CLASS Question Collection
Summary
We created more than 1200 questions to support a quizzing tool (CLASS) that we used in a Physical Geology course at NC State University for several years. I am submitting the question collection that includes the questions as well as a short analysis of student performance based on question format (e.g., T/F, multiple choice with or without images, Double T/F, and Select All). The questions are divided among a series of topics that will be common for many introductory geoscience courses (e.g., Plate Tectonics, Groundwater). In addition, each question is linked to a specific learning objective. Most learning objectives have 10 or more related questions. Some instructors may find it useful to have additional questions that they can use to populate in-class Conceptest activities, online quizzes or course exams.
Context
Audience
These questions were used in a Physical Geology course that was mostly populated by non-majors. The course was divided into twelve topics, each taking about two 75-minute lectures. While we mainly used the questions in quizzes, we also asked some as Conceptests during class and a smaller selection featured in exams.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
Students would need a basic understanding of a course topic before beginning the relevant quiz.
How the activity is situated in the course
Students had the opportunity to complete a randomized 10-question quiz as often as they liked within a few days of the end of each topic. Each topic has a series of learning objectives, and we tried to create at least 10 questions per objective. There was an average of more than 100 questions per quiz. Consequently, even if students made multiple attempts, they rarely saw the same questions twice. Students could make an unlimited number of attempts at each quiz and their highest score counted toward their final grade in the course.
Goals
Content/concepts goals for this activity
The questions were related to a series of learning objectives that were known to the students. Most of these objectives would be familiar to instructors in an introductory geology course.
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
Our goal was to encourage two effective study strategies: distributed practice and practice testing. In distributed practice, students make multiple attempts at the same quiz topic over the course of several days. Practice testing, sometimes referred to as retrieval practice, encourages students to try to recall information from memory. Both of these practices have been shown to improve students' learning more effectively than standard study methods (e.g, highlighting, rereading).
Description and Teaching Materials
The attached file contains more than 1200 short questions from a Physical Geology course.
Final CLASS Question Collection (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 40MB Jan5 26)
Teaching Notes and Tips
Instructors may select questions that are appropriate for their needs and course materials. The introductory question analysis section provides some background on the relative difficulty of different question formats.
Assessment
If they selected the correct answer (indicated in bold).
References and Resources
Our use of the CLASS tool (which includes the questions provided here) was discussed in Jones, J. P. & McConnell, D. A., 2022, Investigating best practices in utilizing a web-based assessment tool in an introductory geology course: "CLASS", course setting and course structure. Journal of Geoscience Education.https://doi.org/10.1080/10899995.2022.2028519