Numeric response

Introduction

Questions that involve numbers provide the prototypical examples of generative questions.

Questions that use random numbers:

• can be used, and reused, in formative assessments for practice during the period of study or for revision prior to an examination
• impede collusion between students in summative assessments

Numeric responses from students can be handled as:

• exact integers e.g. 13
• floating point numbers within a tolerance range e.g. 3.14159
• floating point numbers to a set number of significant figures e.g. pi to 4 significant figures is 3.142
• numbers in scientific format e.g. 1.38 × 10^-23
• numbers with units e.g. 1.38 × 10^-23 m² kg s^-2 K^-1