2134/22120 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.