So, first, let’s talk about the <a href="https://blog.learnlets.com/2018/11/making-multiple-choice-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">structure</a> of a mini-scenario. I’ve suggested that it’s an initial context or story, in which a situation precipitates the need for a decision. There’s the right one, and then alternatives. Not random or silly ones, but ones that represent ways in which learners reliably go wrong. There’s also feedback, which is best as story-based consequences first, then actual conceptual feedback.

Miniscenarios aren’t necessarily the best practice, but they’re typically available in your authoring environment. &nbsp;Writing them isn’t necessarily as easy as generating typical recognition questions, but they more closely mimic the actual task, and therefore lead to better transfer.

So here’s the main finding:&nbsp;<u>no significant differences were found in terms of item difficulty</u>.&nbsp;There were also <u>no differences found in terms of test reliability</u>. Thus, Baghaei and Amrahi (2011) concluded that three answer options are all you need.&nbsp;If the test characteristics are essentially the same, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to spend our time developing additional answer options.

&nbsp;Rodriguez (2005) argues that shifting to three answer options also increases the amount of content that can be tested.&nbsp;Because students don’t have to spend as much time reading four or five answer options, there will be more time during the test for students to read additional questions on different course content.&nbsp;Instead of spending your time on identifying more answer options, spend your time developing additional test questions.

<h3>Principle 1: The online world is a medium unto itself. </h3> <p> The search for excellence begins with this principle: The online world is a medium unto itself (Carr-Chellman &amp; Duchastel, 2000; Ellis &amp; Hafner, 2003). It is not just another learning environment, like a separate classroom down the hall; it is a categorically different learning environment. There are vastly different dynamics in online versus on campus courses.</p>

Principle 2: In the online world content is a verb.

We are moving to a mode of learning that is less dependent on information acquisition and is more centered on a set of student tasks and assignments that make up the learning experiences that students will engage in, in order to meet the objectives of the course (Carr-Chellman &amp; Duchastel, 2000). In the online world, content is a verb.

Principle 5: Sense of community and social presence are essential to online excellence.

Establishing a sense of community often signals movement to a deeper learning experience (Benfield, 2001). It is through sustained communication that participants construct meaning (Garrison, et al., 2000) and come to a more complete understanding of the content. Indeed it is through such interaction and through attending to the processes of learning and teaching (as opposed to attending only to content) that a deeper rather than a surface approach to learning is encouraged (Ramsden, 2003). Without this connection to the instructor and the other students, the course is little more than a series of exercises to be completed.

Principle 7: A great web interface will not save a poor course; but a poor web interface will destroy a potentially great course.

Principle 8: Excellence comes from ongoing assessment and refinement.