College Faculty's Use of Objective Tests: State-of-the-Practice versus State-of-the-Art.

This study investigated current state-of-the-practice in the use of objective tests among faculty employed at three institutions of higher education in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Data collected via mail surveys and phone interviews confirmed that faculty frequently used objective tests and weighed these tests heavily when assigning grades and evaluating students' achievement in their college courses. However, testing routines frequently failed to meet state-of the-art standards. Many faculty (a) were unfamiliar with basic test construction and test analysis terms, (b) did not accurately explain the meaning of such terms, and (c) failed to utilize sound practices and principles of test construction (e.g., test blueprints) and test analysis (e.g., conventional item analysis). Explanatory factors related to faculty's pervasive underuse of state-of the-art testing procedures include (a) a paucity of specific training in test construction and test analysis, (b) reliance on inadequate models of testing which faculty experienced as students, and (c) continued reliance on test-administering experiences alone as a means to acquire and improve test construction and test analysis skills. Although college faculty utilize various sources to assign grades and evaluate student achievement, objective tests have been and continue to be one of their most frequently used tools. These objective tests are popular for a number of reasons including ease of scoring and grading (Roth, 1978). Moreover, objective tests are attractive alternatives to subjective tests, such as essays, especially when many students are enrolled in one class (Hassmen & Hunt, 1994).