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Short Answer Test
Introduction
WebCT Help for: Creating Short Answer Questions, German Version, French Version.
This page gives you access to an example of a Short Answer 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 Short Answer Tests in Vista can be found in Part 4, Chapter 7, Sect: "Assessments and Assessment Manager", Sub-sect: "Creating or Edit Short Answer Questions" in the Designers and Instructors Reference, WebCT Vista 4 (pdf, 2.5 MB) p 98. 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 question type allows students to answer to the question with a single word or a short phrase and this answer is the only possible correct answer or clearly the best possible answer. The question type frequently used for this test type is one where the question is an incomplete sentence. Students have to "complete" the sentence with a word or short phrase. You have the option of awarding bonus marks if you want Students to include additional information in their answer.
This test type test recall and is easy to create and score. Guessing is impossible and a lot of subjects can be covered. However their scope should be limited to testing lower levels of complexity.
Their main difficulty may be that the test designer overlooks one of the possible correct answers when editing the alternate answers.
How to do it in Vista
It is more or less a three step process.- Create Short Answer Questions.
- Create an Assessment with Questions
- Editing Quiz Properties
Create Short Answer 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 Short Answer. The Create Short Answer 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.
- Edit the Question section. 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.
- Edit the Answers section in the Answer Textboxes and chose the answer type.
- If you want to create additional answers, click Create Additional Answers. The screen updates and additional answer boxes appear.
- For each answer assign a value.
- Specify in which answer boxes answers can appear.
- Indicate the Answer box width and decide the case sensitivity.
- 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 Short Answer Question tests are most valuable consult Assessment Methods: Completion or Short Answer Tests and Tips and Traps for Completion or Short Answer Questions .
- Consult also the HOWTOs: View Assessment Submissions.