Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Over the past year, the feature request we’ve heard most from users was the ability to track the progress of online learners. Yes, CourseArc was built to help you create high quality online courses quickly and easily, but how do you know if your students or employees are actually learning? MORE
Is it better to binge on new lessons, or to learn incrementally over time? If your goal is to retain that knowledge and apply it when new situations require it, studies have shown that your best bet is to learn in smaller doses, and repeat key information over time. But why? MORE
Since online learning often separates teachers from learners across time and distance, we rely on evaluations – in the form of tests, quizzes and assessments – to judge each student’s successful comprehension of the content (and to judge how well the course designers presented their information). But what makes a good test question? Is it meant to challenge a student? Should it stump as many students as possible? If every student answers a question correctly, does that mean your question is too easy, or is it a perfect example of an effective test question? To find out, let’s begin by reminding ourselves why we test our students in the first place. The Purpose of a Good Test Question. As a general rule, a good question tests the 6-levels of intellectual understanding, as espoused in Bloom’s Taxonomy : Knowledge. Comprehension. Application. Analysis. Synthesis. Evaluation. Going further, the Cornell University’s Center for Teaching Excellence provides a great summary of the characteristics of what a “good question” is: Intention: Did the question assess what you intended to assess? Demonstration: Did learners demonstrate that they learned what they needed to learn? Progress: Were learners able to show progress in their learning? Motivation: Did the question help motivate learners to further their academic pursuits of the subject matter? Distinction: Did the question help distinguish learners from “non-learners”? Notice that these guidelines have nothing to do with the structure of the question itself. Whether your questions involve True/False answers, Multiple Choice responses, Matching items, Fill-in-the-Blanks or Essay responses, good questions must demonstrate all of these traits. How to Create Effective Tests and Quizzes. At the heart of any good question is an understanding of the learning outcomes that the questions are seeking to measure. Before you develop your question bank, revisit the objectives of the course to ensure your questions are built with those objectives in mind. For example, if the objective of a course is to ensure that students are capable of executing the basic functions of trigonometry, you might begin to formulate your final exam by first listing all the necessary functions you would expect a student to be able to execute by the end of your course. This will give you a checklist of “must-have” test questions, and provide a structure for the progression of the test. For a more subjective topic, like political theory, you might first list all the key concepts you’d expect a student to be able to explain by the end of your course, as well as the critical thinking skills you’d expect them to be able to employ. Then you could devise an exam which includes all the necessary topics while simultaneously testing the students’ cognitive functions in their explanation of those terms. From there, you can decide which question formats best serve those purposes. While choosing from a series of Multiple Choice or True/False answers may be sufficient to prove a student’s familiarity with glossary terms or the basic comprehension of functions, those formats also allow for “educated guesses,” which may not be enough to prove a student truly understands the underlying concepts. Thus, you should also include Essay, Fill-in-the-Blank, and other open-ended question formats that require a student not just to deduce (or guess) the correct answer but to apply their knowledge and rhetorical reasoning — or, in the case of mathematics, to prove they can actually perform the computations effectively. How Hard Should a Test Be? Experts vary on their responses to this question, but the general consensus seems to be: harder is better, with a caveat. Students who feel “put on the spot” or otherwise expected to achieve errorless results in a difficult situation are reportedly more likely to retain the correct information afterward, even if they make mistakes. The caveat? For this approach to work best, students must also have the opportunity to review their responses and understand what they got wrong. (Understanding why an answer is wrong also helps with retention.). However, it’s critical to note that a question’s difficulty should be derived from the challenge it presents , not from any complexity in the way it’s phrased. As a recent incident in the UK proved , students of all ages can feel “demoralized” if they struggle to even understand the questions on a test. Thus, if you’re presenting questions in such a manner that your students will barely be able to answer them — whether by writing them for an advanced reading level or by purposely writing them to be obtuse — you’re not truly testing your students’ knowledge; you’re making them jump through needless hoops which may result in lower scores and a dislike of the material simply for the sake of appearing “challenging.” Testing the Test-Makers. Not sure if your test is too hard? Ask a beta tester in your target audience to take it before you administer it to your class. For example, a grad student or teacher’s aide in the field should have no real trouble passing a test for undergrads, nor should a senior manager in a department that’s receiving employee training in a specific topic. If they do, you may want to step your difficulty level down a notch or two. After all, a test that no one passes means it might be you, and not your students, who need a refresher. Image: “ Quiz ” by Animated Heaven, via Flickr Creative Commons License. Accessibility eLearning Tools Instructional Design Online Learning assessment beta testing eLearning evaluation feedback instructional design Pedagogy quiz tests user experience MORE
Every course or training initiative has at least one of two goals: to bridge knowledge gaps , and/or to transform the learner’s behavior. MORE
During Word War II, educational psychologist Robert Gagné’s evaluated the aptitude of Air Force pilots. His pioneering work in instructional design led to a systematic approach to learning that we know today as Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction. MORE
Designing online courses is a multifaceted endeavor — and all those different facets are often the job of the same person: you. Each stage of the process, from analysis and design to development, testing, implementation, and evaluation, requires a different mindset, skills, and expertise. MORE
Check out our video blog on the top ten ways to improve the design of your online course. You can find the content used in the video here. Webinar Course Content. Begin with the End in Mind. MORE
Every school district, every classroom, every teacher, and every student is different. The needs, expectations, and the methods to meet desired outcomes for each are different. MORE
If you’ve never created an online course before, you may not be familiar with the term “instructional designer,” but that’s exactly what you’re about to become! Instructional design is the act of creating of educational resources. MORE
Scientists, economists, accountants, and mathematicians all have one thing in common: they all deal in “absolutes.” ” They follow rules, theories, or laws governing the objectives they espouse, and they measure the outcomes of their efforts against those objectives. MORE
Comparing the effectiveness of eLearning against its in-person peer poses a challenge. On one hand, the rapid growth of Internet technologies has seen a corresponding growth in online education. MORE
Instructional design requires a lot of time, energy and resources to ensure truly remarkable results. That’s why the growing use of Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) can be a great addition to the arsenal of tools available to course developers. MORE
Students can often feel overwhelmed by the extent of new information and concepts that they are exposed to throughout a course. As an instructional designer, it’s your responsibility to help learners remember and retain key information and take-aways from your courses. MORE
Today’s workforce is a multigenerational collection of individuals who have grown together as a result of many years of expansion, attrition, consolidation, and new hiring policies. MORE
Making the transition from traditional textbook learning and instructor-led classroom courses to the strange new world of online learning can be a daunting challenge – especially for first-time online learners who’ve never had to navigate a digital learning interface before. MORE
Scenario-based learning, also known as problem-based learning, seeks to elevate the learner’s training outcomes from merely comprehension to analysis, synthesis, and application. MORE
You may already know that your eLearning materials must be fully compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act — but what does full compliance actually look like in practice? MORE
Griffin-Hammis Associates (GHA), a nationally recognized leader in Customized Employment training and technical assistance, announces the upcoming release of its newly revised Certified Business and Technical Assistance Consultant (CBTAC) course. MORE
A study investigating the effectiveness of two teaching approaches, illustrated text-based versus video-based, concluded the following: “Video-based e Learning is superior to illustrated text-based e Llearning when teaching certain practical skills.”. MORE
How Should You Design Your Online Course’s Assessments? Assessments are a critical component of eLearning courses, but is there a best practice for designing their frequency or depth? MORE
Sample Bar Graph that Includes an Accessible, Alternative Version in a Table. Technology is present in every facet of life. It is now common in classrooms of all varieties, placing a responsibility on instructors and administrators to ensure the equitable use of technology. MORE
Students of today are very different from those in the past. Is education changing to keep up? Probably not fast enough. MORE
Like any other product or service, online course design and development must be subjected to quality control (QC) standards to ensure that its users’ needs are truly being met. MORE
Young students may be open to receiving helpful guidance or critiques from their teachers, but adult learners tend to have a much different perception of their own abilities. (If MORE
Connecting with students can be difficult even in ideal circumstances. Unlike regular classroom-based courses, digital learning poses an additional set of challenges for instructional designers and students alike. Sometimes even the most well-designed courses may not resonate with certain learners. MORE
With so much of our lives lived “on the go”, mobile learning has acquired a new paradigm. If designed correctly, mLearning can save time while providing just-in-time learning opportunities. MORE
At CourseArc, we build tools that make online course creation as simple and easy as possible, even for users who have no prior experience in programming or design. MORE
Like art or cooking, instructional design is a process of continual improvement. Rarely satisfied with their creations, instructional designers revise, update, and improve their courses throughout every iteration of their delivery. MORE
CourseArc
JUNE 14, 2019
Check out our video blog on the top ten ways to improve the design of your online course. You can find the content used in the video here. Webinar Course Content. Begin with the End in Mind.
CourseArc
MAY 7, 2019
Griffin-Hammis Associates (GHA), a nationally recognized leader in Customized Employment training and technical assistance, announces the upcoming release of its newly revised Certified Business and Technical Assistance Consultant (CBTAC) course.
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CourseArc
MAY 31, 2017
Young students may be open to receiving helpful guidance or critiques from their teachers, but adult learners tend to have a much different perception of their own abilities. (If
CourseArc
MARCH 15, 2017
Since online learning often separates teachers from learners across time and distance, we rely on evaluations – in the form of tests, quizzes and assessments – to judge each student’s successful comprehension of the content (and to judge how well the course designers presented their information). But what makes a good test question? Is it meant to challenge a student? Should it stump as many students as possible? If every student answers a question correctly, does that mean your question is too easy, or is it a perfect example of an effective test question? To find out, let’s begin by reminding ourselves why we test our students in the first place. The Purpose of a Good Test Question. As a general rule, a good question tests the 6-levels of intellectual understanding, as espoused in Bloom’s Taxonomy : Knowledge. Comprehension. Application. Analysis. Synthesis. Evaluation. Going further, the Cornell University’s Center for Teaching Excellence provides a great summary of the characteristics of what a “good question” is: Intention: Did the question assess what you intended to assess? Demonstration: Did learners demonstrate that they learned what they needed to learn? Progress: Were learners able to show progress in their learning? Motivation: Did the question help motivate learners to further their academic pursuits of the subject matter? Distinction: Did the question help distinguish learners from “non-learners”? Notice that these guidelines have nothing to do with the structure of the question itself. Whether your questions involve True/False answers, Multiple Choice responses, Matching items, Fill-in-the-Blanks or Essay responses, good questions must demonstrate all of these traits. How to Create Effective Tests and Quizzes. At the heart of any good question is an understanding of the learning outcomes that the questions are seeking to measure. Before you develop your question bank, revisit the objectives of the course to ensure your questions are built with those objectives in mind. For example, if the objective of a course is to ensure that students are capable of executing the basic functions of trigonometry, you might begin to formulate your final exam by first listing all the necessary functions you would expect a student to be able to execute by the end of your course. This will give you a checklist of “must-have” test questions, and provide a structure for the progression of the test. For a more subjective topic, like political theory, you might first list all the key concepts you’d expect a student to be able to explain by the end of your course, as well as the critical thinking skills you’d expect them to be able to employ. Then you could devise an exam which includes all the necessary topics while simultaneously testing the students’ cognitive functions in their explanation of those terms. From there, you can decide which question formats best serve those purposes. While choosing from a series of Multiple Choice or True/False answers may be sufficient to prove a student’s familiarity with glossary terms or the basic comprehension of functions, those formats also allow for “educated guesses,” which may not be enough to prove a student truly understands the underlying concepts. Thus, you should also include Essay, Fill-in-the-Blank, and other open-ended question formats that require a student not just to deduce (or guess) the correct answer but to apply their knowledge and rhetorical reasoning — or, in the case of mathematics, to prove they can actually perform the computations effectively. How Hard Should a Test Be? Experts vary on their responses to this question, but the general consensus seems to be: harder is better, with a caveat. Students who feel “put on the spot” or otherwise expected to achieve errorless results in a difficult situation are reportedly more likely to retain the correct information afterward, even if they make mistakes. The caveat? For this approach to work best, students must also have the opportunity to review their responses and understand what they got wrong. (Understanding why an answer is wrong also helps with retention.). However, it’s critical to note that a question’s difficulty should be derived from the challenge it presents , not from any complexity in the way it’s phrased. As a recent incident in the UK proved , students of all ages can feel “demoralized” if they struggle to even understand the questions on a test. Thus, if you’re presenting questions in such a manner that your students will barely be able to answer them — whether by writing them for an advanced reading level or by purposely writing them to be obtuse — you’re not truly testing your students’ knowledge; you’re making them jump through needless hoops which may result in lower scores and a dislike of the material simply for the sake of appearing “challenging.” Testing the Test-Makers. Not sure if your test is too hard? Ask a beta tester in your target audience to take it before you administer it to your class. For example, a grad student or teacher’s aide in the field should have no real trouble passing a test for undergrads, nor should a senior manager in a department that’s receiving employee training in a specific topic. If they do, you may want to step your difficulty level down a notch or two. After all, a test that no one passes means it might be you, and not your students, who need a refresher. Image: “ Quiz ” by Animated Heaven, via Flickr Creative Commons License. Accessibility eLearning Tools Instructional Design Online Learning assessment beta testing eLearning evaluation feedback instructional design Pedagogy quiz tests user experience
Speaker: Steve Fleming-Prot, Content Strategist, UserTesting
In this webinar, Steve Fleming-Prot of UserTesting will share lessons learned from building UserTesting’s Learning Navigator and on-demand University, and why Customer Education is an important part of CX—and CX is an important part of Customer Education.
CourseArc
JULY 12, 2017
If you’ve never created an online course before, you may not be familiar with the term “instructional designer,” but that’s exactly what you’re about to become! Instructional design is the act of creating of educational resources.
|
CourseArc
JANUARY 18, 2017
Like any other product or service, online course design and development must be subjected to quality control (QC) standards to ensure that its users’ needs are truly being met.
CourseArc
NOVEMBER 21, 2016
Connecting with students can be difficult even in ideal circumstances. Unlike regular classroom-based courses, digital learning poses an additional set of challenges for instructional designers and students alike. Sometimes even the most well-designed courses may not resonate with certain learners.
CourseArc
SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
Is it better to binge on new lessons, or to learn incrementally over time? If your goal is to retain that knowledge and apply it when new situations require it, studies have shown that your best bet is to learn in smaller doses, and repeat key information over time. But why?
CourseArc
JANUARY 30, 2018
Sample Bar Graph that Includes an Accessible, Alternative Version in a Table. Technology is present in every facet of life. It is now common in classrooms of all varieties, placing a responsibility on instructors and administrators to ensure the equitable use of technology.
Advertiser: Skilljar
Customer lifecycle training gives customers the knowledge and tools they need to be successful. As customer success and satisfaction grows, so does retention and repeat business. This eBook can help training teams improve or expand their customer training programs.
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CourseArc
FEBRUARY 8, 2017
Like art or cooking, instructional design is a process of continual improvement. Rarely satisfied with their creations, instructional designers revise, update, and improve their courses throughout every iteration of their delivery.
CourseArc
OCTOBER 6, 2016
A study investigating the effectiveness of two teaching approaches, illustrated text-based versus video-based, concluded the following: “Video-based e Learning is superior to illustrated text-based e Llearning when teaching certain practical skills.”.
CourseArc
APRIL 16, 2018
Every school district, every classroom, every teacher, and every student is different. The needs, expectations, and the methods to meet desired outcomes for each are different.
CourseArc
NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Instructional design requires a lot of time, energy and resources to ensure truly remarkable results. That’s why the growing use of Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) can be a great addition to the arsenal of tools available to course developers.
