A Computerized Testing system that Reduces Backward Reasoning in Multiple-choice Items

A new computerized testing system, called the Computerized Multiple-choice Testing (CMMT) system, was introduced. In this system, questions of multiple choice (MC) items are presented first without options, so that students must generate answers for themselves. They can click for the options when they are ready, and can respond within a brief, specified time period. The present study was performed to examine whether this system is effective in reducing backward reasoning, I. e., using the options of MC items as cues to find the correct answer. One hundred and seventy-seven 6th grade students (12 year olds) were divided into two groups so that mean scores from a prior test were equal: The experimental group took an intervening computerized test in the new format, and the control group in the MC format. Five days after the computerized intervening test, a short answer paper-and-pencil final test was given. Testing effect was greater in the new system than in the MC system. Analysis of the final test response in relation to the intervening test response showed that i) the students retained the correct answer in the new system more than in the MC testing system, and that ii) students corrected their previous failures in the intervening CMMT format more than those in the MC format. These results suggest that the new system is effective in reducing backward reasoning.