Looking for persistent misconceptions in multiple choice exams

CHED 116

Kristen Murphy, kmurphy@uwm.edu, John Picione, jpicione@uwm.edu, Karen Knaus, knaus@uwm.edu, and Thomas A. Holme, tholme@uwm.edu. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 3210 N Cramer Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53211
Multiple choice assessments are constructed to test a student's content knowledge. When a student performs poorly on a well-constructed, multiple choice assessment, the nature of the chosen distracters holds information about misconceptions. Item statistics provide one level of analysis. Additional techniques such as cross tabulation and nominal response curves can provide deeper analysis including exploratory research into persistent student misconceptions. Application of these techniques to instructor generated and selected ACS exams will be presented.
 

General Posters
7:30 PM-9:30 PM, Sunday, March 25, 2007 Hyatt Regency Chicago -- Riverside Center, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007