Page 105 - DEDU504_EDUCATIONAL_MEASUREMENT_AND_EVALUATION_ENGLISH

Unit 8 : Test Construction

(iv) ______ Can be estimated for each question by paper setters on the basis of their provious Notes
experience and expert judgement.
(v) A ______ is a three dimensional, chart showing distribution of questions reflecting numerical
weightage.

8.3 Framing of Questions and Developing Marking Schemes

8.3.1 Purpose and Scope of Various Questions

The place of various types of questions and their construction has already been discussed.
Regarding marking scheme, it should be prepared simultaneously while preparing a question.
Variations in marking open-ended questions looms large in grading of essay-type questions. In
SAQ also many answers that are acceptable were not intended by the paper setter. In VSA
questions again the answers expected by the paper setter are different from the one examinees
write. Even sometimes in OTQ the key is doubtful or more than one answer is correct. This
happens where questions are not well worded and the scope of intended response is not clear.
Unless key, model answer and marking schemes are clearly worked out by making the language
of the question precise, unambiguous and comprehensible, we cannot ensure scoring objectivity.
Three main purposes of developing model answers and detailed marking schemes are :
(a) to improve quality of the question by dovetailing it with the marking scheme;
(b) to ensure maximum possible objectivity in scoring the response; and
(c) to maximise scoring uniformity among the examiners.
A good marking scheme when developed without making any modification in the wording of a
question is indeed an acid test of a good question. Maximum scoring objectively through a well-
developed marking scheme by making the needed changes in the wording of original question is
the proof of using marking scheme for improving the quality of a question. A functional scheme
facilitates examiners to grade responses as objectively as possible. For development of a good
marking scheme the following basic principles may be followed.
8.3.2 Basic Principles of Development
Multiple-Choice Questions
(i) Is the correct or best answer only one and distinctly one ?
(ii) Is it completely correct and not partially correct ?
(iii) Is the answer correct under all conditions, i.e. it requires no further qualifiers ?
Short-Answer Questions
(i) Word the questions to indicate clearly the scope of intended answer.
Poor : What is parasitism ? (6-7 varieties of answers were observed in one seminar).
(2 marks)
Better : Give one example each of a partial and total parasite. (2 marks)
In the first case workable marking scheme is not possible whereas in the second the intend
scope of answer is quite clear and it lends to objective scoring.
(ii) Write the answer yourself as you expect the examinees to write. Work out all acceptable
answers considered relevant.
(iii) Identify the main value points or credit points that you intend to test. Write them in sequential
order if one exists. These points form the basis of marking.
(iv) Allocate credit-wise (value point-wise) marks proportionately according to the potential of
different credit points.

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