Composing Essay Questions
By Rod Lucero
There are two types of essay questions, those requiring a restricted response and those requiring an extended one. As an instructor you must decide which of these two types most effectively assesses the learning you are trying to evaluate.
Restricted-response questions
- Lists, defines, gives reasons
- Imposes limitations
- Are excellent for comprehension, application and analysis levels
- (Please see Bloom's Taxonomy: Testing Beyond Rote Memory)
Extended-response questions
- Are more open in form and scope
- Provides unlimited freedom
- Are excellent for synthesis and evaluation levels
- (Please see Bloom's Taxonomy: Testing Beyond Rote Memory)
Here are some things to consider when writing essay questions:
- Only use to measure complex learning outcomes
- Relate the questions to the learning outcomes being measured
- Formulate questions that present a clear task to be performed
- Do not permit a choice of questions unless the learning outcome requires it
- Provide ample time for answering and suggest a time limit to each question
See Also:
- Composing Matching Questions
- Composing Multiple Choice Questions
- Composing Short Answer Questions
- Composing True/False Questions
Copyright and Permissions:
Thanks to Dr. Rodrick Lucero, Assoc. Prof. in the School of Education, the Associate Director for the School of Teacher Education and Principal Preparation (STEPP), and Master Teacher Initiative (MTI) Coordinator for the College of Applied Human Sciences at Colorado State University for this Teaching Tip.
Contributors:
Peter Connor - TILT Web Content Writer and Editor