title: Information age testing: making rigorous exams fun to write and easy to grade.
abstract: This essay discusses methods by which an exam writer can achieve three objectives: 1) producing questions that test a student's understanding, defined as the ability to apply knowledge in a novel context; 2) writing questions that require minimal grading time; and 3) keeping current and excited about the field, which is critical for transmitting personal enthusiasm to students. Included are descriptions of practical, time-saving methods for processing and filing examination material; ways to use readily available databases for quickly generating rigorous, interesting questions, with examples of questions generated in this way; suggestions for structuring questions so that they are easily graded; and general advice for preparing students to take this kind of examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania 19081-1390, USA. shieber1@swarthmore.edu
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hiebert
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D020407:Internet; D010827:Physiology / Q000193:education*; D013663:Teaching