Use of a test: Provide
information about an individual's achievement of a course
objective, or mastery of an area of nursing content. A good test
focuses on important information and discriminates those who have
mastered the content from those who have not.
Reliability: Consistency of
repeated measurements of individuals.
Content Validity: Test
measures what it was designed to evaluate in proportion to the
importance of the content.
Item Difficulty: Test
questions should discriminate students who know the information
from students who do not know the information. If everyone gets
an individual question correct or incorrect, the question does
not discriminate.
Point Biserial Correlation:
Indicates how students who performed well on the test and
students who performed poorly on the test did on a particular
question. The range is -1 to +1. If students who performed well
on the test get the question correct, the point bisereal
correlation is positive. If students who performed poorly on the
test get the question correct, the point biserial is
negative.
Test Blueprint: The
construction plan for a test containing details about the content
included in the test. Developed so the test has content validity.
Ensures that test contains a representative sample of the course
objectives. Can function as a study guide for students.
Bloom's Taxonomy:
Hierarchical classification system that places educational
objective along a continuum. There are three components to the
taxonomy: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. Cognitive
categorizes the objective from simple to complex along a
continuum. Affective focuses on continuum from awareness to a
change in behavior. Psychomotor focuses on the physical skills
needed to acquire learning. Multiple-choice questions concern the
cognitive domain.
Writing Test Questions to a
Blueprint
- Determine the total number of items to be included in the
test.
- Select the course objectives to be included in the
test.
- Determine the number of questions for each course
objective.
- Establish a table that lists the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy
along one axis and the course objectives to be tested along the
other axis.
- Determine the number of question at each level of Bloom's
Taxonomy.
- Decide on the number of questions to be asked according to
the content area or objective.
Writing Test Questions According to
Bloom's Taxonomy
Remembering—recall of
specific information from long-term memory. Can the student
recall information?
- Requires recall of information previously learned.
- Question requires no understanding or judgment.
- Good for testing factual information.
- Limited value to test for nursing competence.
- Sample key words: recognize, recall, list
Example:
According to Erikson, what is the basic conflict to be
resolved by the aged individual?
A. Industry vs. Inferiority
B. Initiative vs. Guilt
C. Integrity vs. Despair
D. Intimacy vs. Isolation
Behavioral objective—Apply the developmental stages
according to Erikson.
Understanding—ability to
paraphrase information or construct meaning from content. Can the
student explain ideas or concepts?
- Requires student to understand the information and utilize
it in a specified situation.
- Sample key words: compare, explain, summarize, classify,
paraphrase
Example:
Which of the following must occur if the nurse-client
relationship is to be established?
A. The nurse must be seen as a friend.
B. The nurse's position and role must be clarified.
C. Working phase may precede orientation phase.
D. Assumptions by patient and nurse are assumed.
Behavioral objective—Explain the components of a
therapeutic nurse-client relationship.
Applying—ability to carry out
or use knowledge. Students must learn to assimilate large amounts
of information and use it to plan and implement safe and
effective nursing care. Use of the nursing process requires
higher levels of cognitive thinking. Can the student use the
information in another familiar situation?
- Requires students to understand the information and apply
their knowledge in a new situation.
- Sample key words: execute, implement, use
Example:
The nurse discusses risk factors regarding the development of
cancer with a woman in the outpatient clinic. The woman's history
includes the following information: 30 years old, Caucasian,
unmarried, onset of menarche age 10, mother died of breast cancer
at age 55. The client tells the nurse, "I don't have to worry now
because I am too young to get cancer." Which response by the
nurse would be BEST?
A. "All women should worry, no matter what age they are."
B. "Yes, your age is in your favor."
C. "If I had your background, I would be concerned."
D. "Your family and menstrual background does increase your
risk."
Behavioral objective—Explain the risk factors for the
development of breast cancer in women. Utilize therapeutic
communication when communicating with the patient.
Analyzing—ability to break a
concept into component parts and determine how the parts relate
to each other and overall structure. Can students break the
information into parts to explore understandings and
relationships?
- Requires student to break down information to obtain the
meaning of the material or demonstrate how it is organized or
structured.
- Requires the student to analyze the situation, interpret
data, set goals, establish nursing diagnoses, set priorities,
and determine actions.
- Sample key words: differentiate, organize, compare,
outline
Example:
A 60-year-old male has advanced COPD and complains of
constipation. A diet history reveals an adequate intake of all
nutrients. The client says he performs regular exercise. What
would the nurse suspect as the major cause of the client's
constipation?
A. Inability to increase intra-abdominal pressure.
B. Abuse of his medications.
C. Generalized muscular weakness.
D. Fecal impaction from poor fluid intake.
Behavioral objective—Explain the common causes of
constipation in clients. Describe the pathophysiological changes
associated with advanced COPD.
Evaluating—ability to make a
judgment based standards and specific criteria. Can the student
justify a course of action or decision?
- Sample key words: check, critique, detect, monitor,
test
Example:
Read the following case study concerning a 15-year-old client
being treated for anorexia nervosa. Determine if the actions
performed by the homecare nurse were appropriate or inappropriate
for the client based on her current condition. Support your
answer using your nursing textbook.
Creating—ability to take
previously learned information and put the elements together to
create something new. Can students generate new products, ideas,
or ways of viewing things?
- Sample key words: generate, plan, produce, design,
construct, devise
Example:
Read the following case study concerning a 30-year-old mother
of two young children being discharged from the hospital
following a right mastectomy. Develop an individualized teaching
plan for this client.
