"Tips for creating e-learning questions.
How to Effectively and Efficiently Create E-Learning Questions that Anyone Can Easily Create
For those who are considering using e-Learning and are not sure how to use it
Generally, eLearning questions are used to check the level of knowledge acquisition and achievement. The main purpose is to check the level of understanding of the learning content, and it is desirable to select questions based on this. However, this task is quite difficult.
When implementing e-learning, it is not enough to understand only the learning content that is the "correct answer" to a question.
In this article, I would like to explain how to effectively and efficiently create an e-learning program that anyone can easily create. The key to success in e-learning education is to provide students with both "good learning materials" and "good tests. Please take a look at this article.
Table of Contents
What are "good" questions and tests in e-Learning?
2. First of all, study materials! The process of creating e-learning materials
3. After creating learning materials, let's create questions and tests!
Summary
1. What are "good" questions/tests in e-Learning?
The purpose of implementation is clear.
To begin with, the question is, "What is the purpose of e-Learning? Without a clear purpose, it is impossible to start considering question specifications and creating questions and explanations. If you start the production process with unclear objectives, there is a high possibility of rework during the production process. It may cause delays in the question creation schedule, increase production costs, and even result in unintended and unrelated questions. The start is the key to everything. To avoid regrets during the creation process, start with a clear idea of "What is the objective? to avoid regrets during the process of creation.
Validity and reliability
The second condition is that the test questions have validity and reliability. The second condition is that the test questions must be valid and reliable. The purpose of the test is to question students about what they have learned through the course material and to measure their understanding of the material. Do not use concepts or ideas that are outside the scope of study for reasons that make it easier to create questions. This will cause confusion and increase the number of inquiries.
Stress-free Answering
When creating test questions, it is important to put yourself in the "learner's shoes. For example, a student who is asked a question about something he or she has not learned will be confused and say, "I have not learned this! They will be confused and think, "I didn't learn this! Even if the questions are within the scope of what they have learned, the content of the questions may cause unnecessary stress to the learner. Start with easy problems and gradually increase the difficulty level. The more problems they cannot solve, the less motivation they will have to learn, and the more they will stop working on the assignment itself.
*Test questions should only ask clear and straightforward questions about what has been learned.
The intent of the question should be clear.
Make more use of phrased 'asserted sentences' when creating questions. Sentences that are wordy or double negative may lead to misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
Use images and video materials.
Most of the information we perceive comes from the visual sense. If you find yourself writing long sentences that lack cohesion, take the plunge and use images and videos more frequently.
2. First of all, learning materials! The process of creating learning materials for e-Learning
Analysis
We will examine the information necessary for creating learning materials, such as "What is the purpose of creating learning materials and who is the target audience," "How much time is needed for learning and what is the goal," and "How will the system be used?
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Design
Based on the information solidified through the analysis process, we proceed with the preparation of "specifications for teaching materials," "structure of learning content," "schedule for creation," etc.
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Development
Based on the design image diagram, we will actually create the teaching materials. The completed teaching materials are reviewed by a third party to ensure that they are easy to understand and use, and revisions are made and created.
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Implementation
The completed teaching materials are used to teach the course to the participants.
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Evaluation
After a certain period of operation, we will analyze whether the initial objectives have been achieved by understanding the trends of learners based on their course history and the results of questionnaires. This information will be useful data when reviewing the educational content.
3. After creating educational materials, create questions and tests!
Let's review the specific flow of "creating questions and tests" in e-Learning. Basically, questions are created in the following flow.
Decide what to measure and by what standard.
The main purpose of the test is to "check the level of understanding of the test content," but the breadth and depth of that understanding will depend on the purpose of the learning materials paired with the test. The following three points should be confirmed.
▼ What is the purpose of the study material that is paired with the test?
What is the purpose of the test based on the learning material?
▼ What are the criteria for measuring the level of student understanding?
Set the criteria for creating questions based on these points!
Determine the question specifications (type, question format, whether or not explanations are provided, passing criteria, etc.)
Once the objectives of the questions have been established, consider the test specifications necessary to achieve those objectives. The main specifications to consider include the following
▼ Types of testing
There are several types of test formats. Select the most appropriate type according to your objectives.
