Matching

=**__Matching Questions__**= (Brad)

**// Definition //**
Matching type questions are created with two unique sets of information, typically set up in columns so that students can match items from one column to items in the other. A typical use would be matching definitions to their correspinding vocabulary words. Some other uses include matching synonyms or antonyms, related terms or something along those lines.

**// Advantages //**

 * Can quickly assess large amounts of information without using a lot of room on an exam or test. Awesome for assessing students knowledge of related information (the hip bones connected to the...)
 * Measures primarily associations and relationships as well as a sequence of events. Can be used to measure questions beginning with who, when, where, what. Relatively easy to construct and easy to score

**// Disadvantages //**

 * Matching assesses recognition rather than recall of information
 * Suited mostly for Knowledge and Comprehension (low levels of Blooms Taxonomy) type questions
 * If there are too many options (more than 8) students can become overwhelmed
 * For an order type of matching/ sequencing, if a student gets one part wrong, it may result in the wrong answer for the resting of the matching

Reference for Advantages and Disadvantages:

**//Tips//**
AVOID ( [|http://cte.uwaterloo.ca/teaching_resources/tips/exam_questions.html)]
 * Long stems and options
 * Heterogeneous content (e.g., dates mixed with people)
 * Implausible responses

LAYOUT ( [|http://www.uleth.ca/edu/runte/tests/match/basic.html)]
 * The left column is called the **"premise"**
 * The right column is called the **"option"** or **"response"**

**//Considerations for identified students//**

Those students who have memory disabilities would do well to have a matching questions on tests, as it helps to jog memory. The following are some suggestions when making multiple choice questions for identified students.


 * Put the longer-phrased column on the left, and the single-word answers on the right. This method saves time. @http://hubpages.com/hub/Testing-Smart-Matching-Questions-On-Exams
 * Give the student the question as part of a study package, and allow them to study the problem. For the test, simply rearrange the list of answers (perhaps introduce a few false answers)
 * Shorten the question, provide fewer selections
 * Provide questions that have multiple solutions in order to reduce the total number of terms to be memorized
 * AE to read options to student
 * Students who have problems with organization of visually presented material may benefit from rewriting matching as multiple-choice ( [|**http://tinyurl.com/4f4ap33)**]

**// Other useful information //**

 * Matching is quick and easy to mark but students require more time than a similar number of multiple-choice or true/false questions
 * If you make some items multi-matched (term matches with more than one other term), this can reduce guessing

( [|**http://tinyurl.com/4j5ju5e)**]

Bloom's levels ( [|**http://tinyurl.com/4om2o7d)**] : Knowledge, Comprehension Application (to a limited extent)

See sample question in Examples