PSYC 3377 CHAPTER 8

Chapter 8: Essay Items

General Overview

  • Context: This chapter discusses essay items as a method of assessment in educational settings. Content is sourced from Salkind, Tests and Measurement (3e), SAGE Publishing (2018).

Essay Items Definition

  • Expectation: Test takers must write a coherent and informative response to a question posed.

  • Purpose: Effective for evaluating higher-level thinking skills.

  • Utility: Essay items are suitable for unrestricted responses that delve into higher-order thinking.

  • Capabilities Assessed: They assess the relationship between ideas and the pros and cons of arguments.

Types of Essay Items

  • Two primary types exist:

    • Open-ended (Unrestricted response) essay items

    • Closed-ended (Restricted response) essay items

Open-ended Essay Items

  • Characteristics:

    • No restrictions on response content or format.

    • Imposes practical limits concerning time and material, but these limits do not define the scope of responses.

  • Example:

    • Prompt: Discuss the various theories of human development discussed throughout the semester. Be sure to compare and contrast the various basic assumptions of the theories, methods used in the study of development, and criticisms of each. Response organization and length are at the test taker's discretion.

Closed-ended Essay Items

  • Characteristics:

    • Specific restrictions on response including time, format, and content.

  • Example:

    • Prompt: Compare and contrast two basic theories of human development discussed in class. Include a brief summary of each theory, methodologies, and critiques. Limit your response to five pages and write for no longer than two hours.

Guidelines for Writing Essay Items

  • Time Considerations: Ensure adequate time is allotted for test takers to think and respond.

  • Question Clarity: Questions should be complete and clear.

  • Clear Example:

    • Prompt: Discuss the impact of the Civil War on the postwar South's economy, including the following factors: reduction of workforce, international implications, and the evolving role of agriculture.

Guidelines for Evaluating Higher-Order Skills

  • Use of Essay Questions: Essays should be employed for evaluating high-order outcomes such as:

    • Comparisons

    • Evaluations

    • Analyses

    • Interpretations

    • Synthesis

  • Key Indicators of Higher-Order Skills: Look for verbs such as:

    • Apply

    • Arrange

    • Contrast

    • Explain

    • Integrate

    • Justify

    • Organize

    • Summarize

    • Persuade

  • Example for Application: Choose two theories guiding social development and detail their main characteristics while comparing and contrasting the two (adapted from Clarke-Stewart & Parke, 2014).

Grading and Objectivity

  • Uniformity in Testing: All test takers should answer the same questions to enable standard grading.

  • Model Answer Importance: Establish a benchmark answer for objective and consistent grading.

Advantages of Essay Items

  • Knowledge Assessment: Can discern test takers' knowledge and how they connect ideas.

  • Plagiarism Resistance: Harder to plagiarize due to the nature of essay responses.

  • Flexibility: Offers unparalleled flexibility in assessment format.

  • Simplicity in Construction: Generally easier to construct than other testing formats.

Disadvantages of Essay Items

  • Writing Emphasis: Increased expectation on writing skills can disadvantage test takers who struggle with written expression.

  • Difficulty in Construction: Well-written essay items require significant effort and precision.

  • Scoring Challenges: Scoring can be inconsistent and complex, requiring neutrality across various responses.

  • Content Overwriting: In some cases, strong writing may overshadow the actual content knowledge.

Scoring Essay Items

  • Scoring Time: It is essential to allocate enough time for scoring each item carefully.

  • Multiple Reads: Scorers should read responses multiple times to ensure the integrity of assessments is maintained.

  • Utilize Model Answers: Benchmark responses to ensure consistency and objectivity during grading.

  • Custom Scoring Systems: Develop a scoring system that highlights essential points.

  • Evaluation Criteria: Reference Brookhart’s criteria for evaluation, including:

    • Thesis and organization

    • Content knowledge

    • Writing style and mechanics

Scoring Process

  • Evaluation Method: Score each essay question across all test takers. This allows for:

    • Absolute judgment against a model.

    • Relative judgment in comparison to other responses.

  • Anonymity in Grading: Grade responses without knowing the identity of the test taker to mitigate bias.

  • Achieving Anonymity: Explore methods to eliminate identifying information during scoring.