Quest Ladder
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Quest Ladder / Question formats
The twenty question formats at a glance
Twenty shapes a question can take. This is what each one is for, so you can choose once and not fight it later.
Choose the format for the thinking, not for the convenience.
Choosing a format
The Question format field on the Details tab is the first real decision in a question type, and the most awkward to reverse: a correct answer written for one format rarely survives a move to another.
The useful question is not what is easiest to mark but what the learner has to do to get it right. Recognising the correct answer among four is a different act from producing it, and both are different from explaining why.
Fifteen of the twenty mark themselves. Long answer, proof and graph sketch go to your marking queue; multi-step and code execution can too, depending on how you set them up. Plan for the marking before you build twenty of them.
All twenty
| Format | The learner… | Covered in |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice (single answer) | picks one option | Choice formats |
| Multiple choice (select all) | picks every correct option | Choice formats |
| True / false | judges one statement | Choice formats |
| Fill in the blank | types the missing word or value | Blanks and cloze |
| Fill in the blank (multiple) | fills several blanks in one prompt | Blanks and cloze |
| Cloze passage | fills gaps spread through a passage | Blanks and cloze |
| Numeric input | types a number, possibly with units | Numbers, equations and grids |
| Equation input | types an expression or equation | Numbers, equations and grids |
| Matrix / grid | fills a grid of cells | Numbers, equations and grids |
| Short answer | writes a few words | Written answers |
| Long answer (essay) | writes at length | Written answers |
| Proof | argues a result step by step | Written answers |
| Matching | pairs items across two columns | Matching, ordering and drag |
| Ordering | puts items in the right sequence | Matching, ordering and drag |
| Drag and drop | sorts items into zones | Matching, ordering and drag |
| Hotspot on image | clicks the right place on a picture | Hotspot and labelling |
| Diagram labelling | names the parts of a diagram | Hotspot and labelling |
| Multi-step | works through a problem in stages | Multi-step |
| Code execution | writes code that must run | Code execution |
| Graph sketch | draws a curve or plots points | Graph sketch |
Every format brings its own settings
Choosing a format adds a small set of fields to Extra settings in shared settings — how many choices, how many blanks, how many decimal places of tolerance. They are listed per format in Extra settings.
The settings that apply to every format — marks, timing, hint timing and the answer policy — are in Shared settings.