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Chris Sangwin
Chris
Sangwin
Ian Jones
Ian
Jones
Asymmetry in student achievement on multiple-choice and constructed-response items in reversible mathematics processes
Loughborough University
2016
Assessment
Algebra
Calculus
Symbolic manipulation
2016-07-26 15:12:11
Journal contribution
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/Asymmetry_in_student_achievement_on_multiple-choice_and_constructed-response_items_in_reversible_mathematics_processes/9368276
In this paper we report the results of an experiment designed to test
the hypothesis that when faced with a question involving the inverse direction
of a reversible mathematical process, students solve a multiple-choice version by
verifying the answers presented to them by the direct method, not by undertaking
the actual inverse calculation. Participants responded to an online test contain-
ing equivalent multiple-choice and constructed-response items in two reversible
algebraic techniques: factor/expand and solve/verify. The ndings supported this
hypothesis: Overall scores were higher in the multiple-choice condition compared
to the constructed-response condition, but this advantage was significantly greater
for items concerning the inverse direction of reversible processes compared to those
involving direct processes.