Effective Questions

Effective Questions

Open-ended questions give students opportunities to demonstrate deeper understanding and higher-order thinking skills. Where possible, consider using the following types of questions:

• Essay
• Short answer
• Reflection

However, when they are thoughtfully written, multiple-choice and other easily graded question types can also encourage deep thinking and show greater understanding of course content. You can take questions you have already written at a lower-level of cognitive expectations such as memorizing or recalling information and convert them to higher-level questions that require students to apply that knowledge to higher-level tasks, like analyzing, applying, or evaluating.

Evaluate: Flip Multiple-Choice Questions

Instead of asking students to select from a list of memorized facts in order to correctly answer the question, present statements that the students will need to analyze according to the principles they have been learning. One way to do this is to take the correct answer from the memorize/understand question and flip it so that the higher-level concepts can be the focus of the question.

Here is an example of a low-level question, which we will flip to be a higher level, concept-based question.

What is the name of the failed assault made on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, when the Confederate infantry charged uphill against the center position of the Union forces?

1. Armestead’s Defeat
2. Picket’s Charge
3. Longstreet’s Charge
4. Battle at Little Round Top

In this case, “Picket’s Charge” is the correct answer. It is simply a memorize/recall question that does not draw out any ability among the students to apply or analyze their knowledge of the historical events they have studied.

Here is an example of taking the answer, “Picket’s Charge” and flipping it in order to elicit higher-cognitive student behaviors in order to show their ability in analyzing and applying their learning of this part of history:

The Battle of Gettysburg climaxed on the third day with a massive, yet unsuccessful, uphill charge by the Confederate Army, known as Picket’s Charge. Each of the following statements is a factor that contributed to the Union Army’s victory. Which statement indicates the strongest reason for the outcome of the battle?

1. The Confederate troops were too fatigued from their march north prior to the battle.
2. The Union Army’s strong artillery position and steady bombardment overwhelmed the advancing Confederate troops.
3. The Confederate generals underestimated the strength of the Union Army’s center position, believing that its flanks were stronger.

Apply: Add Context to Multiple Choice Questions

Other ways to convert memorize/recall questions to higher-level questions include is to create matching or ranking questions where students are asked to apply underlying concepts in order to match or rank statements with their appropriate concept or characteristic. In addition, the use of a linked series of plausible and related True/False statements can help elicit student’s knowledge of complex concepts. For example:

Which of the following statements are characteristics of a dwarf star?

1. A dwarf star is comparatively small.
2. Most dwarf stars are not main-sequence stars.
3. A dwarf star has high luminosity.
4. A dwarf star is usually pulled by the gravity of a nearby black hole.

Below is an example of converting the same multiple-choice question to multiple True/False questions that provide context and then ask students to indicate their knowledge on each of the statements.

A colleague astronomer has discovered what she suspects to be a dwarf star. She has asked for your help in verifying the characteristics that would help conclude that it is indeed a dwarf star. The statements below are possible characteristics of dwarf stars. Answer True (T) next to any statement or statements that will help indicate a dwarf star and False (F) next to any statement(s) that is not true.

1. A dwarf star is comparatively small. (T/F)
2. Most dwarf stars are not main-sequence stars. (T/F)
3. A dwarf star has low luminosity. (T/F)
4. A dwarf star is usually pulled by the gravity of a nearby black hole. (T/F)