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Elearning Questions: Best Practices For Developing True or False Questions

The document discusses best practices for creating effective true or false questions for eLearning assessments. It outlines 4 best practices: 1) focus on one key idea, 2) use statements with clear, verifiable answers, 3) link questions to learning objectives, and 4) include a balanced mix of true and false answers. It also provides 4 tips for using true or false questions: 1) avoid qualifying words, 2) do not use "not", 3) keep statements concise, and 4) maintain consistent statement lengths. When crafted well according to these guidelines, true or false questions can be a quick way to assess learner knowledge.

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53 views

Elearning Questions: Best Practices For Developing True or False Questions

The document discusses best practices for creating effective true or false questions for eLearning assessments. It outlines 4 best practices: 1) focus on one key idea, 2) use statements with clear, verifiable answers, 3) link questions to learning objectives, and 4) include a balanced mix of true and false answers. It also provides 4 tips for using true or false questions: 1) avoid qualifying words, 2) do not use "not", 3) keep statements concise, and 4) maintain consistent statement lengths. When crafted well according to these guidelines, true or false questions can be a quick way to assess learner knowledge.

Uploaded by

sara
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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True or False questions may be easy to grade, but creating the ideal T/F question can pose

quite a challenge for eLearning professionals. Their simplicity leaves little room for wordiness
and each question must be clear and to-the-point in order to assess learner comprehension. In
this article, I’ll highlight 4 best practices of creating effective true or false questions, and I’ll
share 4 tips for using them in your eLearning strategy.

A true or false question consists of a statement that requires a true or false


response. There are other variations of the True or False format as well, such
as: “yes” or “no”, “correct” or “incorrect”, and “agree” or “disagree” which is
often used in surveys. Effective true or false eLearning questions are factual
based, rather than opinion-oriented, and are designed to quickly and
efficiently test learner knowledge about a particular idea or concept.

Best Practices For Developing True Or False Questions

1. Concentrate on one key idea or concept.


Every true or false question should focus on one specific topic. The
primary reason for this is that true or false questions are limited. They
do not call for a short answer response, nor are there multiple
answers to choose from. The learner is simply being asked to declare
whether or not the statement or assertion is based in truth. For
example, “all employees must wear their approved uniforms and
carry the sales handbook with them at all times” should actually be
broken up into two separate true or false questions. It covers two
distinct topics and one might be true while the other is false.
2. Statements must have a clear, verifiable answer.
Each statement must be entirely true or false. There can be absolutely
no room for doubt or debate. If the question sits in a gray area and
isn’t supported by facts that are found in the eLearning content, then
it probably isn’t the best fit for the True or False question format. To
create True or False statements that are based in fact, it’s a good idea
to go through your learning materials and highlight the key elements
of the online lesson. Use these notes as a guide to develop true or
false questions that center on the highlighted concepts, rather than
trying to cover all aspects of the online lesson in a lengthy True or
False exam.
3. Link it to the learning objective.
Every true or false question should relate to the core learning
objectives. Figure out what you are trying to assess before you create
each question so that you can align it with the desired outcome. For
instance, if you want to determine if a learner grasps the key
terminology, develop a series of true or false questions that consists
of words and definitions. Ask your learners to determine whether the
definitions are, in fact, accurate or inaccurate.
4. Include a good mix of True or False answers.
It’s best to have an equal proportion of true and false answers. If 1
out of every 10 questions is false, your learners are probably going to
see the pattern and be able to guess their way through the True or
False exam. Review your questions before uploading them to ensure
that there is a balance between the two types of responses.

How To Use True Or False Questions In eLearning

1. Avoid qualifying words that give the answer away.


“Always”, “never”, and “every” are examples of “qualifiers”. These
words can allow the learner to guess the right answer even if they
don’t know the subject matter. “You should always examine returned
merchandise” contains the “always” qualifier. A corporate learner
might automatically choose false due to the fact that some
merchandise may not require an inspection. Keep in mind that
qualifying words take the True or False statement to the extremes,
which immediately calls its validity into question.
2. Do NOT use “NOT” when crafting True or False questions.
Many test writers may add the word “not” to a true statement simply
to trick the learner. This is known as a “negative” question. Negative
questions typically try to conceal the correct answer by convoluting it.
For instance, “owls are nocturnal creatures” is an example of an
effective positive True or False statement, while “owls are not diurnal
creatures” is negative. Proofread each question to verify that it is in
the positive form and that is clear and direct. Creating vague
questions will only confuse learners who know the subject matter,
instead of tricking those who do not.
3. The fewer words the better.
Avoid using an abundance of words in your true or false question in
order to make it more challenging. In fact, the ideal true or false
statement should consist of a simple sentence that lacks commas or
semi-colons. You should also minimize your usage of complex words
or jargon, unless you know for a certainty that your learners are
familiar with the term. To determine their level of vocabulary, conduct
a focus group or pre-assessment to get a better understanding of
their background and preferences.
4. Keep statement length homogenous.
Try to keep all of your true or false statements a similar length
throughout the online assessment. Statements that are longer or
shorter than others tend to give learners hints about the correct
answer. For instance, a longer and more detailed question tends to
be false, as it typically contains ideas or wording that contradicts the
rest of the statement.
Despite the fact that learners have a 50/50 chance of guessing the right
answer, a well-constructed true or false question can be a quick and efficient
assessment tool. For best results, try pairing true or false questions
with multiple choice and short answer to test a learner’s all-around knowledge
of the subject matter.

Source :

https://elearningindustry.com/true-or-false-questions-in-elearning-what-elearning-professionals-
should-know

By Christopher Pappas

July 31, 2015

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