Comparison of cognitive workload between very short answer questions and multiple-choice questions: an eye-tracking experiment.

ABSTRACT: Very short answer questions (VSAQs) have gained attention for their superior psychometric properties compared to multiple-choice questions (MCQs). While VSAQs require knowledge recall, MCQs primarily involve knowledge recognition. This difference in cognitive processes may lead to varying cognitive workloads, defined as the amount of mental processing in working memory. Previous studies have not demonstrated consistent differences, likely due to reliance on self-reported measures. Eye tracking provides objective, process-level indicators of cognitive workload. This study investigated whether answering VSAQs requires a higher cognitive workload than answering MCQs. In a within-subject randomized crossover experiment, sixth-year medical students answered both VSAQs and MCQs. Cognitive worklo

SUBMITTER: Carneiro Queiroz MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12849799 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature