Multiple choice

In this article

In this article you find the following information:

• Background
• List or grid layout
• Procedure
• Beta feature: Automatic distractor generationv
• Item specific option
• Defining the choice layout
• Answer specific feedback
• Changing the order of choices
• Additional options

Background

The multiple choice item requires participants to select the correct answer from a number of choices.

List or grid layout

As an author, you can choose a list or a grid layout for the choices. 

Example list layout

Example grid layout

For more info, see Defining the choice layout below. 

Procedure

Proceed as follows to create/edit a Multiple choice item:

1. Go to Authoring > Items.
2. Go to the folder in which you want to add your item.
3. Click on to add an item. 
4. Select Multiple choice.
   Result: The content pane of the item is opened.
5. Enter the item name in the breadcrumb at the top.
6. Click in the content block and fill in the instruction. 
   
7. Click + Add block if you want to add additional content blocks.
8. Click in the interaction block and enter the choices:
   • Select the radio button of the correct choice. 
     
   • Click + Choice if you want to add additional choices. 

   Note: It is also possible to use a beta feature that automatically creates distractors based on the question and correct answer, see below.

9. Click Preview to try out your item. 

Beta feature: Automatic distractor generation

In the multiple-choice item, you can use a beta feature to automatically generate distractors. This is the first AI feature in assessmentQ that is powered by GPT (the engine used by ChatGPT).

Proceed as follows to automatically generate distractors:

1. Create or edit the multiple-choice question of your choice. 
2. Click in the content block and fill in the question in the instruction block. 
3. Click in the interaction block and enter the correct answer.
4. Click Generate distractors. 
   Result: A pop-up is opened listing 5 suggestions for distractors.

   Notes:

   • Each time you click on the Suggest distractors button, another 5 distractors will be proposed.
   • Language detection in the AI algorithm ensures that the distractors are automatically in the language of your question. 
5. If you want to refine the generation of distractors, enter a description of your needs in the Refine distractors field at the bottom and click Refine. 
   
6. Select the distractors you want to add to your multiple-choice question. 
   
7. If you want to add the explanations as negative feedback for the selected answers:
   • Select Insert explanation as feedback at the top right.
   • Change the explanation if needed.
8. Click Add at the bottom right. 
   Result: The selected distractors are added to your multiple-choice question. 

Item specific option

When you open the Item tab, you can change the item type Multiple-choice to: 

Defining the choice layout

To change the choice layout, proceed as follows:

1. Open your item and select the interaction block.
   Result: The Block tab is opened. By default, the choice layout option is set to List. 
2. If you want the choices to be ordered in a grid, select Grid.
   Result: You see the option number of columns. By default, the automatic option is enabled. The choices will be arranged responsively into the most suitable grid format depending on the participant's screen format.
3. If you want to control how the grid is composed, select Fixed and choose the number of columns for the grid.
   
   

   Notes:

   • If the grid cannot be shown on the participant's screen, a horizontal scrollbar will appear.
   • If you want to show all choices on 1 horizontal row, you need to set the number of columns to match the number of choices. 
     

Answer specific feedback 

Next to the general feedback, you can optionally add feedback for each answer separately. 

1. Click on the choice you want to add feedback to.
   Result: the tab Choice will open.
2. Add feedback When correct.
   When the choice is correctly selected or not selected, this feedback will appear.
3. Add feedback When wrong.
   When the choice is wrongly selected or not selected, this feedback will appear.

Changing the order of choices 

See Changing the choices order in Multiple choice and Multiple response.

Additional options

Learn more about adding assets, adding feedback, selecting the correct scoring mechanism etc. in the section The assessmentQ item bank.