Summary
Resources
- Tests, Surveys and Pools Overview (help.blackboard.com)
Blackboard’s question types
Calculated Formula
A Calculated Formula question contains a formula, the variables of which can be set to change for each user. The variable range is created by specifying a minimum value and a maximum value for each variable. Answer sets are randomly generated. The correct answer can be a specific value or a range of values. Partial credit may be granted for answers falling in a range. Because Calculated Formula questions use the Equation Editor, which requires the Java Plugin, we advise you to think carefully about using it! Not all students will have the Java Plugin.
Please note variables can not be greater than 999 as this will cause calculation issues.
Calculated Numeric
This question resembles a fill-in-the-blank question. The user enters a number to complete a statement. The correct answer can be a specific number or within a range of numbers.
Either/Or
Users are presented with a statement and asked to respond using a selection of pre-defined two- choice answers, such as: Yes/No; Agree/Disagree; Right/Wrong.
Essay
Essay questions require the Instructor to provide Students with a question or statement. Students are given the opportunity to type an answer into a text field. Sample answers can be added for users or graders to use as a reference. These types of questions must be graded manually on the Grade Assessment page.
File Response
Users upload a file from the local drive as the answer to the question. This type of question is graded manually.
Fill in Multiple Blanks
This question type builds on fill-in-the-blank questions with multiple fill in the blank responses that can be inserted into a sentence or paragraph. Separate sets of answers are defined for each blank.
Fill in the Blank
Fill in the Blank answers are evaluated based on an exact text match. Accordingly, it is important to keep the answers simple and limited to as few words as possible. Answers are not case sensitive, but are evaluated based on spelling. Consider the following tips when creating Fill in the Blank questions and answers:
- Provide answers that allow for common spelling errors.
- Provide answers that allow for abbreviations or partial answers.
- Create the question that indicates to Students the best way to answer the question.
Keep answers limited to one or two words to avoid mismatched answers due to extra spaces or order of answer terms.
Hot Spot
Users indicate the answer by marking a specific point on an image. A range of pixel coordinates is used to define the correct answer. Hot Spot refers to the area of an image that, when selected, yields a correct answer. We have found that the hot-spot area can be off by a few pixels, so we suggest being generous when specifying the “correct” area.
Jumbled Sentence
Users are shown a sentence with a few parts of the sentence as variables. The user selects the proper answer for each variable from drop-down lists to assemble the sentence. Only one set of answers is used for all of the drop-down lists.
Matching
Matching questions allow Students to pair items in one column to items in another column. Instructors may include a different numbers of questions and answers in a Matching question. Students will be granted partial credit for matching questions if they answer part of the question correctly. For example, if the question is worth eight points and the student gives the correct answers for half of the matches, they will receive four points.
Multiple Answer
Multiple answer questions allow users to choose more than one answer. Partial credit is not given for partially correct answers, but Instructors may manually change the number of points a Student receives on the Grade Assessment page.
Multiple Choice
Multiple-choice questions allow the users a multitude of choices with only one correct answer. In multiple-choice questions, users indicate the correct answer by selecting a radio button. The number of answer choices is limited to 20.
Opinion Scale/Likert
Question type based on a rating scale designed to measure attitudes or reactions. Users indicate the multiple choice answer that represents their attitude or reaction. When the instructor creates an opinion scale question, six answer fields are pre-populated with the following answers: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Disagree, Strongly DIsagree, Not Applicable.
Ordering
Ordering questions require Students to provide an answer by selecting the correct order of a series of items. Students will be granted partial credit for ordering questions if they answer part of the question correctly. For example, if the question is worth eight points and the student gives the correct order for half of the items, they will receive four points.
Quiz Bowl
The user is shown the answer and responds by entering the correct question into a text box (we can blame Jeopardy!, the American game-show, for this one. First person to prove its pedagogical value gets a chocolate fish – there have been no chocolate fish claims since we upgraded to v6 in 2003). An answer must include a phrase and a question word, such as whom, what, or where, to be marked as correct. Partial credit may be given if the question word is not included in the answer.
Short Answer
Short Answer questions are similar to essay questions. The length of the answer can be limited to a specified number of rows in the text box.
The number of rows is meant as a guideline when entering an answer; it does not impose an absolute limit on answer length.
True/False
True/False questions allow the user to choose either true or false. True and False answer options are limited to the words True and False.
Random Block
Random Blocks enable the Instructor to use a random selection of questions from a Pool. Be aware that it is not possible to add a Random Block of questions from another Test or Survey.
From a Question Pool or Assessment
Choose questions from an existing Pool or Assessment.
Upload Questions
Instructors may import files containing questions into an Assessment. The questions in the uploaded file must match the file structure explained in the Test section of the Instructors Manual (opens help.blackboard.com page). The file may include Essay; Ordering; Matching; Fill in the Blank, Multiple Choices; Multiple Answer; and True/False questions.
