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Authoring Multiple Choice Items

Writing multiple choice assessment items

Martine Holland avatar
Written by Martine Holland
Updated over a year ago
  • From the "Add Item" menu select “Multiple Choice”.

The Context and Stem

  • In “Assignment 1” you should write the context and stem

  • You can use markdown to write the context and stem

    • Names of data, functions, columns, numeric values etc. should use code format

    • Never use bold/underline/italic

    • Use R/Python output to format short tables (no more than 5 lines)

    • Use schema diagrams to explain SQL data structures

  • Start a new sentence on a new line, with a blank line between (see example below)

The Options

  • In “Options 1” include all of the options as a bulleted list

  • The key should be within square brackets

  • Use different positions for the key but keep in mind any logical or numerical ordering for options

  • Code as options should be avoided (try fill-in-the-blanks instead)

  • If you do use code, it can only be a single line and should be formatted as code

Before saving:

  • Add a descriptive title - summarise what you are testing e.g. "Calculate probability of an event"

  • Add your Item Writer ID (we will tell you what your ID is)

  • Preview the item to make sure it looks as expected

Common Problems

Build/Preview Fails:

  • Have you remembered to put the key in square brackets? If there is no key defined the item will fail to build.

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