Category: Assignments and Tests

Training Link and remember about Spring 2021

Canvas Training – Getting Started with Canvas

Canvas Training – Quizzes, Assignments

If you are unsure about using Canvas for Spring 2020 you might want to consider that Blackboard will be gone in August 2020 so as you prepare for Spring 2021 courses you will not be able to review your Blackboard site.  Content from Spring 2019 has been migrated from BB and you are able to export your content as well by following these steps.

Before Fall Semester ends

And you put those BB courses to rest, take some time to clean them up, get rid of old content so you are ready to transition to Canvas when prepping in Summer 2020.  One question I have been asked repeatedly “What will happen to my tests?” I have discovered that most tests export quite well.  As always you want to review prior to deploying but unless there are a lot of fill in the blank questions I have not seen too many issues.  Want to give it try?  Easy to do in Canvas as you can copy from your current  Canvas course into your new one.  Need help contact this office.

Blackboard Tests and Force Completion

The Force Completion setting on Blackboard exams only allows for a one-time entry into the exam. If the student accidentally closes the browser, or loses the connection to the test, the student cannot continue with the exam unless the instructor intervenes and resets the exam. For this reason, this setting is not recommended.

The Timed Test option allows the instructor to set a time limit on exams. Whether or not the exam is auto-submitted, the elapsed time is noted in Blackboard. If the student exceeds the time (for a non auto-submitted test), an exclamation point is listed in the grade center and the instructor has the option of adjusting the grade based on the time.

It is recommended to set the Timed Test option without using the Force Completion option for Blackboard exams.

If the exam does not use Force Completion and the exam connection is broken, the student will be able to re-enter and continue taking the exam. The timer will continue to record the time from the initial exam entry. This results in less instructor intervention and less student frustration with the exam.

For additional information, see Force Completion of a Blackboard Test (Palomar College), “Force Completion is one of those functions that sounds like it will be useful, but really is just a way of going swimming in cement boots.”

Tips to make Your BB site better

Ten tips to make your Bb site better for students!  Here are a few –

  • Instead of cryptic “Week 1”, “Week 2”, “Week 3” titles on your content folders (and who keeps track of which “week” of the semester it is, anyway?), say something about the content. e.g., “Week 3 – Protein transport”.
  • Even better – make the title a question! “Week 3 – How do cells move protein molecules around?”  Pique your students’ curiosity!
  • Use the Description field of the folder to say something about what’s inside. E.g., “This week, we’ll explore the four stages of teamwork: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing.  Think back on the times you’ve worked in teams and be ready to share that experience.”  (Bonus: get them to recall what they might already know about the topic, if applicable!)

Adding Extra Credit to a Weighted Column

This question came across my desk at the end of the semester and found confirmation of my solution.

Adding extra credit points to a weighted column in Blackboard Learn can easily be accomplished with three grade center columns. Assuming your weighted total column is already created you will need to create an Extra Credit column and a Final Grade Column.  Click the confirmation link above for more on this topic.

Some Test Options Tips

There has been much confusion on which Test Options should be selected when deploying a test via Blackboard.  Here are some tips and hints that may help to make test deploying and test taking a bit more smooth.

Timed tests?  Do not check Forced Completion, if student gets kicked out of their exam, they can go back into the exam and the clock with continue to run.  Multiple attempts will cancel out this option.

Make Link Available should be check Yes as long as you have entered the time to start, if left as No the test will not be visible to students if you have set a Start Time.

When using Lockdown Browser (LDB) it will change your test options to Open in New Window and add the password.  If you make any changes to the test options once LDB is set you must “Fix-It” (go to the Control Panel > Course Tools > Respondus LockDown Browser. You will see a list of your exams. If you see a red “error” message, click Fix.)

Click here for a more thorough explanation of Test Options

 

 

Printing Tests from Blackboard and Exceptions to Availability

Need a hard copy of your test?  An easy way to get a clean printing or pdf of your test is to use the browser Chrome and edit the test options to “Open Test in New Window”.  To print, (still in the Chrome browser) click the test as if you were taking it and once it is opened press Ctrl+P (Mac: ⌘-P). You’ll be able to preview the page and adjust basic printer and page settings, before printing such as:

Destination: Click Change to choose the printer you want to use.

  • Select Save as PDF under “Local Destinations” to convert the page into a PDF file or

  • Select a printer

Need assistance contact OET!

Questions on Test Availability Exceptions clicker here!

Test Feedback – What to choose?

Show Test Results and Feedback to Students from BB Help

After they complete a test, test results and feedback are available to students. By setting up rules, you can set the release of progressive feedback to keep test results secure and prevent cheating.

For example, you can choose After Submission to present Score, All Answers, Correct, Submitted, Feedback, and Show Incorrect Answers to show students their scores along with all answer options. Student also see their submitted answers marked as correct or incorrect and any feedback you provided.  Keep all blank and students will not see anything however while in Respondus if “After Submission” and “Score” are selected the student will see all the questions and their answers.

 
Feedback Mode Description
When Sets the time when test results and feedback are shown to students:

  • After Submission
  • One-time View
  • On Specific Date
  • After Due Date
  • After Availability and End Date
  • After Attempts are Graded
Score Shows the final score out of points possible to students.
All Answers Shows all answer options for certain question types, such as multiple choice.
Correct Shows the correct answers.
Submitted Shows all the student’s submitted answers.
Feedback Shows instructor generated feedback messages for each question.
Show Incorrect Questions Shows the questions the student answered incorrectly or partially incorrectly.