Extended Matching

Description

Extended Matching questions present with an initial statement that applies to the question as a whole. Beneath this are a number of scenarios together with dropdown lists containing the answer options. The list of options is shared amongst all the scenarios.

Rationale

According to the literature Extended Matching questions offer significant advantages over simple MCQs. The are more reliable, better able to discriminate the well-prepared from the marginal student, and well suited for tested core knowledge.

Fit Criterion

Presentation

• The option list is displayed in a table before the scenarios for easy reference by students.
• Presentation order of options (answers) should allow:
  • Display order as entered in the editor
  • Alphabetic - automatic by Rogo
  • Random - randomly shuffled at display time
• Dropdown lists are used when there is a single answer per scenario.
• Multi-selection lists are used when there are more than one answer per scenario.

Marking

Two basic marking methods are possible:

In either marking method academic staff should be able to specify the number of marks to award if correct and the number (possibly negative) if wrong. Marks correct should range from 1 to 20 and marks incorrect from 0 to -10 with the addition of -0.25 and -0.5.

Feedback

Feedback includes:

• Tick/Cross show what the student has got right/wrong
• Bold options show the correct answers
• Student mark out of possible number.
• Textual feedback is available
• If standard setting has been used this should be displayed
• List of learning objectives that the question is linked to

Limited Save

After a question has locked it should only be possible to change the following aspects:

• Correct answers for each scenario
• Number of marks if correct
• Number of marks if wrong
• Status
• Bloom's Taxonomy
• Keywords
• Teams

Standard Setting

• Mark per question:
  • There is one rating for the whole question.
• Mark per option:
  • There are ratings for each available mark.

Data Format

Correct Answer

Answers are held in the 'correct' field of the options table. | separator symbols are used to separate the answers for each scenario. Where a scenario has multiple correct options the $ symbol is used to separate. Numbers are used to denote the correct option starting at one.

Student Answer

The student answer is stored in the 'user_answer' field in the relevant log table. The same principles as above apply: | symbol separates scenarios and $ symbol separates multiple answers (if appropriate) within a scenario.

• u = student has not answered (Unanswered)