The trials and tribulations of designing and utilising MCQs in HE and for assessing forensic practitioner competency

Abstract

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a very well known, traditional and accepted method of assessment. The use of MCQs for testing students has produced numerous debates amongst academics concerning their effectiveness as they are viewed as practical and efficient but also perceived as possibly „too easy‟ and potentially unable to appropriately test the higher order cognitive skills that essay questions can assess.

The use of MCQs in a forensic science context is currently being investigated, not only for use within forensic science education, but also for the testing of competency of qualified forensic practitioners. This paper describes a Higher Education Academy funded project that is investigating the design and the implementation of MCQs for testing forensic practitioners and the lessons that have been learnt so far, that will assist academics in the development of robust MCQ assessments within forensic science degrees to promote and assess deep learning.