Question Types

***Developed by Patrick Crispen at California State University, Long Beach, these training movies walk step-by-step through using the new questions types in Blackboard 6.3. Throughout the videos CSU refers to their installation of Blackboard as "BeachBoard."
- Calculated Formula Movie | Transcript [04:13]***
Calculated Formula question contains a formula, the variables of which can be set to change for each student. 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.
- Calculated Numeric Response Movie | Transcript [02:28] ***
This question resembles a fill-in-the-blank question. The student enters a number to complete a statement. The correct answer can be a specific number or within a range of numbers.
- Either/Or Movie | Transcript [02:35]***
Students 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 students or graders to use as a reference. These types of questions must be graded manually on the Grade Assessment page. Essay questions may use the Math and Science Notation Tool.
- File Response Movie | Transcript [02:47]***
Students upload a file from the local drive as the answer to the question. This type of question is graded manually.
- Fill in Multiple Blanks Movie | Transcript [04:00] ***
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.
- Hot Spot. Movie | Transcript [04:35] ***
Students 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.
- Jumbled Sentence Movie | Transcript [04:02]***
Students are shown a sentence with a few parts of the sentence as variables. The student 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 number 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 students 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 students a multitude of choices with only one correct answer. In multiple-choice questions, students indicate the correct answer by selecting a radio button. The number of answer choices is limited to 20.
- Opinion Scale/Likert Movie | Transcript [02:31]***
Question type based on a rating scale designed to measure attitudes or reactions. Students 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 Movie | Transcript [04:36] ***
The student is shown the answer and responds by entering the correct question into a text box. An answer must include a phrase and a question word, such as who, 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 Movie | Transcript [03:11] ***
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 or False
True/False questions allow the student to choose either true or false. True and False answer options are limited to the words True and False.
