— VOLUME X, NUMBER 29 8% INNOVATION ABSTRACTS — Taking the Guess Out of “Multiple Guess” Exams Many students anticipate multiple choice exams with all the joy of a dental visit. One way to deal with their anxiety is to encourage use of a problem-solving model: 1. Define the problem—ensuring that symptoms aren’t confused with the problem. 2. Generate solutions to the problem—without engag- ing in evaluation. 3. Evaluate the solutions—systematically and thor- oughly. 4. Make a decision—based on the systematic evalu- ation. Defining the Students’ Problem(s) Students who experience frustration with MC exams are rarely able to explain the source of that frustration. Using the problem-solving model, the instructor can help students clarify the problem and its solution. Three general areas warrant examination. First, explore the students’ emotions. Many students experience intense anxiety because they feel that they have abso- lutely no control in the exam situation. Asa result, they place blame on instructors, poor questions, difficult material, etc. These negative reflections cause students to lose even more confidence. Next, review their learning skills. The problem may be lack of preparation (problems with time management, notetaking, studying, etc.) or difficulty with exam writing (an inability to read questions systematically, to budget time appropriately, etc.) Finally, review students’ diet, exercise, and sleeping habits. Here it is important to separate symptoms from problems. Is poor concentration causing poor exam preparation which is causing sleepless nights? Or are poor sleeping habits causing concentration difficulties which are causing poor exam preparation? Simply exploring these issues seems to give students a greater sense of control. Once they determine what the problem is, they can get on with the business of gen- erating solutions and then evaluating them. Working Through Multiple Choice Questions The same problem-solving model can be applied to CQ MC questions. Defining the problem: Students often merely glance at the question (or stem) before they begin to look for the right answer. But they really don’t know what they’re looking for. Reading the stem completely and carefully is the crucial first step. Before looking at the answers, students must understand what the “problem” is (preferably by restating the stem in their own words). One way of reinforcing this approach is to cover the answers and then read the stem. Students must, there- fore, consciously remove the paper before moving on to the next step. Generating solutions: In MC exams, the instructor generates the solutions. The students’ responsibilities are to read each answer carefully and to make sure that they understand all the choices. Evaluating solutions: Usually one or two choices can be eliminated immediately. After the initial elimina- tion, students may need to go back to the stem to ensure that they clearly recall the “problem.” In light of the problem, they then carefully review each of the remain- ing answers. If the students know their material, this step should be fairly straightforward: simply evaluat- ing the “solutions” carefully and, above all, systemati- cally. Making the decision: The best “solution” to the “problem” will have become clear during the evalu- ation step. At this point, however, many students are tempted to throw out the systematic approach in order to try to second-guess the instructor. If they do so, they forfeit their control over the process. Students should be reminded of this temptation and of its impact on the quality of their answers and on their sense of control. Initially, students may worry that the problem- solving approach will take too much time. However, when they try it, they realize how much time they have wasted in the past. Glynis Wilson Boultbee, Red Deer College For further information, contact the author at Red Deer College, Box 5005, Red Deer, Alberta CANADA T4N 5H5. © EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712 THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STAFF AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (NISOD) Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin