Multiple choice question type (Moodle Quiz)

Multiple choice questioning is one of the most popular and enduring forms of assessment in practice (Roediger & Marsh, 2005), and is the most common question type used in Moodle quizzes at UOW.

The multiple choice question format consists of:

• The stem – contains context, content, and/or the question the student is required to answer
• The options – the set of alternative answers with one correct option and one or more incorrect options or distractors
• Supporting information – any additional content, in either the stem or option.

(adapted from Gierl et al., 2017, p. 1084)

The Multiple choice question type in Moodle allows single-answer and multiple-answer questions, and images, audio and/or other media can be included in the question and/or answer options.

Why?

Multiple choice questions (MCQ) are widely utilised in education due to their efficiency and versatility. They are valuable for both formative and summative assessments; and suitable for use inside or outside the classroom across a diverse range of subjects, all while eliminating the need for complex grading rubrics. Multiple choice questions facilitate quick evaluation of student’s comprehension, fostering active learning through memory retrieval and critical thinking.

While Multiple choice questions offer these diverse benefits, including their innate accessibility, there are criticisms for the format.

Writing ‘good’ Multiple choice questions can be difficult and time-consuming, potentially leading to an emphasis on lower level learning outcomes and encouraging rote memorisation (Roediger & Marsh, 2005). Nevertheless, these concerns can be addressed through careful consideration of question design and integration within the curriculum to underscore the importance of thoughtful and effective implementation.

How?

To first create a Moodle Quiz activity, please refer to the Moodle Quiz article.

General information on how to add questions to a quiz and set up question banks can be found in the Introduction to Moodle Quiz question types article.

Moodle provides efficiencies for setting up multiple choice quiz questions via the ability to import pre-created questions that are in files formatted in a certain way. For step-by-step instructions on how to import questions into your question bank using the Aiken format, please refer to the Import a quiz from a Word document to Moodle using the Aiken format IMTS Knowledge Base article.

References