The influence of question design on the response to self-assessment in www.elearnSCI.org: a submodule pilot study

N Liu; X-W Li; M-W Zhou; F Biering-Sørensen

doi:10.1038/sc.2014.226

The influence of question design on the response to self-assessment in www.elearnSCI.org: a submodule pilot study

N Liu, X-W Li, M-W Zhou, F Biering-Sørensen

Department of Clinical Medicine

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: This is an interventional training session.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the difference in response to self-assessment questions in the original and an adjusted version for a submodule of www.elearnSCI.org for student nurses.

SETTING: The study was conducted in a teaching hospital affiliated to Peking University, China.

METHODS: In all, 28 student nurses divided into two groups (groups A and B; 14 in each) received a print-out of a Chinese translation of the slides from the 'Maintaining skin integrity following spinal cord injury' submodule in www.elearnSCI.org for self-study. Both groups were then tested using the 10 self-assessment multiple-choice questions (MCQs) related to the same submodule. Group A used the original questions, whereas group B received an adjusted questionnaire.

RESULTS: The responses to four conventional single-answer MCQs were nearly all correct in both groups. However, in three questions, group A, with the option 'All of the above', had a higher number of correct answers than group B, with multiple-answer MCQs. In addition, in another three questions, group A, using the original multiple-answer MCQs, had fewer correct answers than group B, where it was only necessary to tick a single incorrect answer.

CONCLUSION: Variations in design influence the response to questions. The use of conventional single-answer MCQs should be reconsidered, as they only examine the recall of isolated knowledge facts. The 'All of the above' option should be avoided because it would increase the number of correct answers arrived at by guessing. When using multiple-answer MCQs, it is recommended that the questions asked should be in accordance with the content within the www.elearnSCI.org.

Original language	English
Journal	Spinal Cord
Volume	53
Issue number	8
Pages (from-to)	604-7
Number of pages	4
ISSN	1362-4393
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2014.226
Publication status	Published - 10 Aug 2015

Keywords

China
Education, Medical
Education, Nursing
Educational Measurement
Female
Humans
Internet
Male
Personal Satisfaction
Pilot Projects
Self-Assessment
Spinal Cord Injuries
Surveys and Questionnaires

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@article{ef11124fce6843dd9f086825cf600bfe,

title = "The influence of question design on the response to self-assessment in www.elearnSCI.org: a submodule pilot study",

abstract = "STUDY DESIGN: This is an interventional training session.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the difference in response to self-assessment questions in the original and an adjusted version for a submodule of www.elearnSCI.org for student nurses.SETTING: The study was conducted in a teaching hospital affiliated to Peking University, China.METHODS: In all, 28 student nurses divided into two groups (groups A and B; 14 in each) received a print-out of a Chinese translation of the slides from the 'Maintaining skin integrity following spinal cord injury' submodule in www.elearnSCI.org for self-study. Both groups were then tested using the 10 self-assessment multiple-choice questions (MCQs) related to the same submodule. Group A used the original questions, whereas group B received an adjusted questionnaire.RESULTS: The responses to four conventional single-answer MCQs were nearly all correct in both groups. However, in three questions, group A, with the option 'All of the above', had a higher number of correct answers than group B, with multiple-answer MCQs. In addition, in another three questions, group A, using the original multiple-answer MCQs, had fewer correct answers than group B, where it was only necessary to tick a single incorrect answer.CONCLUSION: Variations in design influence the response to questions. The use of conventional single-answer MCQs should be reconsidered, as they only examine the recall of isolated knowledge facts. The 'All of the above' option should be avoided because it would increase the number of correct answers arrived at by guessing. When using multiple-answer MCQs, it is recommended that the questions asked should be in accordance with the content within the www.elearnSCI.org.",

keywords = "China, Education, Medical, Education, Nursing, Educational Measurement, Female, Humans, Internet, Male, Personal Satisfaction, Pilot Projects, Self-Assessment, Spinal Cord Injuries, Surveys and Questionnaires",

author = "N Liu and X-W Li and M-W Zhou and F Biering-S{\o}rensen",

year = "2015",

month = aug,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1038/sc.2014.226",

language = "English",

volume = "53",

pages = "604--7",

journal = "Spinal Cord",

issn = "1362-4393",

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T1 - The influence of question design on the response to self-assessment in www.elearnSCI.org

