Item Bank/Question Bank
V.Thanikachalam,B.E., M.Tech., Ph.D., M.S., FIE., FIGSFormer Professor and Head, CIA, NITTTR Chennai
Concept of Item BankValidated test itemsPrepared for a given curriculumBased on the specific instructional
objectivesCreation of a bank- an exhaustive list of
itemsFor the use of teachers and examiners
Items SUPPLY TYPE ITEMS Fill- up the blanks Short answer questions/one word answer
questionsSELECTION TYPE ITEMS True /false items or alternative response Matching items Multiple choice items
Essay TypeExtended responseRestricted response
Uses of Item BankEasy construction of test /examination
papers.Quick construction of test instruments
using validated itemsReduce the cost of preparationGuidance in planning instructionsGuidance in the preparation of textbooks Guide the new faculty
Prohibited Use of Item BanksPrinting and supplying to the studentsMaking them available in the librariesSupplying to tutorial collegesPrinting and selling in the marketUsing as guide to teaching
Update the item bankWhenever the curriculum is revisedWhenever new research results are
published in the concerned topicsWhenever standards are revisedWhenever acts or rules or regulations
are modifiedWhenever standards are revised
Essay Type QuestionsLong answer /Unrestricted response
questionsStructured essay questions/restricted
response essay questionsHigher order abilitiesDesign, analysis, evaluation, planning, Creative proposal
Preparation of ItemsFor each specific instructional objectiveAppropriative items are generatedValidated by the teachersModel question papers are preparedTested through a test on the learners Items are analyzedModified Improved
Content Validity Meaning- How well the test task
represents the domain of the tasks to be measured?
Procedure- Compare the test tasks to the specifications describing the domain under consideration
Criterion –Related ValidityMeaning-How well test performance
predicts future performance or estimates current performance on some valued measures other than the test itself.
Procedure for TestingCompare test scores with another
measure of a performance obtained at a later date (for prediction)
OR- With another measure of performance obtained concurrently ( for estimating present status)
Construct Validity Meaning - How test performance can
be described psychologically ?Procedure – Experimentally determine
what factors influence scores on the test.
Competencies and Item Bank Identification of competenciesSelection of evaluation instrumentsValidity of the instrumentsSetting standardsPlanning for the remedial instructionValidating the program objectives
Other Uses of Item BanksTest instruments for students placementFormative evaluationDiagnostic evaluationSummative evaluation
Prepare Program Educational ObjectivesFor each program of instruction,
develop Program Educational Objectives, and Course objectives
Validate the objectives through a workshops involving experienced teachers, representatives of employers
Generate a Set of Specific Instructional ObjectivesState the acceptable performance Indicate the criteriaState the internal conditionsSpecify the field/external/organizational
conditions
Generate The ItemsWrite the items based on the specific
instructional objectives
Uses of Short-Answer ItemsTesting the knowledge of terminologyTesting the knowledge of specific factsTesting the knowledge of principlesTesting the knowledge of method or
procedureTesting the interpretation of the dataTesting the key regulations, rules,
restrictions
Edit the ItemsCheck the directionsCheck the vocabulary and sentence
structureCheck the appropriateness of the itemsAvoid unintended clues to the answerCheck the units of measurements
Some Common Clues in Test ItemsGrammatical inconsistenciesVerbal associationsSpecific determiners (e.g., always )Phrasing of correct responsesLength of correct responsesLocation of correct responses
Advantages of Short-Answer ItemsThe students must supply the answerReduces the possibility of guessingThey have to recall the informationCalculate /compute to solve the problem
Limitations of Short-Answer ItemsUnsuitability for measuring complex
learning outcomesDifficulty of scoring (unless the question
is very carefully phrased) Can not be machine scoredCost of evaluation is highTakes more time
Suggestions for Constructing Short-Answer ItemsWord the item so that the required
answer is both brief and definite.Do not take statements directly from
textbooks to use as a basis for short-answer items.
A direct question is generally desirable than an incomplete statement
Contd.Where the answer is to be expressed in
numerical units,indicate the system of units.
Blanks for answers should be in equal length and in a column to the right of the question.
Alternate- Response ItemsMeasures the ability to identify the
correctness of statements of facts, definitions of terms, statements of principles…
True/ false items
AdvantagesEase of constructionA wide sampling of course material
LimitationsLimited learning outcomes that can be
measuredSusceptibility to guessing (50 %) The reliability of each of item is lowThe diagnostic value is lowThe validity of students responses is
questionable because of response sets
Suggestions for ConstructingAvoid broad general statements, if they
are to be judged true or false.Avoid trivial statements.Avoid the use of negative
statements,and especially double negatives.
Avoid long, complex sentences.
Contd. Avoid including two ideas in one statement,
unless cause-effect relations are being measured.
If opinion is used, attribute the source. True and false statements should be
approximately equal in length The number of true statements and false
statements should be approximately equal.
Matching ItemsConsists of two parallel columns with
each word, number, or, symbol in one column (premises) being matched to a word, sentence, or phrase in the other column(responses).
Checks the ability to identify the relationship between two things.
Advantages Possible to measure a large amount of
related factual material in a short time.Ease of construction.
Limitations Restricted to the measurement of
factual information based on rote learning
Highly susceptible to the presence of irrelevant clues
Difficulty in finding homogeneous material that is significant from the viewpoint of learning outcomes.
SuggestionsUse only homogeneous material in a
single matching exercise Include an unequal number of
responses and premisesState the conditions in the use of
responses (may be used once/ more than once/ or not at all).
Contd. Keep the list of items to be matched brief and
place the shorter responses on the right. Arrange the list of responses in logical order. Indicate in the directions or the basis for
matching the responses and premises. Place all of the items for one matching
exercise on the same page.
Develop a Test PaperFor each unit of instructionFor each course of study
Conduct a TestSpecify the timeSpecify the marks for each itemSelect the target learnersWatch the progressNote down the quires raised
Evaluate the ItemsDetermine the item difficulty
Chance ScoreTwo-choice items---50%Three-choice multiple-choice item---
33%Four-choice multiple –choice item---
25%Five-choice multiple-choice item---20%
Prepare a set of question papers for a given course in engineering based on the
course objectivesThank you
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