Usually, educators use multiple choice questions as a testing tool in order to determine a student’s level or scope of knowledge. However, Patrick Carpen is advocating that multiple choice questions be also used as a teaching tool, in order to stimulate learning, excitement and curiosity.
In many English textbooks, a series of comprehension questions are asked with the student left with little to no clue as to what the answer might be. This is just not good enough. For one, it makes learning English seem too boring. Second, it makes it seem too tedious. Why not wrap the answer up in a series of multiple-choices and let the student chose the correct answer. Make the answer so obvious that it is almost impossible to get it wrong.
For example:
- Which of the following is the best definition of the personification?
a) The comparison of two things using like or as?
b) Stating that one thing is another?
c) Giving human qualities to things that are not human.
d) A description of the beach
Sometimes, it is difficult and boring to memorize all those English concepts and rules, but using multiple choice questions to stimulate learning, thinking and imagination can be a really helpful tool in teaching English, for those who know to do it, like Patrick Carpen.