On 10 Mar 2004, Annette Taylor, Ph. D. wrote:
> Quoting Stephen Black <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
> >
> > It's actually a test of how to exploit
> > poorly-written tests when the testee doesn't have a clue.
>
> Actually, I think this only works with well-written tests! For example
> the answer there the stem ends in 'an' and only one option begins with
> a vowel. I make mistakes in writing tests where I am not careful
> enough about that. So, for my not-so-expert test that cue would not
> help. The same is true of several of the other items.
>
> For the rest of your post (which I conveniently deleted) I think you
> are correct.
Given the generous final comment, it's probably churlish to quibble.
But I'm puzzled by Annette's first comment. By "well-written",
perhaps she means in correct English. What I meant by calling it
"poorly-written" was that it provided a clue ("an") which would allow
the otherwise ignorant student to undeservedly get the answer right.
In my philosophy, that's a bad question.
It now occurs to me that if one were Machiavellian, one would write
the questions sprinkled with such "clues", only they would point to
an incorrect rather than a correct choice. But, in the words of a
beloved American president, that would be wrong.
Stephen
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Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661
Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7
Canada
Dept web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
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