Del Re, Jessica

Luehrs, Rose, B.S.

Zelechoski, Amanda

English

ValpoScholar

Valparaiso University
ValpoScholar
Graduate Academic Symposium Graduate School
Spring 5-3-2018
Multiple-Choice and Short-Answer Exams in A
College Classroom: A look at Students
Expectations and Outcomes
Jessica Del Re
jess.delre@valpo.edu
Amanda Zelechoski
Valparaiso University
Rose Luehrs B.S.
Valparaiso University
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Recommended Citation
Del Re, Jessica; Zelechoski, Amanda; and Luehrs, Rose B.S., "Multiple-Choice and Short-Answer Exams in A College Classroom: A
look at Students Expectations and Outcomes" (2018). Graduate Academic Symposium. 48.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/gas/48
Graduate Academic Symposium Oral Presentation Submission 
 
Multiple-Choice and Short-Answer Exams in A College Classroom: A look at Students 
Expectations and Outcomes 
 
Department of Psychology-Clinical Mental Health Counseling 
Valparaiso University Graduate School 
 
Jessica Del Re, BA, Rose Luehrs, MA, & Amanda D. Zelechoski, JD, PhD 
 
PI/Faculty Sponsor:  
Amanda Zelechoski, J.D., Ph.D., ABPP  
Associate Professor of Psychology 
Interim Director of Graduate Programs in  
    Counseling & Psychology 
amanda.zelechoski@valpo.edu  
    
                                   
Student Research Lead: 
Jessica Del Re, BA 
Masters Candidate: Clinical Mental Health    
    Counseling 
jess.delre@valpo.edu 
 
 
Student Biography: 
Jessica is a first-year master’s degree candidate in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling 
program. Her clinical interests include severe mental illness and the impact on family dynamics, 
as well as the intersection of counseling, law, and policy. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree 
in counselor education and supervision after graduation. She attended Judson University (’15) 
and majored in Psychology and Sociology. Currently, she belongs to Alpha Lambda Delta Honor 
Society, Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society, National Honor Society, and the American 
Counseling Association. Her co-authors are her faculty mentor, Amanda Zelechoski, and CMHC 
alumnus, Rose Leuhrs (MA ’16).  
 
 
Abstract: 
 
 This project aims to understand the expectations and outcomes of students in an 
introductory-level Lifespan Development course at Valparaiso University as they completed 
multiple-choice format versus short-answer format examinations.  Many colleges and 
universities are using multiple-choice examinations as a way to test their students’ knowledge, 
due to their perceived efficiency and increase in content retention (Bleske-Rechek, Zeug, & 
Webb, 2007). However, is that really the most effective way to test students’ knowledge of the 
course material? Nield and Wintre (2003) discovered that having a sense of control over the test 
decreases the amount of test-taking anxiety that is felt by the student. Wallace and Williams 
(2003) found that asking students to provide comments explaining their reasoning behind 
choosing certain multiple-choice answers helped improve scores on subsequent exams. This is, 
in part, because the professor is able to respond to students’ faulty reasoning on incorrect answer 
choices. Contrarily, many students also find short-answer exams to be frustrating and anxiety-
provoking due to the increased effort in preparation and writing during the test (Nield & Wintre, 
1986; Struyven, Dochy, & Janssens, 2005). Research shows that both multiple-choice and short-
answer tests have pros and cons; so, what is the true contributing factor to a student feeling 
successful on their exams?  
A commonality amongst the research is the concept of perceived fairness that the student 
feels or procedural justice. Procedural justice refers to how fair students find assessments and 
assignments to be when considering their outcome, or final grade, in a course (Chory-Assad, 
2002; Chory, 2007). Procedural justice ratings are often higher for professors who demonstrate 
care and investment in their students’ grades. This perceived fairness of a course can be a 
motivating factor in the student’s study habits, especially when they feel as though their 
professor’s expectations of them are valid and justified (Chory, 2007; Duplaga & Astani, 2010; 
Horan, Chory, & Goodboy, 2010). Overall, students are more motivated to study and learn 
material when they feel there is a standard of procedural justice being upheld within their 
classroom (Chory-Assad, 2002; Duplaga & Astani, 2010).  
 In the present study, we sought to examine two main questions. First, we investigated 
whether students preferred multiple-choice exams or short-answer exams. Secondly, we looked 
at self-reported exam performance expectations compared to actual performance on the two 
exam formats. We anticipated that students would perform lower on multiple-choice tests than 
they predicted, and higher on short-answer tests than they expected. We also predicted a higher 
level of perceived procedural justice associated with short-answer exams, as well as better 
retention several months after completion of the course.  This presentation will discuss the 
study’s preliminary results and their pedagogical implications.  
 
References 
Bleske-Rechek, A., Zeug, N., & Webb, R. M. (2007). Discrepant performance on multiple- 
 choice and short answer assessments and the relation of performance to general scholastic 
aptitude. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 32, 89-105. 
doi:10.1080/02602930600800763 
Chory-Assad, R. M. (2002). Classroom justice: Perceptions of fairness as a predictor of student 
motivation, learning, and aggression. Communication Quarterly, 50, 58-77. 
Nield, A. F. & Wintre, M. G. (1986). Multiple-choice questions with an option to comment: 
student attitudes and use. Teaching of Psychology, 13, 196-199. 
Struyven, K., Dochy, F., & Janssens, S. (2005). Students’ perceptions about evaluation and  
assessment in higher education: A review. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher  
Education, 30, 325-341. doi:10.1080/02602930500099102 
Wallace, M. A. & Williams, R. L. (2003). Multiple-choice exams: Explanations for student  
choices.  Teaching of Psychology, 30, 136-138. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Multiple-Choice and Short-Answer Exams in A College Classroom: A look at Students Expectations and Outcomes

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Multiple-Choice and Short-Answer Exams in A College Classroom: A look at Students Expectations and Outcomes

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