Using AI for Multiple Choice Questions in A-Level Economics

I've been meaning to write something on using AI in Economics teaching for ages. But the more I used it, the more there was to say -and the longer the list got, the harder it was to sit down and write it all. So I’m breaking it up into chunks, starting with how I use AI for multiple choice questions. I know there are whole websites that do this, but I like keeping it all in one tool, especially as it allows me to fiddle around a bit to get the exact output I want.

A Quick Note on Custom GPTs: If you're not familiar, Custom GPTs are basically just templates that follow the same instructions every time, so you don’t need to retype your prompt again and again. They’re super easy to set up if you’ve got the paid version, but I think you can still use one someone else has shared even if you’re on the free plan.

When I ask ChatGPT to generate multiple choice questions (MCQs), I almost always give it a specific text to work from. That might be my lesson notes, a transcript from a YouTube video, or even something ChatGPT itself has written (and I’ve edited). This gives me a lot more control over the content - it means I can make sure the questions cover what I’ve taught, rather than including random extra concepts I haven’t mentioned.

The questions themselves aren’t great for exam practice as they’re often a bit more basic and don’t include diagrams but they’re great for checks for basic understanding, consolidation, comprehension tasks and cover work.

Making MCQs Less Painful to Format

If I’m setting questions for students to do independently, I’ll usually use Microsoft Forms. I absolutely hate typing questions into Forms one by one, so I get ChatGPT to output them in Aiken format instead. That way I can paste them into Word, do a quick check (sometimes it forgets question numbers), and then use the 'Quick Upload' function in Forms. It automatically populates the questions and selects the correct answer: the whole thing takes less than five minutes.

I use this Custom GPT to generate the questions, and it’s become a bit of a lifesaver.

What If Students Get Questions Wrong?

If most students have done well, I might get ChatGPT to generate a set of explanations—why the correct answer was right and why the others weren’t. I use the following prompt:

Give an explainer for each question, explaining why each answer was right or wrong I can then share this as feedback for students to check individual answers themselves. Occasionally, if I'm setting the questions in practice mode, I'll add these in by hand to the 'Message to students who choose this'.

If lots of students are struggling with the same question, I’ll use a second Custom GPT that creates a bank of questions on the same concept, increasing in difficulty. I usually just paste the original question in and let it build a progression. I also share this with students for use in their own revision as it does a pretty good job with exam MCQs.

If I want to go through the questions in class, for example if I’m reteaching a topic, I’ll ask ChatGPT to generate a PowerPoint for these questions with one question per slide (16:9 format, font size 36, no answers). If it doesn’t automatically give me a downloadable .ppt file, I ask again. If it still doesn’t work, I copy everything into a new chat and try again. That usually does the trick. I then just project the questions in class and use mini whiteboards.

Kahoot

For a quick end-of-term activity, I might copy the questions into this Custom GPT. Just a note that Kahoot has character limits for questions and answers, so it should take out any questions that are too long. I then copy and paste the output into Kahoot's template. When I go to Kahoot, I make a new quiz, using the 'blank canvas' option. Then, when I add a question, I click 'Import Spreadsheet' and it does the rest.

Hope some of that is useful!