Essay tests can be useful for teachers who want pupils to organize, select and analyze, synthesize and/or assess data. They depend on the higher level in Bloom's Taxonomy. There are two kinds of essay questions: limited as well as extended responses.
Restricted Response The essay questions restrict what students can write about in the essay according to the words of the query. For instance, "State the main differences between John Adams' and Thomas Jefferson's views on federalism" is a limited response. The topic the student has to write about is a matter that has been explained to them in the context of the question.
Extended ResponseStudents are able to choose what they want to include in order to be able to respond. For instance, "In Of Mice and Men Was George's murder of Lennie justifiable? Explain your answer." The student is provided with the general idea, however they can use their own judgement and incorporate external sources to support their opinions.
Before we can expect students to do effectively on any type of essay, we need to ensure that they possess the necessary skills to succeed. Here are four essential skills students must have acquired and practiced prior to taking their essay tests:
The ability to choose the appropriate study material using the knowledge gained to be able to answer the question.
Ability to arrange the material in a way that is efficient.
The ability to demonstrate how concepts interact and relate within a particular context.
Ability to write efficiently in paragraphs and sentences.
Here are some tips to assist in the creation of essay topics that are effective:
Start with the lesson goals in your mind. Be sure to determine what you want the student to demonstrate through responding to the essay question.
Determine if your objective requires an extended or restricted response. In general, if you want to determine if the student is able to synthesize and organize the knowledge they have acquired, then a restricted response is the best way to proceed. If you want students to evaluate or judge an item based on the knowledge they were taught in class, then you should use an extended response.
If you're submitting multiple essays, you should be aware of the time limitations. It is not a good idea to penalize students for running out of time during the exam.
Write the essay in a novel or in a way that is interesting to inspire the student.
Indicate the amount of points that the essay will earn. It is also possible to give them a time guidelines to guide them in completing the test.
If the essay is part of an objective test, ensure that it is the final item on the test.
One of the flaws of tests for essays is that they are not reliable. Even when teachers evaluate essays using a well-constructed rubric the subjective decision-making process is made. It is therefore crucial to be as accurate as you can when the scoring of your essay. Here are some tips to improve the reliability of the process of grading:
Decide if you'll use an analytic or holistic scoring system prior to writing your rubric. When you use the holistic system of grading you assess the answer in its entirety, grading the papers against one another. Analytical system: you write down specific bits of information and give the points they merit for inclusion.
Create the essay rubric ahead of time. Find out what you're looking for and the number of points you'll be assigning to each part of the essay.
Do not look at names. Teachers may require students to write numbers on their essays and assist with this.
You can only score one thing at one time. This will ensure that you are using the same standards and thinking for every student.
Be sure to avoid interruptions during you are grading a particular question. Also, the consistency of your score will be improved if you score the same thing for all papers at once.
If a crucial decision such as the award of a scholarship or prize is dependent on the score of the essay, get at least two independent reviewers.
Be aware of the negative influences that could affect the scoring of your essay. This includes handwriting and bias in writing, the length of the essay, and the addition of irrelevant information.
Examine papers that are near the border two times before giving a final grade.