DOMC
THE MULTIPLE-CHOICE MAKEOVER
Discrete Option Multiple Choice™ (DOMC) items are the biggest little makeover Multiple Choice items didn’t know they needed. Easy to implement and protective like Kevlar, DOMC decreases item exposure and preserves your intellectual property—ultimately protecting your test scores from being eroded by the effects of testwiseness.
WHAT IS DOMC AND HOW WILL IT HELP ME?
Instead of showing all options at one time, DOMC options are randomly presented one at a time. For each option, the test taker chooses “yes” or “no.” When the question is answered correctly or incorrectly, the next question is presented.* This reinvented design yields four key advantages:
Fairness Advantages
DOMC removes the cueing problems plaguing multiple choice items, and thus the unfair advantages associated with test takers who can “pay to prep.” This levels the playing field for young children, older persons, those with test anxiety, those who lack test-taking prowess, those who are testing in a non-native language, and more. These populations have found DOMC to be less complex, making assessment a simpler and more straightforward task.
Decreased Exposure
DOMC items expose options at a much lower rate compared to traditional multiple choice (by as much as 50 percent!). This makes them ineffective to steal and share and allows you to get the most out of your content. The more options an item has, the less the exposure rate. With the DOMC design, you can rest easy knowing that the fewer eyes to see your content, the greater the security and the longer its usable lifespan.
Development & Delivery Perks
Because of reduced exposure and improved security, DOMC items have a longer useful lifespan. This reduces test development costs related to replacing items and redeveloping full exams. Also, because of the shortened testing length required by DOMC and the compacted presentation of options one at a time, DOMC makes testing cheaper and easier to implement using mobile devices.
Increased Security
It is very difficult to steal test questions, share content online, or use stolen questions to cheat when only a small percentage of the options is visible to each test taker. Additionally, DOMC items are naturally watermarked, meaning each test taker sees a unique set of items and options. When a test taker does manage to steal and disclose questions, it is relatively easy to trace the thief to their item presentation profile.
* When an item is completed, it is impossible to get another unscored option randomly in order to break up response feedback.
Let’s see this baby in action already!
THE REALITY OF DOMC
Let’s see this baby in action already.
Research Proves It
DOMC has been the subject of multiple research studies, conducted both internally and by neutral third-party universities and organizations. The results have been overwhelmingly positive, proving that DOMC is a psychometrically sound item type, out-performing multiple choice items in all major item and test statistics. With DOMC, you’ll never sacrifice quality and you’ll boost your test security.
Field Tests Prove It
DOMC isn’t just a thought exercise or an academic inquiry, it is a proven item design that assessment programs just like yours are already using. From educational exams to medical and IT certifications, programs are reaping in the benefits of DOMC. You could be, too.
They’re Easy to Implement
Good news—DOMC is attainable for you, and it’s a snap to implement. All it takes to convert your current item bank is a slight tweak to the language of your items and the technology to facilitate delivery. DOMC works with every type of selected-response question, from basic recall to complex scenarios. View our examples to see just how DOMC might work with questions like yours.
They’re Better With the SmartItem™
The combination of SmartItem technology and the DOMC item type is a true power combo. We actually call them “SuperDOMC,” but we’re still waiting on Webster’s dictionary to get back to us on that one. SuperDOMC items are impossible to harvest. With them, you can build an un-stealable exam.
Getting Started
You want it. But how do you get it?
Try it on our platform,
Caveon Scorpion™, the secure development-to-delivery testing platform, was the first to support DOMC items. Sign up for a free account today and start designing your own DOMC items.
with your own systems,
There’s no need to switch test development tools to harness the benefits of DOMC. Our API will integrate with your existing tools, bringing the power of DOMC to whatever system you’re already using.
or try something new!
Interested in doing research using the DOMC item type? Although it’s patented, we’d love to work with anyone interested in trying DOMC on for size. Reach out. We’re here to help you adopt with confidence!
INSIGHTS
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