Part V: Step-By-Step Examples of Generating New Questions

Example 1  Inequalities, Difficulty Level 1 Question Template

N is a whole number. Find the greatest possible value of N in the inequality below.                                                     N < 6.5                         A    2                         B    3                         C    7                         D    6                         Answer:  D

Observations:

• The task sentence (i.e. the problem) can most easily be changed by varying the number, but this has probably already been done within the coding protocol.
• However, the question can be reformatted completely so that the task sentence reads, ‘Which number line below represents N < 6.5?’ The multiple-choice options would then comprise four different number lines, only one of which is correct.
• Alternatively, the question can be reformatted to present N < 6.5 on a number line and the user could be asked to choose the multiple choice option which correctly identifies the inequality shown on the number line.

 

Example 2   Pie Charts, Difficulty Level 4 Question Template

Jon and Jean asked their friends in Year 3 to name their favourite cartoon characters. They recorded their results in the table below. Choose the pie chart that correctly represents their results.  Four multiple choice options are presented, only one of which is correct.

Observations:

• The easiest way to generate a new question at the same difficulty level is to change Jon and Jean’s question, which can ask their friends in Year 3 about any of their favourite or least favourite things.
• The question can be changed slightly by listing the results in a sentence rather than in data table.
• Alternatively, the question can be reformatted completely by presenting a blank pie chart (labelled only with multiple-choice option letters) next to the data table and then asking users to name the multiple-choice option that correctly represents the results of Jon and Jean’s survey.

 

Example 3   Rounding, Difficulty Level 5 Question Template

Round the number below to three significant figures.                                 0.09378 0.090 0.093 0.0937 0.0938                          Answer: d

Observation:

• This question can be transformed by inverting the task. Rather than asking users to round a number, the rounded number can be given and users can be asked to identify which multiple-choice option is the correct original number.