In Microsoft Forms there are two options that allow you to create either surveys or quizzes. The results of both or indeed, the data from both, can be analysed using excel. In this blogpost I am going to focus on the Quiz function and in particular I am going to demonstrate how quizzes are not just about multiple choice questions. I am also going to explain how Quizzes can be used for deeper learning, embedding knowledge and for retrieval practice.
The Multiple Choice Function
Having said that Microsoft Quizzes is not just about multiple choice questions I am actually going to start here. There is nothing wrong with a simple multiple choice question such as this one here on the left. It is a great place to start testing your students on what they have learned and ease them into the quiz or even the lesson. There's no reason why you can not use a three or four question Microsoft Quiz to start your lesson off as a form of retrieval practice. Multiple choice questions can, however, enable you to go deeper and require more of your students, testing understanding and even grammatical knowledge. Repetitive tasks, testing areas that you have been working on in class can really benefit your students learning as you will be giving them the chance to revisit their learning and embed knowledge.
The multiple choice function can, thus, be a lot more than a simple one word answer. It can be used for translation activities and even checking understanding of tenses as the following examples demonstrate.
In addition, it is very easy to complete reading activities by simply inserting an image of your text and supplying multiple choice answers underneath in exactly the same way as an exam paper. This way forward obviously gives you the opportunity during online learning to set comprehension papers that can be marked automatically and quickly.
The Ranking Function
I think this is an often overlooked function of Microsoft Quizzes and it is one that works well in languages. In its most simple form, you can get students to put conjugated verbs in the right order. As with the multiple choice option it is possible to make the ranking task more challenging, for example, providing a sentence in English which needs to be translated. The translation appears in the wrong order and students need to reshuffle and sort until the sentence is correct. With careful thought, it is more than possible to pose problems that will give you a clear insight into your students' learning and the progress they are making. The example can be made more demanding still simply by taking away the English sentence and getting students to work out a sentence that makes sense. It is important to create your sentences carefully so that there is only one reasonable response possible. Of course, prudent use of punctuation can also help in this respect.
The Open-ended Function
This function can also be used at many different levels. Students can write a one word answer to a question - perhaps a vocabulary question. Or they can write in the correct conjugation of a verb. I like to use the function for translation, asking students to translate a sentence either into or out of the target language.
It is possible to review responses by questions and thus it is very easy to see at a glance how students have done. However, if the quiz is being set more as a low-stakes retrieval practice activity then why not ask really open-ended questions which do not garner marks - it is possible to set quizzes without marks - but encourage students to retrieve knowledge and test themselves on prior learning?
It is possible to review responses by questions and thus it is very easy to see at a glance how students have done. However, if the quiz is being set more as a low-stakes retrieval practice activity then why not ask really open-ended questions which do not garner marks - it is possible to set quizzes without marks - but encourage students to retrieve knowledge and test themselves on prior learning? Once the quiz is finished, then students can reflect on their own learning and understand where the gaps are in their knowledge, becoming aware of what topic areas they need to work on to shore up their learning.
Video Option
Quizzes are not just about reading and grammar. The opportunity also exists to upload video by simply adding a URL which means that you can create a variety of meaningful listening tasks that provide quick feedback. Again your questioning can be as varied or as limited as you wish. For example:
1. Put the conversation in the right order using the ranking feature.
2. Select the right word to describe how the speaker is feeling
3. Multiple choice answers to questions
4. Write in the answers.
This blogpost has explored some of the ways Quizzes in Microsoft Forms can be used to test your students' learning and progress providing you with valuable data. Not only this, the blogpost has explored ways that you can also use quizzes to provide your students with low stakes activities that push them to embed knowledge or retrieve prior knowledge and allow your students to reflect on their learning.
Below are a few quizzes for you to make use of:
Thank you for sharing these! In the 1st lockdown, I was getting to grips with Teams and I will definitely add Forms in the ways suggested above in the coming weeks. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant - let me know how you get on.
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