Student changed my question

[Larimar]

Hello, I'd like to ask for advice on how to handle this. I assigned my comp classes a grammar worksheet (that I wrote), and a student in her response has added a phrase to one of the choices on a multiple choice question which would change what the correct answer is. As she wrote it, she has the correct answer, but as I originally wrote it, she doesn't. It's clear she understands the concept that the question is about, but she changed my question. How do I grade this?

Thanks,

Larimar

[brixton]

You can be hard-ass and mark it wrong.  It is, as you wrote it.

You can be accommodating.  If it looks like she knows the answer, but she changed the sentence to make it clearer for her to follow, mark it right, but say next time she needs to stay within the guidelines. (The main point for the exam is to figure out what they know.)

I would probably lean towards the latter because I was terrible at multiple choice, and would see grey areas/ second guess myself.

But, you're totally within the realm of fairness to mark it wrong.

[Parasaurolophus]

I agree entirely with brixton, and on every point.

[dismalist]

As she wrote it, she has the correct answer, but as I originally wrote it, she doesn't.

So student  has answered incorrectly. Why should this be a question?

[Larimar]

She didn't change an example sentence to make it easier on herself to follow; she changed an answer choice from how I wrote it to what it would be if it were to fit the relevant grammar rule. Looks like I should go ahead and mark it wrong. I was unsure because it's clear she understands how the rule works, which was the point of the question. Thank you.

Larimar

[pigou]

I'd mark it right. The point is to test whether the student knows the concept/answer, not whether she circled the right response. I've seen MC questions where, depending on how you read it, multiple answers could be right or none could be. At that point, whether you get it right is a result of chance, not understanding. That's a problem with the question, not the test taker.

[Larimar]

I'd mark it right. The point is to test whether the student knows the concept/answer, not whether she circled the right response. I've seen MC questions where, depending on how you read it, multiple answers could be right or none could be. At that point, whether you get it right is a result of chance, not understanding. That's a problem with the question, not the test taker.

Well, there is also the idea of following directions...

You do have a point that questions can be problematic if one is not careful writing them. I tried my best to be clear, and nobody else seemed to have trouble. Still, it couldn't hurt to have another look at it later and consider revising it for next time. Thank you.


Larimar

[mamselle]

I don't see any mention of your having had a conversation to ask her why she changed it; that might help with the decision-making, too...

She might have thought it was a "trick question" to see if they spotted some error in your writing of the question, and thought it needed to be changed before it could be answered.

M.

[Aster]

The student didn't complete your assessment. She created her *own* assessment and expects you to score her for it.

You can't grade her for an assessment that you did not authorize. Her modified question is void.

[aside]

I'd mark it incorrect.  What a slippery slope, allowing students to change your question into one they would rather answer.  The next thing you know, it's anarchy!

[ergative]

Is partial credit possible? She did not answer your question, but she did demonstrate understanding.

[Kron3007]

Is partial credit possible? She did not answer your question, but she did demonstrate understanding.

This is what I was thinking too.  I would probably give a half mark and add a comment.

[Hibush]

Does your syllabus say that students are allowed to modify test questions to their liking?

[Larimar]

I don't see any mention of your having had a conversation to ask her why she changed it; that might help with the decision-making, too...

She might have thought it was a "trick question" to see if they spotted some error in your writing of the question, and thought it needed to be changed before it could be answered.

M.

That's true; I didn't try to contact her about it. I admit I didn't think of it, and I had to get these graded and done quickly. I suppose she could have thought that way, but no one else did, so I don't know...

Is partial credit possible? She did not answer your question, but she did demonstrate understanding.

No, partial credit is not possible, because the question was worth 1 point. Otherwise I would have liked that idea.

Does your syllabus say that students are allowed to modify test questions to their liking?

No, definitely not!

I did mark it wrong, and the student still did do well overall. Thanks, everyone!


Larimar

[jerseyjay]

It seems that you have already decided what to do, but here is my two cents in any case.

As a practical matter, I would probably mark it wrong and ask the student what she was thinking. I am assuming that a grammar worksheet is probably not worth that much in the overall scheme of the class.

From the standpoint of psychometrics, she got the question wrong. The point of a multiple-choice question is to test a particular aspect of knowledge. Knowing something else is good, but that doesn't help you assess her knowledge. In all likelihood she did not know what you were testing her on.

It is also possible she is being too clever by half and was trying to show off how much she knew. Was the answer she gave more obscure or complicated than the one on the worksheet?

I suppose it is also possible she was trying to make a point, if she thinks that your given answer was somehow wrong. For example, if your question was, "Everybody must do which of the following" and the answer was, "his homework," and she changed the question to "All students must do" and chose "their homework," she could be making a point about gendered language.

Should you be concerned about this happening again, I would suggest:
1. Make the instructions explicit that you must choose from the given answers and other answers, even if correct, will be marked wrong. (I believe the US Citizenship Exam says something like this.)

2. Add "which of the following" to all of your questions, which clearly indicates that you must choose from the choices given. This is the way many standardized exams are written.

Again, I doubt a grammar worksheet is worth so much. But if the student tries this on a standardized exam like the GRE she will be marked wrong. I assume she knows this--but maybe not, and it might be a good idea to state so.