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Short Answer

Assesses deep understanding and reasoning skills when students are required to supply a brief response to a question or situation that can only be understood by the use of the targeted thinking skill.

A large proportion of assessment items make use of short answer questions of some form (in assignments, quizzes, examinations, laboratory tests).

Short Answer
Response Formats

one word, several lines, or over a page

complete the sentence, supply the missing line

short descriptive or qualitative answers, diagrams with explanation

Short Answer
Advantages

Question can be addressed towards the testing of a specific objective or thinking skill.

Avoids cueing by requiring students to supply an answer, rather than selecting or guessing from options supplied.

Short Answer
Disadvantages

Individual questions for individual objectives fragment the subject and reduce the likelihood that students will look for the relationship between objectives.

It is difficult to address reasoning tasks, such as decision making and critical thinking because students don't have the opportunity to elaborate.

Short Answer
Constructing for Deep Reasoning

Think about the specific thinking skill you would like to assess (Bloom's taxonomy, Ennis's critical thinking, Quellmalz and Hoskyn's reasoning skills)

Make the questions precise

Direct questions are better than incomplete statements

If a numerical answer is required, indicate the units and degree of precision required

Short Answer
Examples of Deep Understanding Skills

implications of something

student reaction to

different points of view

making predictions

Short Answer
Example

Deductive ReasoningCoach Greene substitutes his basketball players by height, so that the first substitute is the tallest player on the bench, the next substitute is the next tallest, and so forth. Reginald is taller than Sam, and Juan is taller than Reginald. Which of these three players should Coach Greene play first?