Question Types & Features
Listed below are the types of questions we support in assignments. If you do not find a question type compatible with the type of assessment you have, please contact us and we’d be happy to assist you.
- Multiple Choice
- Multiple Answer
- Ordering
- Short Answer
- Essay
- File Upload
- Discussion
- FEATURE: Timed
- FEATURE: Randomization
- FEATURE: Question Bank
Multiple Choice
Allows learners to select the best possible answer out of a list of solutions.
Note: Best to use when the answer to the question asked is a single sentence or statement.
Multiple Answer
Allows learners to select multiple answers out of a list of solutions.
Note: Best to use when the answer to the question asked is potentially more than one sentence or statement.
Ordering
Allows the learner to arrange data and information into the appropriate order.
Note: Best to use when the solution requires a specific ordering of information, such as the order of steps or events.
Short Answer
Provides a text field for learners to type a word or short phrase as their response.
Note: Best to use for questions that prompt the learner to display his or her breadth of understanding and knowledge in writing. It allows for a single word or short phrase answer.
Essay
Provides learners with a text field to respond to questions in short sentences or several paragraphs. Responses are not limited in length.
Note: Best to use for questions that prompt the learner to display understanding in writing. This type of response requires extensive recall and extra time to complete.
File Upload
Allows learners to submit files directly to instructors for review. The NextThought platform will accept any specified file type.
Note: Best to use when the assignment requires a file by a program outside the NextThought platform. Instructors can download learner files.
Discussion
Prompts learners to respond within course forums. The discussion is displayed within the assignment and includes learner activity information.
Note: Best to use when participation within course discussions are not only encouraged and expected, but required and graded.
FEATURE: Randomization
Most question types allow “randomization” for the questions and/or solutions. Randomizing the questions would create a unique ordering of the questions for each learner. Randomizing the solutions would create a unique ordering of solutions for each individual.
FEATURE: Question Bank
Allows a designated amount of questions from a larger set of questions to be randomly selected and assigned to learners. For example, five different questions can be randomly assigned to a learner from a bank of ten questions. The learner would only see and respond to those five questions.
FEATURE: Timed Assessments
Restricts the learner to a designated amount of time to complete the assignment. A window will prompt the learner to acknowledge that the assignment is timed. The submitted assignment will indicate to both the instructor and learner if the learner submitted within the allotted time.