Description
The ability to write multiple-choice test items is a skill that is growing in importance for informatics practitioners and educators. The emergence of Clinical Informatics (CI) certification created the need for multiple-choice test items that adhere to national standards for use in high stakes exams. AMIA established an item writing activity to generate items for a clinical informatics practice exam. CI fellowship programs use items to help fellows assess their mastery of the CI core content. Maintenance of certification (MOC) requires that well written multiple-choice questions accompany learning content for credit to be offered (e.g., sessions at AMIA meetings). Applied Clinical Informatics requests that authors submit multiple-choice questions with manuscripts. AMIA’s work towards Advanced Health Informatics Certification (AHIC) will create additional demand for high quality informatics test items. Many individuals who write test questions for use in their educational programs are unfamiliar with the well-established set of rules for writing sound test items. Increased use of these test question guidelines would help students become familiar with the format of questions used on high-stakes exams as part of their educational program and could positively impact the quality of assessments used by educators. This workshop will present guidelines for writing high quality items, offer a recommended approach for writing clinical or health informatics items, and provide participants with an opportunity to write items that will be shared for feedback. Workshop faculty will share common pitfalls and strategies for effective item writing. After participating in this activity, the individual should be able to create items that comply with guidelines on creating one-best-answer multiple choice questions for high stakes exams and self-assessments.
Describe the new knowledge and additional skills the participant will gain after attending your presentation.: After participating in this activity, the individual should be able to create items that comply with national guidelines on creating one-best-answer multiple choice questions for high stakes exams and self-assessments.
Authors:
John Finnell (Presenter)
Indiana University
Lisa Masson (Presenter)
Cedars Sinai Health System
Presentation Materials: