Knowledge checks should further learners’ understanding and provide you data, not just represent another meaningless checkbox
This post was first published on my Medium blog—follow me there for the most up-to-date entries!
I recently took an online course on a topic I hadn’t touched in decades — one I knew only marginally forty years ago, with no current clinical experience and certainly no claim to expertise then or now. But even though I was interested, within minutes, I found myself zoning out. The instructor’s voice droned on and on. No interaction. No pause. No thought required.
Then came the “knowledge checks.” True or false. Click. Next.
I got all except one right, just by making educated guesses.
That’s not learning.
And that’s the problem with most so-called knowledge checks in online learning: they don’t check anything. They’re a box to tick, a pause that pretends to measure understanding when all it does is confirm that the learner can click “next.”
Knowledge checks only work if they make learners think — not guess.
What a knowledge check actually is
Let’s start here: an effective knowledge check for online learning isn’t a mini-quiz. It’s a designed moment for the learner to retrieve, apply, or test what they just encountered, ideally in a way that sticks.
Whether your course is live, blended, or completely self-paced, the goal of the knowledge check is to make learning visible. It should reveal what’s understood, what’s still fuzzy, and where to go next.
When I design courses, I include at least one knowledge check per module (which I loosely define as one self-contained topic attached to an objective within a larger course). But that’s just the minimum. Some modules deserve two or three, especially if the topic is complex or procedural.
The point is rhythm: every time the learner encounters something new, they need a quick, purposeful pause that asks, “Can you use this yet?”
Why “click to continue” fails every time
True/false or “click the right answer” questions might purport to be interactive, but they don’t engage the brain. They invite guessing, not thinking.
In live sessions, I can sense when learners have confusion; I backtrack and clarify. In asynchronous courses, I don’t get that chance. That means the design of the knowledge check must do that work for me. It needs to teach, not just test.
Lazy checks waste the learner’s time and mine. They create an illusion of learning that doesn’t hold up in practice. And worse, they give learners a false sense of competence — they believe they’ve learned something because they got it “right,” when really, they may have just outguessed the system.
The right tool for the right kind of thinking
Different types of checks engage different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy — from recall to creation. The key is to choose the format that fits the thinking you want them to do.
I’m not married to these examples for creating effective knowledge checks for online learning, but here’s how I think about it when I’m building courses:
For recall (remembering facts): Cloze (fill-in-the-blank), short answer, matching, or labeling diagrams. Use these sparingly. They’re fine for definitions and key terms, but they won’t change performance. That said, I always include at least one of these fact checks if I anticipate that several of the terms will be unfamiliar to my audience.
For understanding: Sorting, classifying, or “which of these best describes” questions. These help the learner connect new knowledge to prior understanding.
For application: Case vignettes, sequencing steps, or “what would you do first?” scenarios. Perfect for clinical or procedural topics where order and judgment matter.
For analysis and synthesis: Troubleshooting, prediction, or compare/contrast questions. Ask the learner to spot patterns, anticipate outcomes, or fix errors in a sample case.
For evaluation and creation: Reflection prompts, justification, or checklist design (“What would you include in a safe discharge plan?”). These are ideal for advanced learners who need to reason through their decisions.
By the way, some of these knowledge checks would make a great addition to a workbook, which can be a powerful tool for supporting your learners. Learn more here!
Live, virtual, or self-paced: matching the method to the moment
The learning environment changes what’s possible and what represents effective knowledge checks for online learning.
Live, in person: Role-play, discussion prompts, sequencing activities, or case debriefs. You can intervene, clarify, and adjust in real time.
Live, virtual (Zoom, Teams): Quick polls, breakout-room cases, or “drag and drop” matching. Keep them short and varied. Five to seven minutes is plenty before attention fades.
Asynchronous (self-paced): Scenario-based multiple choice, sorting, drag-and-drop, or reflection boxes. These let learners think privately and review feedback at their own pace.
Blended: Combine the two — short, interactive online checks between live sessions to keep learners engaged between meetings.
Designing effective knowledge checks that actually teach
A knowledge check should do more than verify recall — it should re-teach through feedback.
Here’s how I structure them:
- Pose a clear, relevant question tied to a real decision the learner would make on the job.
- Ask for reasoning, not recognition. “Which would you do first?” beats “Which statement is true?” every time.
- Give feedback that teaches. Don’t just say “Correct” or “Try again.” Explain why the right answer is right, and why the wrong one isn’t.
- Encourage reflection. A quick “Would you do the same next time?” helps reinforce critical thinking.
When a learner clicks the wrong answer, that’s not failure; that’s data. It tells me whether the teaching, the sequencing, or the example needs work.
If nearly everyone misses the same question, it’s not the learners. It’s me. I didn’t teach it well enough, or I taught it too soon, or I didn’t make the connection clear.
Good course design uses those moments to improve itself.
How many knowledge checks do you really need?
There’s no magic number, but rhythm matters when creating effective knowledge checks for online learning.
In a short workshop or webinar, one or two are plenty. In a multi-module course, I include at least one per module. And more if the topic demands practice or reflection.
If your content runs more than 15 minutes without the learner doing something active, you’re not teaching. You’re just talking.
Even a quick “Which would you do first?” or “What’s missing from this plan?” is enough to turn passive content into active learning.
When knowledge checks become scaffolding
In my opinion, the best knowledge checks have two characteristics. First, they need to mirror the “key points” that I’ve established early in the course.
Second, they double as preparation for the post-test. They’re not identical, but they share the same thinking structure. Here’s what I mean by that.
If a learner can’t get the basic fact right in the knowledge check, they’ll almost certainly miss the concept or application question on the post-test. The gap doesn’t close with time, it widens. A shaky foundation at the recall level makes higher order thinking nearly impossible. Knowledge checks provide a chance to catch that early, while there’s still time to correct it.
Here’s another example of effective knowledge checks for online learning. If the post-test asks the learner to prioritize interventions, your mid-module check might show a shorter scenario and ask, “Which action would you take first?” That repetition — same mental move, new context — is what creates durable learning.
You’re not giving away answers; you’re building cognitive pathways.
What to do when learners get it wrong
When a learner answers incorrectly, that’s not a dead end — it’s a chance to teach.
- “Almost. This would be right if the patient were stable, but not in this case.”
- “Good reasoning, but notice the word ‘first’ — that changes the sequence.”
- “This would be appropriate if X, but here, Y makes it unsafe.”
This kind of feedback turns wrong answers into teachable moments. Those are the ones learners actually remember.
The real goal
When I design effective knowledge checks for online learning, I’m not checking boxes for accreditation or compliance.
I’m trying to find out: Can the learner think with this information yet?
That’s the difference between a test and a teaching tool. A test measures performance. A well-designed knowledge check creates it.
Next up: how to choose the right type of knowledge check for your learning objectives and Bloom’s level — and how to design them so they teach, not test.
Meanwhile… if you’re wondering if you’re offering effective knowledge checks for online learning, book a discovery call or DM me on LinkedIn to set up an opportunity for advice or a critique.
This post was first published on my Medium blog—follow me there for the most up-to-date entries!