Name: ____________________________________ Read the short article, Application of Blooms Taxonomy Debunks the MCAT Myth by Zheng et al.

and answer the following questions. Turn this into your TA at the beginning of discussion. 1. Why has the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) been accused of hindering efforts to introduce more critical thinking into introductory biology courses?

2. Did this study by Zheng et al. show a significant difference between the MCAT exam, AP Biology exams, or typical undergraduate biology exams with regards to the averageweighted Blooms rating?

3. The MCAT exam is multiple choice and AP Biology exam is a mixture of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Were these results surprising, given the different formats of these exams? Why or why not?

4. Why is there a need for assessment (exams) in introductory-level undergraduate courses to focus more on higher-level levels of thought?