Test question types

Blackboard Ultra supports a range of question types that support assessment across a range of disciplines.

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Question types include multiple choice/ multiple answer, matching pairs, true or false , missing blanks, essay/ short answer, and calculated numeric and formula.

Question types

Adding a question

To add questions, roll your mouse over the dotted line and click on the plus to reveal the list of question types, select a type to add a new question to your test.

Open

After you have finished adding question content and settings, always remember to Save your question.

In your test, you can click on the ellipsis to edit, and the up and down arrows to change the order.

Multiple Choice and Multiple Answer questions

For questions with multiple choices and one or more correct answers select Multiple Choice.

With automatic marking and automatic feedback, multiple choice/answer is a good option to test a broad range of knowledge quickly.

Marking & feedback: automatic feedback (correct and incorrect), automatic marking, allows for partial, negative and extra credit

Set up and settings

1. Add question and answer text in the text boxes.

2. Use Add Option to add additional choices.

3. Select the checkbox beside the correct answer.

4. Select Automated feedback to enter automatic feedback for correct and/or incorrect answers.

5. Enter the number of points for question and whether there is extra partial or negative credit. Click Save.

Student view of multiple choice

True or False questions

Chose for questions that only have a right or wrong answer, again useful for quickly checking your students' knowledge.

Marking & feedback: automatic feedback (correct and incorrect), automatic marking, allows extra credit.

Set up and settings

1. Add question text in the text box.

2. Select the button beside True or False

3. Select Automated Feedback to enter automatic feedback for correct and/or incorrect answers.

4. Enter the number of points for question and whether there is extra credit. Click Save.

Student view of true or false question

Short Answer/ Essay question

Chose an essay question for any question that requires a free-text entry from your students.

Marking & feedback: Needs manually marked, allows extra credit

Set up and settings

1. Add question text in the text box.

2. Select the drop-down beside ‘Example of the correct response’ to add an example response for marking.

3. Enter the number of points for the question and whether there is extra credit. Click Save.

Student view of an essay / short answer question

Matching Pairs question

Use matching pairs question when you want students to associate concepts together.

Marking & feedback: automatic feedback (correct and incorrect), automatic marking, allows partial, negative and extra credit.

Set up and settings

1. Add question text in the text box.

2. Add prompt and answer text for each pair

3. Select Add pair to add additional text boxes

4. Select Add distractor to add additional incorrect answers

5. Select partial or negative credit. Edit or add in the percentages against each pair.

6. Enter the number of points for the question and whether there is extra credit.

7. Select automatic feedback to add feedback for correct and/or incorrect answers. Click Save.

Student View of matching question

Fill in the Blanks question

Use a fill-in-the-blank question when you want students to add one or more missing words to a sentence.

Marking & feedback: automatic feedback (correct and incorrect), automatic marking, allows partial or extra credit.

Set up and settings

1. Add question text in the text box, place square brackets around the word that will appear as a blank, if there are multiple answer options, separate them with a semi-colon

2. Select Next step

3. Select the response type and Case sensitivity to affect the matching process.

4. Enter the number of points for the question and whether there is partial or extra credit.

5. Select Automated feedback to enter automatic feedback for correct and/or incorrect answers. Click Save.

Student view of fill in the blanks

Hotspot questions

Select a hotspot question when you want students to respond by selecting inside an image.

Marking & feedback: automatic feedback (correct and incorrect), automatic marking, allows extra credit.

Set up and settings

1. Add question text in the text box,

2. Upload your image.

3. Set points or select extra credit.

4. Select a hotspot drawing tool (rectangle circle or polygon) to draw in the hotspot, you can have more than one.

5. A text field corresponding with the hotspot appears, add a text description and select the correct answer.

6. Select whether students can view the hotspots and or will receive automatic automated feedback. Click Save.

Student view of a hotspot question

Calculated Numeric question

Use a numeric question when you want students to type in a number in response to a question, it’s a bit like a numeric fill-in-the-blank

Marking & feedback: automatic feedback (correct and incorrect), automatic marking with a range, allows extra credit.

Set up and settings

1. Add question text and or image in the text box.

2. Add in the correct answer

3. If the answer is within a range select that option and enter the range value.

4. Enter the number of points for the question and whether there is extra credit

5. Select Automated feedback to enter automatic feedback for correct and/or incorrect answers.

Student view of calculated numeric question

Calculated formula question

Calculated Formula questions present students with a question that requires them to make a calculation and respond with a numeric answer.

Marking & feedback: automatic feedback (correct and incorrect), automatic marking with a range, allows extra credit.

Set up and settings

1. Add question text with the variable inside square brackets and an image if required in the text box.

2. Enter your formula using the same variables used in the question text and chose whether to display the formula to students

3. Enter points, and or extra credit and click Next.

4. Select you answer settings, format, rounding and ranges

5. Click Next

6. The final step is verification, this allows you to check the answers for your formula, you can enter your own values and recalculate.

7. Select Automated feedback if you want the students to receive feedback and click Save.

Student view of calculated formula question

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Useful Links

Blackboard help Uploading questions to a test