Table 3 displays the number of tasks by target topic for
each course. There is considerable variation in the format
and content of these tasks. OSU and THINKWELL provide
only multiple-choice tasks that immediately follow a
topic’s exposition. OSU’s tasks are formatted as three-item
quizzes randomly generated from a quiz bank. Each time a
quiz on a target topic is selected by a given user, different
items are presented. THINKWELL’s tasks are formatted as
a ten-question exercise that does not change each time the
exercise is selected. NORTON provides multiple-choice
tasks in quiz format at the end of each chapter. Each
chapter has a bank of about 40 items. Students can select
quizzes ranging in size from five to 40 or more items.
NORTON also provides practice problems that, along with
OLI and GENCHEM, are not in a quiz format