OCA question types

In OCA, you can select long answer or short answer for open-ended questions, or two existing options for close-ended questions: single choice (drop-down list) and single choice (radio). A drop-down list is best when you have eight or more possible response choices. Single choice (radio) questions, which enable the student to click only one response, can be used for yes/no, scaled, and multiple-choice questions.  [more about scaled questions and response scales]

The type of question you choose should be dictated by the information you want to obtain and how you plan to use that information. Consider the following example with different response formats:

Example

Question A is a good choice if you are only interested in whether students are reading materials on reserve, but Question C is a good choice if you want to know the average number of times students read reserve materials. The type of statistical analyses you wish to perform helps determine the response format you choose.

For close-ended questions, response choices should be exhaustive and mutually exclusive. Exhaustive response choices cover all possible answers that would be reasonably expected. If choices are mutually exclusive, a student is able to choose one best or correct response.

Example

In the example, studying alone does not preclude reviewing class notes or re-reading the text. Further, studying in a group does not rule out reviewing class notes.