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Your search for the perfect candidate has resulted in zero perfectly skilled applicants. What’s going on? Enter… the skills gap. This report, ‘The Employment Skills Gap and What To Do About It,' breaks down the issue with solutions you can apply now.
CourseArc
JULY 18, 2017
With CourseArc, you can make the learning count and keep your students coming back for more online courses with engaging, interactive, and accessible content.
CourseArc
APRIL 12, 2017
Every course or training initiative has at least one of two goals: to bridge knowledge gaps , and/or to transform the learner’s behavior.
CourseArc
SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Scenario-based learning, also known as problem-based learning, seeks to elevate the learner’s training outcomes from merely comprehension to analysis, synthesis, and application.
CourseArc
JULY 14, 2016
With so much of our lives lived “on the go”, mobile learning has acquired a new paradigm. If designed correctly, mLearning can save time while providing just-in-time learning opportunities.
Advertiser: Skilljar
A great customer onboarding program is a proactive and meaningful way to make a lasting impact on customer engagement, retention, and expansion. In this eBook, Skilljar will show you a new framework for building a customer onboarding program, including how to segment users and drive long-term value and retention through education.
CourseArc
MARCH 1, 2017
Designing online courses is a multifaceted endeavor — and all those different facets are often the job of the same person: you. Each stage of the process, from analysis and design to development, testing, implementation, and evaluation, requires a different mindset, skills, and expertise.
CourseArc
APRIL 19, 2017
Scientists, economists, accountants, and mathematicians all have one thing in common: they all deal in “absolutes.” ” They follow rules, theories, or laws governing the objectives they espouse, and they measure the outcomes of their efforts against those objectives.
CourseArc
FEBRUARY 2, 2017
How Should You Design Your Online Course’s Assessments? Assessments are a critical component of eLearning courses, but is there a best practice for designing their frequency or depth?
CourseArc
DECEMBER 28, 2016
During Word War II, educational psychologist Robert Gagné’s evaluated the aptitude of Air Force pilots. His pioneering work in instructional design led to a systematic approach to learning that we know today as Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction.
Advertiser: Skilljar
As you build and scale your customer education program, the right data can help you identify patterns, make evidence-based decisions, and adapt strategy to meet business goals. In this eBook, Skilljar will share the data and metrics best practices that have helped their customers meet program goals and communicate business impact.
CourseArc
JANUARY 26, 2017
You may already know that your eLearning materials must be fully compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act — but what does full compliance actually look like in practice?
CourseArc
MARCH 22, 2017
Comparing the effectiveness of eLearning against its in-person peer poses a challenge. On one hand, the rapid growth of Internet technologies has seen a corresponding growth in online education.
CourseArc
APRIL 27, 2017
At CourseArc, we build tools that make online course creation as simple and easy as possible, even for users who have no prior experience in programming or design.
CourseArc
FEBRUARY 15, 2017
Students can often feel overwhelmed by the extent of new information and concepts that they are exposed to throughout a course. As an instructional designer, it’s your responsibility to help learners remember and retain key information and take-aways from your courses.
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Zero in on the best E-Learning software for your company. Get expert recommendations and pricing comparisons based on your specific needs.
CourseArc
DECEMBER 6, 2016
Today’s workforce is a multigenerational collection of individuals who have grown together as a result of many years of expansion, attrition, consolidation, and new hiring policies.
CourseArc
APRIL 25, 2019
Students of today are very different from those in the past. Is education changing to keep up? Probably not fast enough.
CourseArc
JANUARY 10, 2017
Video is a powerful instructional tool, but some of your students will need the extra step of captions in order to fully appreciate the message in a video-based lesson.
CourseArc
NOVEMBER 15, 2016
Making the transition from traditional textbook learning and instructor-led classroom courses to the strange new world of online learning can be a daunting challenge – especially for first-time online learners who’ve never had to navigate a digital learning interface before.
Advertiser: Skilljar
According to Talented Learning, more than 700 LMS vendors compete in today’s learning platforms marketplace. But of course, not all platforms are created equal. In this eBook, Skilljar will discuss the key components of an external training LMS, and why they’re essential for a well-designed customer training program.
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