What is a decision matrix?
The decision matrix or decision-making matrix helps students choose and recommend the best choice in a situation with two or more options. This is an invaluable tool for educators from a wide range of subject fields to share with their students.
A simple matrix lists the options/ choices on the left-hand side. Students judge these options against several criteria which are then compared to pages the best options. Students give each option a mark on a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high) for each criterion, add these marks across each row/ option, and choose the option with the highest score.
Should I use a decision matrix or a weighted decision matrix?
A weighted decision matrix is just like a simple decision matrix; however, it takes into account the complexity of the scenario. The weighted decision matrix extends on the original by adding a weighting of 1 out of 3 (least important) to 3 out of 3 (most important) for each criterion. For the example below, while it is important to gauge the cost of the construction materials, whether it floats or not is absolutely crucial to its success in the scenario. Therefore, Will it Float? is weighted higher thanIs It Expensive To Use? in this example.
In a weighted decision matrix, the criteria mark is multiplied by the weighting of each criterion, and these are then added across the row to determine the best option.
Example: Recommend which material is best for constructing a toy boat using a decision matrix.
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Did you know that thinkdrive has downloadable, editable templates and pre-made examples for the decision matrix and many more thinking tools? It also provides step-by-step guides, aligned sentence starters and assessment exemplar for all regularly used cognitive verbs. Plus many more teaching tools such as cooperative learning and student feedback strategies! What are you waiting for?
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