Hard (30.59% Correct)

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

Estela’s Notebooks NAEP Estela’s Notebooks NAEP ProblemProblemPerformance DataPerformance Data

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

““Sam’s Lunch” MC Sam’s Lunch” MC DistractorsDistractors

Were your suggested distractors representative of incorrect student responses?

Were your suggested distractors all procedurally-oriented?

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3

““Sam’s Lunch” MC Sam’s Lunch” MC DistractorsDistractors

Did they represent correct concepts but incorrect calculations or vice versa?

If a student selected one of your incorrect options, what might that reveal about that student’s understanding?

Elementary Module 2, Activity 3