Pp3

Kinds of t/f test:
A true-false item can be written in one of three forms: simple, complex, or compound. Answers can consist of only two choices (simple), more than two choices (complex), or two choices plus a conditional completion response (compound).
Sample true-false item:
simple Conflict is essential in a play        True     False
complex Conflict is essential in a play        True     False     Opinion
compound Conflict is essential in a play        True     False If this statement is true, what makes it true? The compound questions can allow for more sophisticated questioning of understanding, but the fill-in-the blank portion of the question takes more time and leads to scoring ambiguities.
When/how to use:
Appropriate for all levels of cognitive(nhan thuc) ability
Objective
Efficient in testing recall and comprehension of a broader content area relative to other testing strategies
Well suited to test recall, comprehension of simple logic or understanding, as with "if-then" "causal/because" statements
Not appropriate to test the ability to read or interpret complex sentences or understand complex thoughts
Sufficiently reliable and valid instrument: Its ability to include the most test items in a time frame increases its reliability. True false tests are less reliable than multiple choice tests unless relatively more test items are used
Useful for automated scoring
Useful for item analysis, internal and over time

Limitations:
Scoring tends to be high  since guessing yields a 50-50 score (half right half wrong) as a base.  i.e. if there are 100 items, and the student knows the correct answer to 50, and guesses on the other half, the score will be 75 knowing only half the material.
Since the stem can cue a correct answer,  guessing is enhanced without really understanding the question. incorporate an extremely high guessing factor

The format does not provide diagnostic information on why a student got it wrong

It may be easy to cheat

can often lead an instructor to write ambiguous statements due to the difficulty of writing statements which are unequivocally true or false

do not discriminate between students of varying ability as well as other item types


can often lead an instructor to favor testing of trivial knowledge


Advantages in using true-false items
True-false items can provide:
the widest sampling of content or objects per unit of testing time
scoring efficiency and accuracy
versatility in measuring all levels of cognitive ability
highly reliable test scores
an objective measurement of student achievement or ability
tips to design a true/false test:
Test instructions:
Before the test, give clear, proactive instructions  on what content is covered,  level of detail, and what type of questions will be asked: Encourage comprehension:  cause and effect, if/then, sequences, Avoid memorization
Detail exactly what must be exactly memorized:  dates, locations, proper names, sequences
Be consistent in test administration over time
Have students indicate their answers by circling  complete words of "true" "false" (not "t" "f") Do not have students write their response of t/f or true/false to (avoids distinguishing/problems of hand writing and sloppiness) Avoid plus or minus signs "+" of "-"
Indicate how the test is scored:   total right, or total right minus wrong? 

Critical content should be readily apparent and identified for analysis, avoiding cleverness, trickery, and verbal complexity
Use simple, direct language in declarative sentences
Present the correct part of the statement first,  and vary the truth or falsity of the second part if the statement expresses a relationship (cause, effect--if, then)
Statements must be absolute without qualification,  subject to the true/false dichotomy without exceptions
Every part of a true sentence must be "true" If any one part of the sentence is false, the whole sentence is false despite many other true statements.
Paraphrase, and do not directly quote,  course content to avoid burdening students with detailed verbal analyses, maintain focus on differentiating, as well as avoid copyright issues
Include background, qualifications, and context as necesary:  "According to...., ...."
In developing a question with a qualifier, negative or absolute word, substitute or experiment with variations to find the best phrase and assessment
Avoid
Unfamiliar vocabulary and concepts
Long strings of statements
Ambiguous statements and generalizations  that are open to interpretation
Indefinite or subjective terms  that are open to interpretation "a very large part" "a long time ago" "most" 
Negative words and phrases:  they can be confusing IF negatives are necessary, they are emphasized with underlined, bolded, CAPITALIZED, italicized, and/or colored indicators e.g.:  "no" "not" "cannot" Drop the negative and read what remains to test your item
Absolute words restrict possibilities. These imply the statement must