Contributed by Jane Nguyen, Instructional Designer I (CSE)
As an instructional designer working with faculty every day, I often assist with tests in Blackboard. Fortunately, the initial creation of quizzes and tests is very easy. What puzzles people sometimes is settings to choose for desired outcomes. Here I’ll address a few that have come up recently.
MyGrades View if Students are Given Several Attempts
One instructor wanted to know what students would see in the grade book if she gave them several attempts on a quiz. In this case, students were given three attempts to take a quiz, and the instructor wondered if students could see their ‘in progress’ grade or only see a grade after all three attempts. The answer is that students see an ‘in progress’ grade (which will be the final grade if the student doesn’t attempt the quiz any further). This is because a student might not use all three attempts, so Blackboard assigns a grade after any attempt and simply updates as subsequent attempts are used. An important thing to remember when you allow multiple attempts is that in the Show Test Results & Feedback to Students setting, you should disallow students from seeing any feedback until a certain date (well past when you think all students will have used all three of their attempts). You don’t want to show right & wrong answers after each attempt, as this compromises the difficulty level of subsequent attempts.
Open Test in New Window
Many people may be stumped by this setting and wonder why it matters (I had this thought myself about it at one time.) Blackboard recommends answering “No” for this reason: some students may have their browser set to block pop-up windows. If the test is set to open in a new window, it may be blocked. Another reason to answer “No” is if you are using Respondus Lockdown Browser. Students are not allowed to have extra windows open when they are in that mode.
Presentation Mode: All at Once or One at A Time
Though faculty often know whether they want test questions to appear “one at a time” or “all at once,” there are times when they might feel ambivalent, as if “either way is fine.” It’s important, however, to be aware of general considerations. The “one at a time” setting can prevent problems with time-outs during test taking, especially for tests that have long essay questions. The “one at a time” presentation also forces Blackboard to save the student’s questions/progress as they move from question to question. The “all at once” setting is considered a better mode when there is a small # of questions. If you implement “all at once” mode, you may want to tell students to save each answer as they go. This ensures that if they are booted out of the test before they are finished, those answers will be there when they return.
Test settings in Blackboard are typically easy to make decisions, but if you find that you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to an instructional designer. We are happy to offer guidance and investigate issues & best practices.
