Sandy,

In our Medical Physiology course, we teach PA and PT students who have made
these same claims regarding the RAT questions.  We have done a few things to
maintain some item security:
1. We go to great lengths to explain the difficulty in writing quality RAT
questions. 
2. We make it clear that the exams will have few questions of the RAT type
(mostly Bloom¹s 1st 2 levels, knowledge and comprehension) and a majority
assessing higher order thinking (Bloom¹s 3rd and 4th levels).
3. We provide students with a lengthy list of objectives for each unit.
4. We do not allow any writing materials during the TRAT.  Just a scratcher
of some type.

Each of these has had some positive effect on our ability to maintain some
item security.  I think the most helpful has actually been #3.  They think
it helps them focus their efforts.

Scott


On 1/29/08 7:55 PM, "Sandy Cook" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Dear All,
>  
> We are potentially having a problem with IRAT/GRAT/Application item security.
> This may be more of a Singapore issue, but I was wondering if anyone has
> encountered a similar problem and what you have done about it.
>  
> Here is the situation:  Following the GRAT, while we are computing the group
> scores from the IF-AT forms the students still have the IRAT/GRAT questions.
> We have urged them to continue discussing their responses to craft any
> clarification questions.  Some student feel compelled to write down the
> questions and response options.  They say it is their way of studying.  This
> also occurs during and following the Application exercise.  We did have a
> discussion about this and keeping the items secure, but they say they are just
> writing down general principles.  From a cursory view in the back by faculty
> and staff, it looks much like they are writing out the questions.  They may
> not be verbatim, but look very similar.  The students also say that they need
> this type of information to study for the exams because they feel they have no
> past exams (yet) to review and help prioritize what is important.  We feel the
> process helps them prioritize, but they are not yet believers.
>  
> So, my questions are:
>  
> ·        Do you find your students copying ³the essence² of the questions?
> ·        Do you permit that or worry about the impact on the following year
> questions?
> ·        If you worry, do you hold tight security or do you just write new or
> adapt the questions each year?
> ·        If you know students are copying ³the essence² do you know if they
> share with the following year and does it make an impact on grades?  Or what
> do you do about it?
>  
> Your thoughts on this issue would be appreciated as we modify and revise for
> next year?
>  
> Sandy
>  
>  
> ***************************************
>  
> Sandy COOK, PhD | Associate Dean, Curriculum Development | Duke-NUS Graduate
> Medical School Singapore | W: (65) 6516 8722| F: (65) 6227 2698 |
>  
> 


-- 
Scott D. Zimmerman, PhD
Biomedical Sciences Department
Missouri State University
Springfield, MO 65897
(417) 836-6123
Fax (417) 836-5588