Short+Answer

Short Answer

**1. ****Question Type:** · Short Answer

**2. ****Define:** · Open-ended questions that require students to formulate their own response. Responses are generally a few words or a few sentences long.  · Short descriptive or qualitative answers, diagrams with explanations, creating a list, etc.

**3. ****Advantages and Disadvantages:**  · Students can be more creative than with multiple choice, true or false or fill in the blanks  · Assesses recall of information  · Easy to construct  · Minimizes guessing  · Faster to mark than essay questions  · A series of short answer questions can cover more material than a couple of essay questions  · Allows students flexibility in creating their answer ||  · Generally ask questions that require students to stay at the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (knowledge and understanding)  · Create emphasis on knowledge and understanding rather than one higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, like application, evaluation or synthesis  · Scoring can be subjective – a level of teacher interpretation is needed sometimes  · Scoring requires more time and effort than with multiple choice, short answer or fill in the blanks <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 16pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -13.5pt;"> · May be challenging to guide the students to the answer you’re looking for without giving away the answer <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 16pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -13.5pt;"> · Questions may have more than one correct answer ||
 * Advantages || Disadvantages ||
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 17.1pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -13.5pt;"> · Allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the specific subject matter

<span style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 5.05pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">4. ****Tips on creating question** <span style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.75in; margin-right: 5.05pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Ensure that the question is brief, specific and direct – the less wordy, the better · Try to use your own words – students are likely to understand your wording o This also ensures that you know exactly what the question is asking because YOU designed it. · Check to see if there is more than one correct answer – if so, narrow your focus · Answer the question yourself – students will likely write more than you do  · Check spelling and grammar! · Include instructions on whether you would prefer a point-form answer or an answer in proper sentences · Include instructions on any other pertinent information (significant units,precision, length of answer, etc.) · Allocate appropriate marks for the length of answer you’re looking for (for example – 1 mark for each point you expect the students to make)

**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">5. ****Examples**

· Good example <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal !important; font-weight: normal;">1) Describe the difference between a rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal !important; font-weight: normal;">A: Rough endoplasmic reticulum is studded with ribosomes, while the smooth endoplasmic reticulum has no ribosomes attached.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal !important; font-weight: normal;">2) Chloroplasts are found only in plant cells. What is the function of a chloroplast and why are they not found in animal cells?

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal !important; font-weight: normal;">A: Chloroplasts are responsible for conducting photosynthesis in plant cells. They are not found in animal cells because photosynthesis does not occur in animal cells.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal !important; font-weight: normal;">3) What would happen to an animal cell if all of the lysosomes were removed?

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant: normal !important; font-weight: normal;">A: Lysosomes are responsible for breaking down wastes in animal cells. Therefore, if all of the lysosomes were to be removed, the cell would die quickly due to the build-up of waste products.

· Bad Example

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1) Choose one living and describe in which ways it does or does not fit with the statements made by the Cell Theory. Repeat this task with a nonliving thing.

· This is more suited towards a long answer question · Students cannot answer this question in a few words or sentences. There are a couple of paragraphs worth of information that should be answered in this question.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">6. ****Considerations for identified students** · For students with Dysgraphia, let them use a computer to complete their test questions · Allow the students to answer the questions orally or use a scribe · Use wording that they would understand · Make the answer a fill-in-the-blank question for them · Allow students to use point form instead of sentences

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Chan, C. (n.d.). //Assessment Resource @ HKU: Short Answer Questions//. Retrieved January 11, 2011, from []
 * Resources**

<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Grayson H. Walker Teaching Resource Centre. (2003). //Designing Test Questions: Short Answer.// Retrieved January 11, 2011, from __<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[] __

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">The Centre for Teaching Excellence. (n.d.). //Exam Questions:Types, Characteristics, and Suggestions//. Retrieved January 11, 2011, from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Ellington, H. & Earl, S. (1997). //Writing and Using Short-Answer Questions//. Retrieved January 11, 2011, from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">UW Teaching Academy. (n.d.). //Short-Answer Questions//. Retrieved January 11, 2011, from []