Quest Ladder
TeachFORGE.ai
Quest Ladder / Multi-step
Multi-step questions
A problem big enough to have parts, marked so that a learner who gets the method right still earns something.
Credit the method, not only the last number.
What it is
A multi-step question presents one problem in stages, each with its own response. Number of steps in Extra settings runs 2 to 6, defaulting to 3.
It is the right format whenever the working matters as much as the result: a calculation with intermediate quantities, an experiment with a prediction and then an interpretation, a problem where the second part depends on getting the first right.
Marks per step
Each step is a slot on the correct answer step with its own marks. This is the whole reason the format exists: a learner who sets the problem up correctly and then fumbles the arithmetic has demonstrated most of the understanding, and a single-answer question would score them zero.
- Marking mode set to Weighted gives each step its own contribution. On multi-step this is almost always what you want.
- Split evenly divides the total across the steps in one click, then adjust the one that deserves more.
- Slot marks shows the running total against the maximum, so you can see when the parts no longer add up.
Weight the step where the thinking is, not the step with the most typing. If step two is substitute into the formula and step three is press the calculator, most of the marks belong to step two.
When a later step depends on an earlier one
The hard case is a learner who gets step one wrong and then does steps two and three perfectly on their own wrong number. Marking them zero for those steps punishes them twice for one mistake.
There are two honest ways to handle it. Either widen the acceptance on the later steps so a consistent continuation is accepted, or split the problem so the later steps are given the correct intermediate value in their own stem. Which is right depends on whether carrying a value through is part of the skill.
Multi-step or a ladder?
A multi-step question and a three-step ladder can look similar. They are not.
| Multi-step question | Ladder | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | One problem, one sitting | A path across a topic, over time |
| Adaptivity | None — every learner does every step | Routes, retries and review based on how they did |
| Marking | One composed total | Per step, with mastery tracked |
Use multi-step when the parts only make sense together. Use a ladder when a learner who fails the first part should be doing something different from one who sailed through it.