Keys to Writing Great Questions

There are many ways to write great multiple-choice questions, but only ONE way to do it effectively in Ringorang. By using these keys below, you will get the most engagement and most learning from your participants.

Keep it Short and Sweet

The question and its answer choices deal with just ONE factoid. And that factoid must appear in the Learn More Item. The shorter the question and answer choices, the better. Don't try to TEACH with the question — leave that for the Insight. The question is just a fun way to get them there.

Instead of: "How can mindfulness practices when properly executed help you improve your focus when doing tasks at work?"

Ask: "Which of these is a benefit of mindfulness?"

TIP: If your question is a bit long, keep the answer choices short. If your answer choices are long, keep your question brief. The BEST Questions are short all the way around.

One Thing At A Time

Imagine staring at a question under a ticking clock, only to discover it's asking about two different things for you to mentally process! That causes anxiety, which is a bad experience.

Instead of: "Optimal hydration and regular sleep hours constitute how much of your health score?"

Ask: "How much of the health score is related to sleep?"

Phrase Questions As Questions

Don't give a sentence that ends with a period, or three dots, or a blank. Those usually force the learner to read it twice, which causes anxiety under a timer. End with a question mark. If you MUST use a straight sentence, consider making it True or False, where you actually add "True or False?" as the question following your sentence.

Instead of: "Balanced nutrition is most important for supporting ________."

Ask: "Which brain function is supported by balanced nutrition?

Not Too Hard, Not Too Easy

Making your questions relatively easy is fine. But not TOO easy. Questions that are too easy are just as irritating as questions that are too hard. Remember to keep in mind the knowledge and reading level of your learners.

For beginners: "Is morning or evening the best time to exercise?"

For advanced users: "Which HIIT exercise burns the most calories in 30 minutes?"

Begin With The End In Mind

Craft the Insight or Learn More Item first (text, image, website, video, or PDF). This is where the learning happens. Then, build a question and clue that connect to them.

Example: Write the Learn More Item (e.g., "The #1 Tip For A Consistent Diet") and then create a question connected to it, like "Our guide names which of these diet tips as #1?"

TIPS:

Learn More items are each about ONE THING, not a list of things.
Learn More items should be reviewable in 60 seconds or less.
Send a Flash Message at the start of each Challenge, encouraging your learners to check out the Learn More Library in advance, so they can ace the questions when they come!

Make Insights Actionable

Insights aren't about knowledge to remember so much as they are coaching. They request of the learner to take an action, even in the face of a mental obstacle like fear or contradictory habits. The best Insight is a coaching moment.

Instead of knowledge: "Positive acknowledgements boost confidence in your teammates. People who are acknowledged are more productive."

Turn it into action: "When a teammate does something well, tell them so right there and then! Even when it feels weird, you won't go wrong by saying what you appreciate about that person's work. Try it next time you see it."

One Right Answer, Please!

Ringorang is not a debate club. Avoid questions where players have to guess which answer is correct. Stick to verifiable facts. Cite reliable sources like reputable websites, scientific research, or even a person's insights (so long as they are verifiable). Otherwise, your learners will argue that answer #2 was better than answer #3, and that's a bad experience.

Example: "According to Mayo Clinic, how many hours of sleep each night is ideal?"

TIPS:

Choose sources that are relevant to the target audience and topic.
It's best to link directly to the cited source in the Learn More item.

Ringorang's Multiple-Choice Recipe

It works every time. Remember, Ringorang questions are answered under a timer. By following this format, your learners will have ample time to answer. Warning: ignoring this format will cause anxiety in your learners, so trust it! It's been clinically tested.

Example of a 4-Choice Question "Which planet is known as the Red Planet?"

Correct: MARS. (It's correct and it cannot be argued)
Distractor: VENUS. (Sounds correct, but it's not. And cannot be argued)
Easy Elimination: MARS AND VENUS. (Clearly incorrect)
Ridiculous: PLANET HOLLYWOOD. (Completely absurd, and probably funny)

Quickly narrow the learner's decision between the correct answer and the distractor. This keeps them engaged under the time pressure, but without confusion or anxiety.

Clues, Not Spoilers

The Clue is designed to be a gentle hint, not a giveaway. It focuses the learner's attention while they transition from whatever they were just doing a moment ago.

TIPS:

Variety: It could be a word, or a phrase, or even just an image.
Concise: Keep it short and sweet.
Avoid questions: if it's phrased as a question, it will compete with the real question that follows it.

Clue: (A photo of someone sunning themselves on a beach wearing shades)

Question: Which of these is statistically the favorite way to relax?

Correct: VACATIONING
Distractor: NAPPING.
Easy Elimination: WORKING.
Ridiculous: MARATHONING.

Learn More Item: (cite the statistics that prove vacationing is the correct answer)

Learn More Item

It's a tutorial. It shows the learner how to take the Action requested in the Insight.

Example: Offer practical tips in the Learn More section, like "A Time Management Hack for Busy Professionals" or "Create your personalized daily schedule template."

Make it 60 seconds or less for the learner. No long reads. No links leading to a long webpage. If you need them to see optional longer-form material, put a button at the bottom of the brief Learn More Item so they can click through only if they want.

Ditch "All of the Above" or "All Except"

Why not use this popular format for a multiple-choice answer? Because it's almost always the CORRECT answer and everyone knows it. That makes the question too easy. It also forces the learner to consider all three of the other answers carefully, and that's too much under a ticking timer.

Instead of: "All of the following contributes to effective teamwork, EXCEPT?

A) Communication

B) Trust

C) Jealousy

D) Respect

Ask: "Which teamwork ingredient does our CEO emphasize most often?

Correct: COMMUNICATION
Distracter: CROSS-TRAINING
Easy Elimination: VACATIONS
Ridiculous: ROAD RAGE

Phrase Question in the Positive

Similar to the "All of the Above" problem, when you phrase your question in the negative, it forces too much time and attention on all four answer choices. By phrasing in the positive, you can maintain the Correct vs Distractor formular

Instead of: "Which of these is NOT a non-renewable energy?"

A) Clean Coal

B) Nuclear Energy

C) Natural Gas

D) Biofuel

Ask: "Which of these is a renewable energy source?"

Correct: BIOFUEL
Distracter: NATURAL GAS
Easy Elimination: BIO-RHYTHMS
Ridiculous: B.O. GAS

There's nothing wrong with the first question above. It just takes more time to consider and it can cause anxiety and confusion under a ticking timer, which then makes the learner feel like they're being tricked or set up to fail.

Follow this formula above, and you'll set them up to win!