Multiple choice
Here is a question(multiple choice) I just got while doing a practice. Los perros corren hacia adelante And here are the choices I had: -The sandwiches run forward. -Run to the pool. -The dogs run forward.
I know the word that it was strengthening was "adelante", but seriously, how, in any way, could that be possible strenghthening my knowledge of anything? You could probably get that right without knowing any Spanish at all.
Anyways, as a solution to this, I saw an amazing suggestion that someone else had posted on a discussion: Take the most common incorrect answers that users input for the translation problems, and use those as incorrect choices on the multiple choice problems. Then, users would be presented with options that seem like they might be right, and the users would actually have to think to get the problem right.
Let me know what you think.
10 Comments
The questions become learning tools for me when I am learning a new word. I know the alternative answers are ridiculous, but by choosing the obviously easy correct one, it reenforces the link in my brain. We don't have to think so hard all the time to learn something. That being said, your suggestion is good.
Good idea as long as the wrong answers are clearly wrong and not just very loose translations that some people may argue are correct. I only say this because a lot of posts are "my answer should be accepted!" and this could make create more of them. It may be helpful to explain why some answers are wrong to avoid confusion.
Perhaps one could have a progression of how tricky the multiple-choice answers get. In the first lessons in a section they are easy -- so one gets the positive reinforcement people like me need! -- and then later in the section they are more subtle, such as what ifingerson suggests.
I like your idea, ifingerson! I also find it amusing and pointless to have such "off the wall" alternates in the multiple choice answers. It's like getting a freebie; not a good way to reinforce a lesson.
"Take the most common incorrect answers that users input for the translation problems, and use those as incorrect choices on the multiple choice problems. Then, users would be presented with options that seem like they might be right, and the users would actually have to think to get the problem right."
I really, really like this idea!
Excellent idea - increased learning would be a definite and preferred outcome !
I completely agree with you. One of the translations I had was "Der Mann liest Zeitungen" which means "The man is reading newspapers". That was one of the choices. The others were "The man is reading water", and "The man is reading women". It seemed very ridiculous, and I when I saw it, I just thought, "Seriously? These are stupid!" They should reinforce the multiple choice just a little bit.
