Checklist for Stem

  1. The stem should be self-contained.

    The students should be able to read the stem (and passage or chart if there is one) and answer the question without reference to the alternatives.

    Example

    • places an unfair reading burden on some students because there is no context

    • incomplete stems tempt you to write distracters which are unrelated to the specific learning objective

        -if question is about market economy all distracters should relate to that objective

        -if question is about who America is named after, distractors should all be people it could have been named after, not random thoughts that takes kid in 12 different directions

        ---> no diagnostic information available from such a question:

        -if child gets it wrong, is because he got the person wrong, or because got tangled in one of the other curricular areas you've mixed in?

      -stem does NOT have to be phrased as a complete question, but should be complete in the sense that student can finish the phrase based on what's there

      -SOME research suggests that complete questions are best for young children who have trouble keeping first half of an incomplete statement in their head and have to go back and re-read the stem each time they read an alternative

  2. The stem should be clearly worded and free of ambiguity.

    -easier said than done, but keep chipping away at it -- can I simplify, clarify?

  3. The stem should be free of irrelevant or unnecessary detail.




    -same thing, just keep whittling down until have bare essentials

    -temptation is to do some teaching at the same time, stick in some new knowledge, but resist temptation

      -danger of confusing the student

      -increases reading burden


      -too nervous to really learn all that much anyway
  1. The stem asks a question that has a definite answer
      -again, should be able to answer the question before seeing alternatives -- and their answer should be among the alternatives when they get there...
    When BEST-answer items are used the qualifier in the stem has been emphasized by the use of capital letters.
      -anytime you have a key word that would change the answer if the kid misses it, boldface it, capitalize it, underline it or all three
    If you have a "best answer" question, don't say, which is the "BEST" answer: you must specify in what way it is the "best"
    Example
      NOT which is the best procedure for playing a flute


      -Which of the following ways of playing the flute will give the clearest sound?
    The stem must be grammatically correct within itself and in its relationship to each of the alternatives
      i.e., has to make a question, four answers; or stem makes complete statement with answers


      - the stem should not provide grammatical clues to any alternative
      Example
    The use of absolutes (e.g., always, never) should be avoided.
      -absolute statements are usually incorrect, some student will know an exception to the keyed answer and so panic

    Negatively worded stems should be avoided if possible.
    Example
      If you MUST use a negative, the negative wording should be stressed using uppercase
      Example
    "Of the following" --> only use this where student needs alternatives to answer
      It is a "sometimes"kind of thing


      -"which of the following" suggests that there may be other equally valid answers, but that given these four choices, which is the best?
      Example
      In a correct answer question (where there is only one possible answer) "which of the following" is both redundant and confusing

      Example........is this appropriate use or no?