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How to…
Write effective questions

Whether they’re for an assessment or part of the training course itself,
writing questions can be a tricky business. Read on for Saffron’s top
                                                                                                                                   7    …but keep it fair
                                                                                                                                   Don’t try to trick learners or give them an impossible choice.
ten tips for creating effective questions that test learners in the right                                                          Negative questions, options that are identical except for one
                                                                                                                                   word, and questions on topics that weren’t actually covered in
way, on the right thing.                                                                                                           the course are neither fair nor effective.



1     Draft the assessment before the content
If step one is defining the objectives and learning outcomes,
                                                                 4    Use questions to drive the learning
                                                                 We’re big believers in the value of the test and tell approach.
                                                                                                                                   8    Avoid yes/no questions
                                                                                                                                   Giving learners a 50% chance of guessing correctly is not the
step two is drafting the assessment. Make sure each question     Don’t just give learners information and then test them on it.    most effective test. If you must use them, include a couple
maps back to the outcomes and then focus the training            Instead, ask them to think for themselves with a question         more options and make sure that ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybe’ are
content on the assessment.                                       before correcting or confirming their answers.                    qualified, so learners have to justify their choice.


2    Randomise the assessment
Ideally an end of course assessment will have a pool of
                                                                 5     Focus on behaviours
                                                                 We’re in the business of changing behaviours. This means we
                                                                                                                                   9     Help people learn from their mistakes
                                                                                                                                   Don’t just use ticks and crosses to show how learners have
questions, with a random selection drawn on each attempt.        need to enable learners to do the right thing, not just to        done. Provide constructive feedback to reinforce the message
This means, if learners fail once, they can’t simply memorise    remember facts and figures. Make sure every question relates      if they answer correctly, and explain where they went wrong if
where they went wrong but are actually tested again.             to a choice or decision learners will face in real life.          they answer incorrectly.


3   Remember: quality not quantity
When it comes to assessments, it’s better to have 10 excellent
                                                                 6     Make it challenging…
                                                                 If the right answer is three times as long as the rest, or the
                                                                                                                                   10       Keep the learners’ experience in mind
                                                                                                                                   Focusing on behaviours is one way to answer the ‘what’s in it
questions than 40 substandard ones. Likewise, multiple choice    wrong answers are likely to make learners laugh than think,       for me?’ question. But there are other ways – for instance,
questions generally work best with four options – don’t go       there’s no point even asking the question. Yes, coming up with    pre-tests assess existing knowledge and point towards the
below three or above five without a very good reason.            plausible wrong answers is hard, but it’s worth the effort.       most relevant training units. Time efficient and effective!



                                                                                                                                                            © 2009 www.saffroninteractive.com

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Top tips for writing effective e-learning questions

  • 1. How to… Write effective questions Whether they’re for an assessment or part of the training course itself, writing questions can be a tricky business. Read on for Saffron’s top 7 …but keep it fair Don’t try to trick learners or give them an impossible choice. ten tips for creating effective questions that test learners in the right Negative questions, options that are identical except for one word, and questions on topics that weren’t actually covered in way, on the right thing. the course are neither fair nor effective. 1 Draft the assessment before the content If step one is defining the objectives and learning outcomes, 4 Use questions to drive the learning We’re big believers in the value of the test and tell approach. 8 Avoid yes/no questions Giving learners a 50% chance of guessing correctly is not the step two is drafting the assessment. Make sure each question Don’t just give learners information and then test them on it. most effective test. If you must use them, include a couple maps back to the outcomes and then focus the training Instead, ask them to think for themselves with a question more options and make sure that ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybe’ are content on the assessment. before correcting or confirming their answers. qualified, so learners have to justify their choice. 2 Randomise the assessment Ideally an end of course assessment will have a pool of 5 Focus on behaviours We’re in the business of changing behaviours. This means we 9 Help people learn from their mistakes Don’t just use ticks and crosses to show how learners have questions, with a random selection drawn on each attempt. need to enable learners to do the right thing, not just to done. Provide constructive feedback to reinforce the message This means, if learners fail once, they can’t simply memorise remember facts and figures. Make sure every question relates if they answer correctly, and explain where they went wrong if where they went wrong but are actually tested again. to a choice or decision learners will face in real life. they answer incorrectly. 3 Remember: quality not quantity When it comes to assessments, it’s better to have 10 excellent 6 Make it challenging… If the right answer is three times as long as the rest, or the 10 Keep the learners’ experience in mind Focusing on behaviours is one way to answer the ‘what’s in it questions than 40 substandard ones. Likewise, multiple choice wrong answers are likely to make learners laugh than think, for me?’ question. But there are other ways – for instance, questions generally work best with four options – don’t go there’s no point even asking the question. Yes, coming up with pre-tests assess existing knowledge and point towards the below three or above five without a very good reason. plausible wrong answers is hard, but it’s worth the effort. most relevant training units. Time efficient and effective! © 2009 www.saffroninteractive.com