Beyond the multiple‐choice v. Essay questions controversy: Combining the best of both worlds

Law Teacher

Volumn 33, Issue 2, 1999, Pages 159-171

  Driessen, Erik ^a   Van Der Vleuten, Cees ^a   Van Berkel, Henk ^a  

^a MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 79955557978     PISSN: 03069400     EISSN: 19430353     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/03069400.1999.9993027     Document Type: Note

References (15)

1. Frederiksen, N., 1984. “The Real Test Bias: Influences of Testing on Teaching and Learning”. American Psychologist, 39: 193–202.
2. Crooks, T. J., 1988. “Impact of Classroom Evaluation Practices on Students”. Review of Educational Research, 58: 438–481.
3. Tribe, D., and Tribe, A., 1988. “Assessing Law Students: Lecturers’ Attitudes and Practices”. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, XIII: 195–211.
4. Rule, E., 1990. “The Use of Objective Testing for Law School Admissions”. The Law Teacher, 24: 37–47. Many of the arguments against multiple‐choice questions are expressed in an essay
5. Norman, G. R., 1987. "Factors underlying performance on written tests of knowledge,”. Medical Educ., 21: 297–304. There is a long research tradition by both teachers and test specialists on the question as to whether essay tests measure something quite different than tests with multiple‐choice questions. Two empirical studies of good quality about this topic with knowledge and cognitive problem‐solving tests are
6. Bennett, R. E., Rode, D. A., and Wang, M., 1991. “Equivalence of free‐response and multiple‐choice items”. Educational Measurement, 28: 77–92.
7. Bridgeman, B., and Rock, D. A., 1993. “Relationships among multiple‐choice and open‐ended analytical questions”. Educational Measurement, 40: 313–329. See for a study of the format problem with tests on the ability level of analytic thinking
8. Moust, J. H. C., 1998. “The Problem‐based Education Approach at the Maastricht Law School”. The Law Teacher, 32: 5–37. For a more extensive description of the curriculum
9. Berkel, H. J. M. van, and Crombag, H. F. M., 1992. Essay questions versus multiple‐choice questions: A research proposal
10. Ebel, R. L., and Frisbie, D. A., 1991. Essentials of Educational Measurement, 5d ed. 223–224. New Jersey
11. Linn, R. L., and Gronlund, N. E., 1995. Measurement and Assessment in Teaching, 7d ed. 47–80. New Jersey
12. Cohen, L., and Manion, L., 1994. Research Methods in Education, 4d ed. 130–132. London
13. Crombag, H. F. M., 1970. “Comparison between an open‐question examination and a multiple‐choice test”. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor de Psychologie, 25: 358–359. en haar Grensgebieden
14. We would like to thank Jan Smits for his comment on the earlier draft of this article and Louise Rayar for revising the English of this article.
15. Faculty of Law, University of Maastricht.