Why tags are useful in Q-Bank:

Adding tags to questions in Q-Bank is the best way to ensure that they can be easily found later when searching for useful questions.  Tags are strings of text which can be added to questions in Q-Bank to help you to search and find the questions easily.  They might be words, names or phrases.  A well-chosen tag describes something about the question which makes it easier to find.

In Q-Bank you can also of course find questions easily by searching for any keywords which would exist in the question body text.    For example, searching for the keyword "Cleopatra" would identify any questions which used that text in the question body text, such as "Which country did Cleopatra rule in the first centry B.C.?".  However there may be other question properties which are not explicitally referred to in the question body text, and yet which would be desirable as search terms. In the example just given, "Ancient Rome", Julius Caesar", "Marc Anthony" might all be useful tags for the same question.

There is no limit to the number of tags which can be associated with a question in Q-Bank.  You are welcome to create tags which make good sense to you, and add these to your questions in Q-Bank.  Always remember, that the key to making tags work successfully is ensuring that they are applied consistently to all relevant questions, and that only one tag is used for a particular meaning or association. Avoid creating multiple tags for the same purpose, such as both a singular and plural version of the same tag; this causes confusion among users searching for the questions as to which is the right tag to use; it also makes it harder to be absolutely consistent in always using the same tag to apply the same meaning to multiple questions (eg all of the questions relating to a particular topic).

The following are some examples of how tags are commonly used in Q-Bank:

• Tagging by topic: A topic, subject or course may provide a helpful way of associating questions in Q-Bank such that they can be easily found.  Some questions might relate to several different topics; adding tags for each of these will mean that the question will be identified when searching for any of these topics.  If a question is used in some specific activity (-ies) then the name of the activity might be a helpful tag.
• Tagging by Learning Objective or Standard:  If a question serves a specific learning outcome, tagging the question with a code for this outcome will help in future when looking for quiz or other resources related to the learning outcome.
• Tagging by Degree of Difficulty:  Where there are multiple questions serving a particular topic or learning outcome, it is common to have some that are easier for the participant to answer than others.  Tagging by "Degree of Difficulty" ("DoD") makes it easy to search for just easy questions, or just challenging ones.  In Xorro-Q, using the tags "DoD-1", "DoD-2" and "DoD-3" denotes (respectively) the easiest, moderate and most difficult questions.

Adding multiple tags: 

To add multiple tags to a question in Q-Bank, select the question and edit it (in Q-Bank).  Note that you can only edit questions of which you are the author.  At the bottom of the question editor, select "Properties".  In the Tags field, start typing the tag you wish to add to the question.  As you type, any tags already used in Xorro-Q will appear; if one of these is suitable then select it.  If none of the offered tags suits your purpose, keep typing until you have completed your own unique tag.  Pressing <Enter> will create the tag.  You can then delete it, or add further tags to the question.  Only on pressing "Update" at the foot of the form will the question be updated with your new tags added to it.

Using tags to find questions:

When searching for questions which relate to a tag, type the tag into the tags field in the search criteria.   You can enter multiple tags as search ceriteria, in which case all questions which relate to one or more of those tags will be selected.

Q-Bank tagging example:

A question requires the participant to draw a bending moment diagram for a cantilever beam.  Because the question is used for a specific structural engineering introductory course, the course name or code might be a useful tag.  Because the question applies to a particular structural case (a cantilever beam with a point load at its end), a code for this structural case serves as another useful tag so that this and all questions serving the same structural case can be instantly identified. Adding the tag "DoD-2" makes this question a candidate for a quizz on this topic involving questions of moderate difficulty.

See also:  Using Q-Bank to Find and Manage Questions  Random Blocks

Categories: Xorro-Q, Facilitators.
Tags: tags,q-bank.