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Strategies for Writing Good Assessment Questions

Please use the term, "assessment" instead of quiz or test. There are 6 types of questions that you can create in Adobe® Connect™.

True/False
Fill-in the blank
Matching
Short Answer
Multiple Choice
(Single Answer or Multiple Answers)
Rating Scale (Likert)

There are advantages and disadvantages to each format of test item. Remember that your course and lesson objectives provide the content for writing your assessment questions. If the objective for the lesson uses verbs like define, list, state, etc., the assement question(s) for that lesson should also include those same verbs.

Multiple Choice seems to be the most widely accepted because it can assess any type of content and can be quickly and reliably scored. However, it is difficult to write good items. Multiple Choice is an excellent format for web-based TEL courses. If it is important that the student recall the information unassisted, a short-answer question may be needed.

Write assessment items simply, concisely, and clearly as possible. Avoid technical terms if a common term will do. Keep sentence strucure simple so that the student is not confused by the combination of several critical elements in a single sentence.

Make sure that there is only one correct answer if you use a "Fill in the Blank" question!

The Likert Rating Scale type of assessment question has no right or wrong answers so it cannot be scored.

Click here to see a quick list of Do's and Don'ts for writing effective assessment items/questions.

For more information on using the Quiz Manager in Adobe® Connect™, please see URL:

http://www.adobe.com/resources/acrobatconnect/presenter/pdf/presenter_user_guide.pdf#page=35

 

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For further information on page subject-matter content, please contact the TEL Program Lead:
TJ Lane, 303-445-4677.

Office of Employee Development,
Denver

P.O. Box 25046, MS 414
Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225

Voice:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Webmaster:

303-445-4660
303-445-4665
OED Info | NTC_Info
tjlane@usgs.gov

Office of Employee Development,
Reston

National Center, MS 605
Reston, VA 20192
Voice:
Fax:

703-648-6515
703-648-7320

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Last Updated: January 23, 2008
This page is at URL:
http://training.usgs.gov/TEL/GoodAssess.html
OED Webmaster: tjlane@usgs.gov