Pre-test: A test that measures the learner's current ability.
Post-test: A test that measures the learner's knowledge gain by comparing it to the results of the pre-test.
Confirmation test: A test designed to assess the learner's understanding of each unit of study.
Completion test: A test that measures the learner's understanding of the entire course of study and certifies completion of the course if a set number of points have been achieved.
▼Test format
The most commonly used testing formats are "multiple-choice," "multiple-answer," and "X-X" format. If you want to measure students' understanding more strictly, it is better to choose "multiple-choice" rather than "single-choice" or "multiple-choice" rather than "multiple-question" format. To further increase the difficulty level of the test, "Randomized" questions are available. This means that the order in which the questions are presented changes each time the test is administered. There is also "Choice Shuffle," which changes the order of the choices. There is also the "Writing" method, in which the test taker is asked to write down the answers in writing. It is important to understand that this writing style is difficult to grade after the test is administered. ➡Difficulty level "X-X type" < "Multiple Choice type" < "Multiple Choice type
▼Necessity of commentary
It is necessary to decide whether or not to provide explanations after grading. For questions that simply ask about the content of the study material, explanations are not required. This is because, if you score below the passing standard, you can expect a higher learning effect if you take the confirmation test after re-learning about the areas where your knowledge is not clear.
In the case of practice-type questions, explanations are generally provided. This is because practice-type questions are application questions that incorporate the knowledge learned in the study materials, and it is sometimes difficult to understand why the answers are given. The explanations are effective in helping students acquire an applied way of thinking.
➡In this case, the test is not merely "something to measure," but contains an element of "learning" in itself.
▼Passing Criteria
It is common to set a passing standard for a test, but that standard should be adjusted according to the learning content and learning objectives. In some cases, as in the example below, a score of 100% may be required.
70% if you want all participants to acquire the minimum required knowledge
80% if a certain standard is required to be met
100% if a perfect response is required, etc.
Prepare drafts according to the question specifications
Unify question specifications
Try to unify the specifications of the question text as much as possible. Multiple specifications may cause stress to learners and make it difficult for them to concentrate on answering the questions. The test draft should be written in "です・ます" or "da・ある" style. Care should be taken not to mix the two tones in one sentence. Again, this can cause unnecessary stress to the learner.
Actual Creation Using the Question Creation Tool
Once the manuscript is complete, we will actually create the questions. Here is a brief explanation of the creation process using our question creation tool, Quiz Generator. First, create a manuscript that conforms to the file format to be imported into the creation tool. Below is part of the Excel and text file screen used to import the test manuscript into our teaching material creation tool.
The image of the teaching material created by importing this file (manuscript) into the tool is shown below.
Sample questions ➡Sample questions created by our tool
*As you can see, once the file (manuscript) is created for the question creation tool, the creation of questions and tests can be done in a short time (a few minutes). It also facilitates the revision process.
Detailed work procedures can be found here
➡Create questions in a text file
➡Create questions in Excel
➡Analyze test results and make improvements
Although the created teaching materials are loaded onto the LMS for operation, there is no point in just creating them. It is important to analyze the results of the test and create the next measures based on the results of the learner survey, or to improve the test itself. Points of analysis include the following
Did we achieve our objectives?
Are the questions appropriate for the learner's level?
Are the acceptance criteria appropriate?
Were the learners stressed, etc.?
➡Continuous implementation of such analysis and improvement will enhance the quality of the test, as well as the quality of education and training utilizing e-learning, and lead to higher learner satisfaction.
4. Summary
In this report, we have discussed the creation of questions using e-learning. Did you discover anything new?
Let's take a brief look back.
What is the purpose of e-learning? What is the purpose of e-learning?
Let's understand the process of creating e-learning materials.
After creating the materials, let's create questions and tests.
How to use question creation tools to streamline the process.
Analyze the test results and make improvements.
Finally, testing is not the end of the process. Test results and learner feedback (evaluations) need to be analyzed and linked to the next measure or test improvement. To this end, the person in charge of test creation must be familiar with the contents of the learning materials. Creating a test is a difficult task, but it is not that difficult if the objectives are clearly defined and procedures are followed. We encourage you to try your hand at creating questions using this article as a guide.
