Matching Templates Overview

Matching questions encourage learners to associate related groups of items. Matching items can be used to practice or test at the knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis levels of learning. Use matching items to practice or test:

• Knowledge of terminology, specific facts, principles, concepts, methods, or processes.
• Comprehension of principles, concepts, rules, or processes.
• Application of methods, facts, principles, and concepts.
• Application and analysis of classification.
• Analysis of cause and effect relationships.

Distractors improve the effectiveness of a question and reduce the possibility of the learner working out the correct matching by the process of elimination. If a question has five options and five targets and the learner knows four of the matchings, they can work out the last pairing; adding a distractor ensures the learner knows the course material. Skillsoft recommends that distractors be plausible, as implausible distractors may help the learner to guess correct matchings.

Ranking/Sequencing questions are used to practice or test the learner's ability to:

• Arrange steps in a process in order of importance.
• Sequence the order of steps in a process or procedure in the proper order.
• Assign special importance or attention to principles and their resulting actions.
• Prioritize actions or thoughts.
• Indicate relevance.

There are three matching templates:

• Matching Standard Text
• Matching Standard Graphic Options
• Rank/Sequence

Note: Matching templates support up to five graphic targets as distractors or answer choices.