What eLearning Professionals Should Know About True Or False Questions In eLearning
True or False questions are simple to grade, but constructing the perfect T/F question can be difficult for eLearning experts. To test student comprehension, their simplicity provides little opportunity for wordiness, and each question must be concise and to the point. In this article, I’ll discuss four best practices for developing effective true or false questions, as well as four recommendations for incorporating them into your eLearning approach.
True or False eLearning Questions
A true or false inquiry is made up of a statement and a true or false response. Other versions of the True or False style include “yes” or “no,” “correct” or “incorrect,” and “agree” or “disagree,” which is frequently used in surveys. True or false eLearning questions that are effective are factual rather than opinion-based and are designed to swiftly and efficiently test the learner’s understanding of a specific notion or concept.
Guidelines for Creating True or False Questions
- Statements must have a clear and verified response.
Every assertion must be completely true or incorrect. There can be no room for uncertainty or discussion. If the topic is in the gray region and isn’t backed by facts from the eLearning content, it’s probably not a good fit for the True or False question structure. To write fact-based True or False statements, go through your learning materials and underline the essential aspects of the online class. Rather than trying to cover all parts of the online session in a lengthy True or False exam, use these notes as a guide to design true or false questions that center on the highlighted ideas.
- Concentrate on a single main topic or theme.
Every true or false question should be focused on a single topic. The fundamental reason for this is that true or false questions have a restricted number of options. They do not require a quick response, nor do they provide several options. The student is merely asked to state whether or not the statement or assertion is true.
- Connect it to the learning goal.
Each true or false question should be related to the main learning objectives. Determine what you are attempting to analyze before creating each question so that it is aligned with the desired objective. For example, if you want to see if a learner understands the main terminology, create a sequence of true or false questions that include words and definitions. Instruct your students to determine if the definitions are correct or incorrect.
- Include a healthy mix of True and False responses.
It is preferable to have an equal number of true and erroneous answers. If one out of every ten questions is false, your students will likely notice the pattern and be able to guess their way through the T/F exam. Examine your questions before uploading them to ensure a balance of the two sorts of responses.
True or False Questions in eLearning: How to Use Them
- Avoid qualifying terms that give away the solution.
“Qualifiers” include phrases like “always,” “never,” and “every.” Even if the student is unfamiliar with the subject topic, these terms can help them estimate the correct answer. “You should always scrutinize returned products,” with the qualification “always.” Because some goods may not require an examination, a corporate learner may automatically select false. Remember that qualifying phrases push the True or False statement to the extremes, calling its validity into question.
- The fewer words you use, the better.
To make your true or false question more difficult, avoid utilizing an abundance of terms. Indeed, the perfect true or false statement should be a straightforward sentence devoid of commas or semi-colons. You should also avoid using difficult terminology or jargon unless you are convinced that your learners are familiar with the term. Conduct a focus group or pre-assessment to have a better grasp of their history and preferences before determining their level of vocabulary.
- When creating True or False questions, DO NOT USE “NOT.”
Many exam authors would add the word “not” to a genuine sentence just to fool the student. This is referred to be a “negative” inquiry. Negative questions frequently attempt to obscure the correct answer by complicating it. For example, “owls are nocturnal creatures” is a positive True or False statement, whereas “owls are not diurnal creatures” is negative. Check that each question is in the affirmative form and that it is clear and direct. Creating ambiguous questions will only confuse students who are familiar with the subject matter rather than deceive those who are not.
- Maintain consistent statement length.
Throughout the online evaluation, try to keep all of your true or untrue statements at a comparable length. Longer or shorter statements than others tend to give learners cues regarding the correct solution. A longer and more thorough inquiry, for example, is likely to be untrue because it incorporates ideas or terminology that contradict the rest of the statement.
Even though students have a 50/50 probability of getting the correct answer, a well-crafted true or false question can be an efficient assessment tool. To assess a learner’s overall knowledge of the subject, try matching true or false questions with multiple choice and short answer questions.