Promoting Critical Thinking and Creativity Through Development of Multiple Choice Questions
Creating multiple-choice questions encourages higher-order thinking, deep learning, and peer collaboration by engaging students in analysis, organization, and explanation of key concepts.
Presented by:
Ioan Marginean, University of Baltimore
Abstract:
Creating multiple-choice questions engages students in higher-order thinking by requiring them to analyze concepts, structure ideas, and explain solutions. While traditional multiple-choice assessments often focus on recall, student-generated questions encourage deeper learning, peer collaboration, and content mastery. The online platform PeerWise supports this process by enabling students to create, answer, and discuss questions, promoting critical thinking and a clearer understanding of course expectations. By shifting from passive question-answering to active question creation, educators can enhance student engagement, improve conceptual connections, and support meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond memorization.
Keywords:
Creativity, Critical Thinking, Peer Collaboration
Learning Outcomes:
1. Understand how multiple-choice questions can be used for purposes other than assessment.
2. Recognize how creating multiple-choice questions promotes student creativity, critical thinking, and deeper understanding of the material.
3. Identify practical steps for integrating PeerWise into their teaching.
Promoting Critical Thinking and Creativity Through Development of Multiple Choice Questions
Hear it from the author:
Transcript:
I like to think of PeerWise as a social media tool that encourages learning through the creation of multiple-choice questions. Students create, answer, rate, and provide feedback on questions, encouraging active learning by critically engaging with the material. Writing questions with plausible distractors and thoughtful explanations helps identify knowledge gaps, while reviewing peer questions enhances analysis and evaluation skills.
My students highlighted several positive aspects of PeerWise. They found that writing questions and offering feedback improved their understanding of the material, while reviewing peer questions helped explore various course topics. The tool encouraged brainstorming on key topics and promoted collaborative learning.
Some students felt my grading was a bit harsh and suggested clearer instructions. They also found the tool less effective for the short-answer questions I use for testing. In summary, PeerWise promotes critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration, and some adjustments could make it a more effective study tool.
References
Chin, C., & Brown, D. E. (2002). Student-generated questions: A meaningful aspect of learning in science. International Journal of Science Education, 24(5), 521–549. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690110095249
Duret, D., Christley, R., Denny, P., & Senior, A. (2018). Collaborative learning with PeerWise. Research in Learning Technology, 26(0). https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v26.1979
Rosenshine, B., Meister, C., & Chapman, S. (1996). Teaching students to generate questions: A review of the intervention studies. Review of Educational Research, 66(2), 181–221. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543066002181