Using Multiple Choice Questions to Assist Learning for Information Retrieval

A key issue in teaching and learning in information retrieval – particularly for library and information science students – is the gap in prior knowledge compared with the need for mathematics to conduct and evaluate searches. In this chapter, we examine the use of online Multiple Choice Questions to support these type of students, and narrow this gap between experience and knowledge. We provide some background in terms of related work and the use of MCQ’s for assessment. The key areas of search which can be supported by this form of assessment are defined, and these are used to outline a proposed strategy for defining a series of questions to support learning.