T2 - a submodule pilot study

AU - Liu, N

AU - Li, X-W

AU - Zhou, M-W

AU - Biering-Sørensen, F

PY - 2015/8/10

Y1 - 2015/8/10

N2 - STUDY DESIGN: This is an interventional training session.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the difference in response to self-assessment questions in the original and an adjusted version for a submodule of www.elearnSCI.org for student nurses.SETTING: The study was conducted in a teaching hospital affiliated to Peking University, China.METHODS: In all, 28 student nurses divided into two groups (groups A and B; 14 in each) received a print-out of a Chinese translation of the slides from the 'Maintaining skin integrity following spinal cord injury' submodule in www.elearnSCI.org for self-study. Both groups were then tested using the 10 self-assessment multiple-choice questions (MCQs) related to the same submodule. Group A used the original questions, whereas group B received an adjusted questionnaire.RESULTS: The responses to four conventional single-answer MCQs were nearly all correct in both groups. However, in three questions, group A, with the option 'All of the above', had a higher number of correct answers than group B, with multiple-answer MCQs. In addition, in another three questions, group A, using the original multiple-answer MCQs, had fewer correct answers than group B, where it was only necessary to tick a single incorrect answer.CONCLUSION: Variations in design influence the response to questions. The use of conventional single-answer MCQs should be reconsidered, as they only examine the recall of isolated knowledge facts. The 'All of the above' option should be avoided because it would increase the number of correct answers arrived at by guessing. When using multiple-answer MCQs, it is recommended that the questions asked should be in accordance with the content within the www.elearnSCI.org.

AB - STUDY DESIGN: This is an interventional training session.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the difference in response to self-assessment questions in the original and an adjusted version for a submodule of www.elearnSCI.org for student nurses.SETTING: The study was conducted in a teaching hospital affiliated to Peking University, China.METHODS: In all, 28 student nurses divided into two groups (groups A and B; 14 in each) received a print-out of a Chinese translation of the slides from the 'Maintaining skin integrity following spinal cord injury' submodule in www.elearnSCI.org for self-study. Both groups were then tested using the 10 self-assessment multiple-choice questions (MCQs) related to the same submodule. Group A used the original questions, whereas group B received an adjusted questionnaire.RESULTS: The responses to four conventional single-answer MCQs were nearly all correct in both groups. However, in three questions, group A, with the option 'All of the above', had a higher number of correct answers than group B, with multiple-answer MCQs. In addition, in another three questions, group A, using the original multiple-answer MCQs, had fewer correct answers than group B, where it was only necessary to tick a single incorrect answer.CONCLUSION: Variations in design influence the response to questions. The use of conventional single-answer MCQs should be reconsidered, as they only examine the recall of isolated knowledge facts. The 'All of the above' option should be avoided because it would increase the number of correct answers arrived at by guessing. When using multiple-answer MCQs, it is recommended that the questions asked should be in accordance with the content within the www.elearnSCI.org.

KW - China

KW - Education, Medical

KW - Education, Nursing

KW - Educational Measurement

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Internet

KW - Male

KW - Personal Satisfaction

KW - Pilot Projects

KW - Self-Assessment

KW - Spinal Cord Injuries

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires

U2 - 10.1038/sc.2014.226

DO - 10.1038/sc.2014.226

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25687518

SN - 1362-4393

VL - 53

SP - 604

EP - 607

JO - Spinal Cord

JF - Spinal Cord

IS - 8

ER -

The influence of question design on the response to self-assessment in www.elearnSCI.org: a submodule pilot study

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Keywords

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