Southern Arkansas University Blackboard Support

Assessments

An Assessment is a Test or Survey. Assessments can be found in any Content Area, Content Area folder, or Learning Module.

Tests can be used to assess the knowledge of users. The Instructor assigns point values to questions. Student answers are submitted for grading, and the results are recorded in the Grade Center.

Surveys can be used for polling purposes and evaluations.  These assessments are not graded.

There are many types of questions that can be included in an Assessment.

• Multiple Choice: Allows a number of choices with one correct answer. Indicate the correct answer by selecting a radio button.
• True / False: A statement with the option to choose either true or false. True/False answer options are limited to the words True and False. 
• Fill in the Blank: A statement that requires an answer to complete it. Answers are evaluated based on an exact text match.
• Multiple Answer: A number of choices with one or more correct answers.
• Matching: Two columns of items where each item in the first column must be matched to an item in the second column.
• Ordering: A question that requires users to provide an answer by selecting the correct order of a series of items.
• Essay: A question where the answer must be entered in a text box.
• Calculated: Contains a formula with a number of variables. The correct answer can be a specific value or a range of values.
• Calculated Numeric Response: Resembles a fill-in-the-blank question except a number is entered to complete the statement. The correct answer can be a specific number or within a range of numbers.
• File Response: Uploaded files are used to respond to the question.
• Hot Spot: A specific point on an image is used to indicate the answer.
• Fill in Multiple Blanks: Multiple responses are inserted into a sentence or paragraph.
• Jumbled Sentence: A sentence with a number of variables within it.
• Opinion Scale / Likert: A rating scale used to measure attitudes or reactions.
• Short Answer: Similar to Essay questions; answer length is limited.
• Either / Or: A statement with a pre-defined choice of two answers (Yes/No, On/Off).
• Quiz Bowl: An answer appears; the users respond with a who, what, or where question to respond.

Grading questions

The majority of questions in Assessments are auto-graded, meaning that Instructors assign a set number of points to each question when the Assessment is created. Users may find out their score on an Assessment immediately after completing it if all questions are auto-graded and the Instructor releases this information.

Essay questions, file response, and short-answer questions are not auto-graded, meaning that Instructors must grade these questions manually. After an Assessment is submitted, the Instructor reviews these questions and manually enters a score. If an Assessment contains these question types the Grade for the Assessment is not immediately available after the Assessment is submitted.

Take an Assessment

Assessments are located within Content Areas in a Course. Follow the steps below to begin taking an Assessment:

1. Locate an Assessment in a Course Content Area and click the link associated with it.
2. Click Begin to take the Assessment.
3. Instructors may choose to have users enter a password to begin taking an Assessment. If necessary, enter the valid password and click Submit to begin the Assessment. The Assessment continues to prompt for a valid password until the correct one is entered.

If the Assessment is timed, the remaining time appears in the bottom of the browser.

Feedback and Grades

The performance results received by the user after completing a Test depend on the options selected by the Instructor. For example, the Instructor may only show the final score for one Test, while for another Test the final score and correct answers are displayed. Feedback includes one or more of the following:

• The final score for the test
• The answers users submitted
• The correct answers
• Feedback for the questions

To access Feedback and Grade information, select the Test in the Content Area or use the View Grades Tool.

Multiple Assessment Attempts

Users may be allowed to take an Assessment multiple times. If multiple attempts are allowed it is noted at the top of the Assessment. The Instructor may also set a limit on the number of attempts - which will also be noted at the top. A link to take the Test again appears if the Test is re-opened. The Instructor determines if one or more of the test attempt scores are recorded in the Grade Center.

Force Assessment Completion

Users must complete the Assessment the first time it is launched if Force Completion is enabled. If Force Completion is enabled it is noted at the top of the Assessment. Students may not exit the Assessment and continue working on it at a later date. The Save button is available for Users to save the Assessment as they work through it, but they may not exit and re-enter the Assessment.

Backtrack Prohibited

Users may not go back to questions they have already answered if backtracking is prohibited. If backtracking is prohibited it is noted at the top of the Assessment. When taking an Assessment that does not allow backtracking, an error appears if attempting to use the Back button within the Assessment.

Assessment Presentation

Instructors have two different options for presenting Assessments: all-at-once and one-at-a-time.

All-at-once Assessments present all of the questions at the same time. The following options are available while taking this type of Assessment:

One-at-a-time Assessments present questions separately; only one question appears on the screen. Users decide when they are ready to move onto the next question. The following options are available while taking this type of Assessment:

About Question Completion Status

The Questions Status Indicator is a tool to provide users with a quick up-to-date look at their progress (complete or incomplete questions) in an assessment at all times. The Save button next to each question provides a visual reminder to save your progress periodically.

Completion status of assessment questions is displayed at the top of the page when taking an assessment.

The status of which questions have been answered is displayed at the top of the page, just below the Instructions.

When answering a question and moving on to the next question in a question-by-question assessment, the status box is edited on the next page to show that the previous question was answered. If you do not answer a question and move on to the next page in a question-by-question assessment, the status box will show on the next page that the previous question was not answered. Navigate between questions by clicking on the question number in the status indicator.

When taking an all-at-once assessment (an assessment where the questions all appear on the same page), click Save Answer to save a specific question without scrolling to the bottom of the page to save. Saving either a single question or all of the questions that have been answered (with the Save All Answers at the top or bottom of the page) changes the status indicator to show which questions have been completed.

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