Supporting learning in law: using formative MCQ assessment in criminal law core courses

Abstract

This article reports on an investigation undertaken by the authors on the verity of multiple choice questions (MCQs) as formative assessment in law courses within a law program. The investigation was conducted for several reasons, but primarily because of a perceived negativity associated with their use for assessment in legal education and, against this background, to inform their continued use within a framework of sustainable pedagogy. The results of an analysis of student use of the MCQs in four criminal law courses are correlated to their overall performance in the courses are presented, as are students’ views regarding their value.