Page 136 - Making Instruction Work

chap 11 3/11/97 4:59 PM Page 122

122 making instruction work

someone refers to multiple-choice items as objective—which
they are not—that doesn’t make them useful, appropriate, or
convenient.Worst of all, they practically never tell you whether
your objectives have been actually achieved. Remember the
surgeon who passed all the written tests on appendectomies?

Examples

Here are some examples of objectives, along with several
possible test items for testing achievement of each. The test
item that would be appropriate for testing achievement of the
objective has been checked. The items not check-marked may
tell you whether students can perform some part of the objec-
tive, but only the check-marked items will tell you whether
they can perform as the objective demands.

Objective #1: Given your own computer terminal loaded
with word-processing software, be able to type
a business letter in accordance with the stan-
dards described in Company Manual 10A
(page 23).

Test Items:

1. Describe the five elements of a business letter.

2. On the attached letters, circle the typos and items not
corresponding to company policy.

3. Tell how you would instruct a secretary in the prepara-
tion of business letters in accordance with company stan-
dards.

✓ 4. From the attached copy, type a business letter on your
own terminal in the form described in Company
Manual 10A (pg. 23).