When designing interactive
questions, designers can take several routes. Most of these choices are
based on the goals of your project. Answer the questions below to help
you decide which style would work best.
Will
this module offer learners Continuing Education Credits?
In this situation, you will
more than likely want to capture the learner's total score on all questions
to evaluate whether or not goals and objectives have been met.
Questions are normally arranged
in a list on a single page. When the learner answers the questions
and submits the page, their responses are deposited in a database that
resides on a web server. The learner will also be presented with the
score (immediate feedback is highly desired). The server can return
a list to you with the learners' scores.
Including practice questions
mixed in with the instruction is also advisable. Avoid using the same
questions on the final exam.
Will
this module be used by self-motivated learners who are not planning to
earn credits?
Put practice questions at
the end of sub-modules. In a sub-module, the learners can practice what
they have just learned while their knowledge is fresh. A learner's experience
is enhanced by questions in later submodules of the project that build
on previously acquired knowledge if the Web-Based Training module has
been designed to be navigated in a chronological manner.
Designing your questions
to match an applied situation is a good idea. When dealing with self-motivated
learners, do not use a list of questions. Current theory suggests the
use of instructional questions. This means that they learn from the
question rather than test their knowledge.
In some situations in may
be desirable to have a list of multiple choice questions similar to
Sample 1 only there is no need to capture the learners' score.
Will
this module be used in a K-12 environment?
In this situation, capturing
the learners' scores is not necessary. Their classroom teacher will
most likely be using your project inside a larger learning unit. Producing
visually fun and challenging questions should be your focus. Many of
the techniques from the first example work with this audience. However,
additional visual stimuli is encouraged to foster the feeling that learning
can be a fun game.
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