Exams are often considered to be less cognitively challenging than other types of assessments, but are they inferior to other assessments when the test questions are well-designed and challenging and when they provoke critical thinking? During this introductory-level, virtual workshop, we’ll explore how to create better design objective test questions (true/false and multiple choice) and better essay questions, and we will practice composing test questions that are both clear and rigorous. This workshop will focus on effective question design but will include a brief demonstration of the quiz maker tool in Canvas.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Recognize when it is appropriate to assess students using exams.
• Explain the pros and cons of different types of test questions in order to determine when each type might be appropriate to use.
• Explain how test results can be used as an instructional tool.
• Begin to compose clear, appropriately challenging test questions which align with learning objectives and learning-objective levels.

This workshop counts towards the Achievement in Pedagogy badge.