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Matching Pairs Test
Introduction
WebCT Help for: Creating Matching Questions, German Version, French Version.
This page gives you access to an example of a Matching test that lets you experience - in the role of the student - how such a test works in Vista with the aim to encourage you to develop a test version adapted to your course. You will also find a pedagogical reflection and a step by step instruction for setting up such a test in Vista. Further information concerning Matching Tests in Vista can be found in Part 4, Chapter 7, Sect: "Assessments and Assessment Manager", Sub-sect: "Creating or Editing Matching Questions" in the Designers and Instructors Reference, WebCT Vista 4 (pdf, 2.5 MB) p 89. Get UN & PW at edutech Vista Support.
Click this screen shot and than "Vista Demos - Assessment-Demos" for access to the example.
Usage Comments
This test type involves a list of stimuli on one side and a list of responses on the other side. With matching tests one can quickly test factual information. Guessing is reduced but items are often interdependent, which means that one wrong choice entrails other wrong choices. This can make the development of such test and their scoring difficult.
To really use the tests as precise test tools each of the responses should be a believable match for each of the stimuli. This way only a really well informed person my make the needed distinctions. Make sure that the correct answer should be either the only correct answer or clearly the best answer. Other stimuli may be plausible, but only one can be the correct answer. Use your students' mistakes from earlier test as distracters. If the students come up with them it means they are serious contender for the job.
Matching questions seams to be less apt for the testing of conceptual and procedural understanding and ability.
How to do it in Vista
It is more or less a three step process.- Create Matching Questions.
- Create an Assessment with Questions
- Editing Quiz Properties
Create Matching Questions
You can create or edit questions from two locations in the Assessments tool: in an assessment or the Question Database.
- Locate and click the assessment or click Go to Question Database.
- Click Create Questions. A menu appears.
- Click Matching. The Create Matching Question screen appears.
- In the Title text box, enter a title. The question title identifies the question when searching the Question Database. When Section Students view the question, the question title appears at the top of the question.
- In the Question text box, specify the question text and format. If you want i.e. to use the HTML-creator, select the corresponding check box and wait for the screen to adapt.
- If you want, insert an equation.
- If you want to add an image to display with the question click Browse and select the image you want to add.
- Under Column 1, enter the content of the first column
- Chose either the column format Short Answer or Long Answer. The screen updates and the corresponding answer text boxes appear .
- Under Column 2, enter the content of the second column:
- Chose either the column format Short Answer or Long Answer. The screen updates and the corresponding answer text boxes appear .
- In the text boxes, enter the correct matches to the corresponding text boxes in Column 1 and complete the Settings section.
- Assign a value to the answer
- If you want to provide Section Students with general feedback about the question next to More Options, click the Expand/Collapse icon. The More Options section expands.
- All questions are automatically stored in the Question Database. Since the Question Database can contain thousands of questions, it's a good idea to organize questions into categories. If you want to add the question to a category next to More Options, click the Expand/Collapse icon. The More Options section expands.
- To add the question to an existing category, select Specify an existing category, and from the drop-down list, select the category.
- If you want to preview the question to ensure it displays and grades correctly click Preview. The Preview Question pop-up window appears and the question is displayed as it will appear in the Section Student view.
- If you want to check the grading scheme and feedback select your answer and click Grade. The Graded for pop-up window appears and the answers are displayed, including the grade and any feedback.
- Click Save. The Questions or Question Database screen appears and the question is added.
Other Resources Concerning this Subject
- For details on the areas for which Matching Pair tests are most valuable consult Assessment Methods: Checklist / Matching Tests and Tips and Traps for Checklist / Matching Questions.
- Consult also the HOWTOs: View Assessment Submissions.