INTRODUCING MULTIPLE CHOICE ALONGSIDE SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS INTO THE END-OF-YEAR EXAMINATION: THE IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING IN FIRST YEAR ECONOMICS

The study investigates the impact of a change to the format of the examination of a large module in introductory Economics, where essay questions were replaced by multiple choice questions (MCQ). The paper explores the impact of the examination on the quality of student learning and students ’ experiences and perceptions of the new format The data comprised questionnaire data, semi-structured group interviews with students, interviews with teaching staff, documentary data and students ’ grades. Students regarded understanding, both breadth and some depth, as well as critical thinking as important for the examination. Within the exam, MCQ and short answer questions (SAQ) seemed to fulfil different functions. MCQ led students to focus on coverage and factual knowledge and were perceived as requiring memorisation as well as some understanding. One main problem was described as their potential for being ambiguously worded. SAQ, on the other hand, focused on the application of theory to cases and were perceived as requiring understanding. They appeared to be crucial for students ’ developing sense of the Ways of Thinking and Practising (WTP) in Economics, for which diagrams emerged as a core component. Students ’ grades for MCQ and SAQ were correlated, and students who were doing well in the examination were more likely to take a deep approach and less likely to take a surface approach. However, when comparing their approaches to Economics as elicited at the beginning of the module with their approaches to studying for the module investigated, the deep approach had decreased and the surface approach had increased. The introduction of MCQ into the examination also seemed to have stimulated staff to redesign the entire exam as well as rethinking certain elements of the teaching-learning environment, which contributed to making the environment more congruent. The findings of this study highlight the disciplinary purposes of assessment, the close relationship of memorisation and learning as well as the process aspect of congruence