Veloski J J, Rabinowitz H K, Robeson M R
Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107.
Med Educ. 1993 Jul;27(4):371-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.1993.tb00284.x.
Although the cueing effects inherent in conventional multiple choice questions (MCQs) present serious limitations, this format continues to dominate testing programmes. The present study was undertaken to estimate the effects of cueing when MCQs are used to test medical students, and to evaluate the reliability, validity and feasibility of an alternative testing format. Equivalent items in both MCQ and open-ended, or uncued (Un-Q), formats were administered to 34 third- and fourth-year medical students. The students' mean % correct score on the MCQs was 11 percentage points higher than their mean level of performance on equivalent Un-Qs. When a second set of more difficult items was administered to 16 of these students, their mean performance on the MCQ items was 22 percentage points higher than their performance on equivalent Un-Qs. The results support the feasibility of large group administration of tests constructed in an open-ended format that can be scored by computer. Not only is this format equally reliable and economical when compared with the MCQ, but it also provides important advantages that strengthen its face validity. The Un-Q format can be used to test either simple recall or certain higher level problem-solving skills that cannot be tested by MCQs. Even more important, the results also suggest that the Un-Q format may be a more effective discriminator of academically marginal examinees.
尽管传统多项选择题（MCQ）固有的提示效应存在严重局限性，但这种题型仍在测试项目中占据主导地位。本研究旨在评估使用MCQ测试医学生时提示效应的影响，并评估另一种测试形式的信度、效度和可行性。以MCQ形式和开放式或无提示（Un-Q）形式呈现的等效题目，被施测于34名三、四年级医学生。学生在MCQ上的平均正确得分百分比比他们在等效Un-Q题目上的平均表现水平高11个百分点。当对其中16名学生施测第二组更难的题目时，他们在MCQ题目上的平均表现比在等效Un-Q题目上的表现高22个百分点。结果支持了以开放式形式构建、可由计算机评分的测试进行大规模施测的可行性。与MCQ相比，这种形式不仅同样可靠且经济，还具有增强其表面效度的重要优势。Un-Q形式可用于测试简单回忆或某些MCQ无法测试的更高层次的解决问题能力。更重要的是，结果还表明Un-Q形式可能是对学业成绩处于边缘的考生更有效的区分方式。
