Howard Williams Teaches a College Course in Educational Foundations to Preservice

Essay

Howard Williams teaches a college course in educational foundations to preservice teachers.The course is intended to expose students to the historical roots of education,key philosophers,and current issues in teaching and education.90 percent of students' grades in his course are determined by a midterm and a final exam,both consisting of 75 multiple-choice questions.The remaining 10 percent is attendance.One question on the midterm,for example,was: "The first normal school in Tennessee was established in ." followed by four alternatives.A question on the final was: "The philosopher identified with the progressive movement was ..."' followed by four alternatives.When asked about the course after they had graduated,students often described it as "well taught,but meaningless."
-Given that Dr.Williams will probably continue to use at least some multiple-choice testing,suggest some guidelines regarding when and how to use this testing format.Specifically,what objectives should multiple-choice questions test? How should items be constructed to improve their content validity for course objectives?