Blog Entry 6: Describe the differences between constructed-response and fixed-response written assessments. Describe the benefits of using both in eLearning. Finally, describe the necessity for a balance between teacher-graded and computer-graded assessment items.
In my previous blog lesson 5 I described the differences between constructed response and fixed response assessments
The benefits of using constructed response in eLearning are that the learner can communicate their ideas in writing. The problem comes mainly with how to solve math problems. As a teacher I am more interested in how a student attacks a problem, even if they have minor arithmetic errors. I like to see how their math brain works. I once had someone tell me there is only one right answer. In algebra, calculus and higher mathematics there are multiple solutions to a problem. Sometimes it's hard for as student to grasp this concept especially when there are many correct answers for a function. For example, lets just take f(x) = x+4 . There are any number of numerals that can satisfy this equation.10=6+4, 8=4+4, and so on. When you are grading things like graphing, I suppose an online teacher could ask the student to take a photo of the calculator, or graph the equation, or maybe scan the work and upload it.
I would hate to do an entire math course by fixed response items. It forces the student to think the most important thing in mathematics is a simple answer, when sometimes difficult problems have no answers for hundreds of years. Take for example Fermat's last theorem, there were whole branches of mathematics that were invented just to try to solve the problem.
Another example is Pythagorean Theorem, the Greeks ran into trouble when they used the simplest unit on a right triangle and got a number that was irrational. The concept of irrational numbers was as hard to grasp for them as multiple dimensions are for us.
We force students to take summative fixed response tests. Their whole academic career, sometimes even graduation is based on this one test. Does the test tell you how a student thinks? No, it just tells you how many questions a student got right.
When I look at the test scores of my students I am disheartened because I know they can do math, they just have a difficult time taking fixed response tests. I dread to see the upcoming computerized tests. I have seen where students cannot browse through the test and answer what they know first and then go on to more difficult questions. They must answer each question in order. There are students that have test phobia. My granddaughter freezes up on computer tests. She says her mind just goes blank. She can't think of anything. She has an artistic personality and is used to drawing things to solve problems. Now there is no place to draw or write, no sketches. No paper allowed.
The process of solving a problem is more valuable to me than a fixed response. One thing that irritates me as a teacher having worked in the real world outside of academia is that there are no answer books in real life. The answer you give is the answer. My daughter worked for a large company that has massive numeral reports every quarter, She uses huge work books in Excel not just work sheets. The report she gives to her CEO is the answer. Is it right? She has to use problem solving abilities to prove to herself that her report is correct. If a student thinks an essay question is hard, wait till they get into the real world. My other daughter owns her own business, she has to figure profit ,loss, cost of goods sold, predictions about what market trends are coming up. No one can tell her how much to buy, how much to sell. She can't look it up in the back of a math book. She has to make decisions on her mathematics. The mathematics for which there is no answer book, no true/false, no little 4 part multiple choice question. She might have to analyze 20 different scenarios.to make a decision.
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