Abstract:

Assessment is an essential component in the entire process of teaching-learning in higher education. Teachers carry out assessment and evaluation just the way they deliver their instruction to the students which is without any formal training, but, with their own understanding. Designing and framing question papers are important tasks in assessment and evaluation. In this paper, the authors have taken a sample of a question paper of one of the conceptual and application-oriented subjects being taught at the post graduate level of Engineering studies. The paper aims at analysing and identifying the difficulty level of questions framed for end-semester exam for the particular subject. The present study highlights a case with a very small sample size of students who answered the question paper.

The question paper had clear defined sections having external choice in attempting questions by the examinees. It is found that majority of the multiple choice type items were at the moderate and low levels of difficulty. Though this is an application oriented course, a maximum percentage of the questions was of understanding type as per Bloom’s revised taxonomy. In the entire question paper, only two questions were analytical, thus, students did not have much scope to exhibit higher-order thinking. The paper contained three application type long-answer questions. Sufficient time had been provided to students for writing the answers.

The study also explored the factors considered by teachers while framing question papers. One of the most cited factor had been the consideration for ensuring pass percentage of students. The assessment of learning also influences the other activities and practices in assessment and evaluation, and, this was clearly visible through the analysis. Asking questions is a creative activity that requires plenty of thinking, firstly, on the part of the evaluator. Practices in assessment must clearly reflect the alignment of various components of the learning teaching system, thereby, enabling the learners to improve their study skills. This will be possible only with an appropriate plan of a question paper. Considerations in designing question paper for the semester-end examination has to be integrated throughout the instructional process during the semester. However, the concern for quality in assessment remains throughout.

Keywords:

Bloom's revised taxonomy, higher-order thinking, constructive alignment, facility value.