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Blackboard Advanced: Creating Online Quizzes

Content Table:

Creating a Quiz in Blackboard

1. Go to Control Panel > Assessment > Test Manager.
2. Click Add Test under Test Manager.

3. On the screen that follows, title the quiz, provide a brief description, and give any specific instructions, and then click Submit.

Modify Quiz Settings

The Test Creation Settings page allows Instructors to adjust settings for a Test. These settings control options, such as question feedback, categorization of questions, and default point value.

To Access Test Creation Settings

1. Go to Control Panel
2. Select Test Manager in the Assessment area of the Control Panel
3. Click Modify next to an existing test or click Add Test and complete the Add Test page and select Submit



4. Select Creation Settings

5. Feedback: Select this check box to include the option to enter feedback for individual answers rather then just one set of feedback for correct or incorrect answers. Individual feedback cannot be provided for answers in True/False questions, Multiple Answer questions, Ordering and Matching questions.

6. Images, Files, and External Links: Select this check box to include the option to attach images, files, and URLs to questions.

7. Question Metadata: Select this check box to include the option to create categories for questions. This option also enables Instructors to add keywords to questions. When searching for questions from a Question Pool or other Tests, Instructors may search for questions by category and keyword.

8. Scoring: There are 3 options under this setting:

Specify default point value for questions will allow instructor to automatically assign the same point value to all questions with a test. Enter the point value in the Default point value: field. This only sets a default.
Specify partial credit options for answers will make partial credit available for questions included in this Assessment. If selected, an option to give partial credit appears when questions are created.
Specify extra credit option for questions will make extra credit available for questions included in this Assessment. If selected, an extra credit option appears when each question is created. This option allows the Instructor to make the questions extra credit questions as opposed to egular questions. If this option is selected, points are added to the score if the question is answered correctly; no points are taken away if the question is answered incorrectly.

9. Display: Instructors have the option to randomize the answers in multiple choice questions. The answers are randomized for each assessment attempt, which helps prevent student cheating. Instructors can specify the horizontal or vertical display of answers and specify numbering options for answers.

10. After modifying the quiz settings, click Submit. You are back to Test Canvas page. To actually modify individual quiz questions, click Modify next to each of the questions.

11. Select Extra Credit Only if you want to make this question for extra credit. Instructors can also change the Point Value even though the default value for this questions is 10 points.

12. Instructors can decide the display of the question by changing the numbering of the answers and display orientation of the answers. Partial credit for partially correct answers is now a possibility on many question types including fill-in-the-blank, multiple answers, and jumbled sentence questions.

Instructors have the option to randomize the answers in multiple choice questions. The answers are randomized for each assessment attempt, which helps prevent student cheating.

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Adding Different Question Types

Adding a Multiple Choice Question

After you clicked Submit to create a quiz, you will be guided to a window where you can add, modify, and remove questions.

1. Select a question type from the Add Question drop-down list and click Go to add questions.

2. Add the question text, and then set the point value.

3. Choose the number of answers. Add the answer choices and indicate the correct answer.

4. Under Feedback, enter responses for correct and incorrect answers.

5. Click Add Question Here to add another Multiple Choice question before or after the question you just created. Click Modify to edit the current question or click Remove to delete this question. Click OK to finish adding question for this quiz.
6. To add a question of another type, select that question type from the Add Question drop-down list at the top left of the page and click Go.

Note: You can always come back to modify your quiz. Go to Control Panel > Assessment > Test Manager > click Modify next to your quiz. You will have two options: modify the properties of the quiz (such as its name, description, and instructions) or modify each question.

Adding a True/False Question

1. Select the question type of True/False from the Add Question drop down list and click Go.

2. Enter the question in the Question Text field and assign a Point Value to the question. Finally, choose the correct True or False response. You can also leave feedback by following the same steps employed in the Multiple Choice Question, then click Submit.

Adding an Essay Question

1. Select the question type of Essay from the Add Question drop down list and click Go.
2. Create the question text, point value, and a sample answer to assist graders for an Essay Question. Essay questions must be graded manually through the Gradebook.

 Adding a Fill in the Blank Question

1. Select the question type of Fill in the Blank from the Add Question drop down list and click Go.
2. Create the question text and point value, choose the desired number of possible correct answers, and then list all possible correct answers including spelling variations. You can also leave feedback by following the same steps employed in the Multiple Choice Question.

Adding a Matching Question

1. Select the question type of Matching from the Add Question drop down list and click Go.
2. Create the question text and assign a point value.

3. Choose the number of items to be matched. Type in the first set of answers and match responses in display order.

4. Click Next to set the correct matches and provide feedback for user responses and click Submit.

Adding a Multiple Answer Question

1. Select the question type of Multiple Answer from the Add Question drop down list and click Go.
2. Enter the question in the "Question Text" field and assign a point value.
3. Choose the number of possible answer choices in the Number of Answers pull-down menu. Enter the answers in the Answer Values text boxes. Designate the correct responses by selecting the check box next to the appropriate answers and click Submit.

Adding an Ordering Question

1. Select the question type of Ordering from the Add Question drop down list and click Go.
2. Enter the question in the "Question Text" field and assign a point value.

3. Enter the answers in the correct order and click Next.
4. Set the display order for the answers, and provide feedback for user responses and click Submit.

Adding a File Response Question

This question type allows the student to upload a file as a specific response to the question.

1. Select the question type of File Response from the Add Question drop down list and click Go.
2. Add Question Text and Point Value. When users take the assessment, they will be asked to upload a file as a response.

3. Choose any Categories, Levels of Difficulty, Topics, or Keywords to be included. Click Submit.

Note: The File Response test questions can not be graded automatically by Blackboard. The instructor will see an exclamation point "!" in the Gradebook for the student's attempt until the question is scored.

Adding a Hot Spot Question

This question type allows the instructor to upload an image file. Then, a rectangular "hotspot" can be defined that represents the correct answer region of the image. For example, an instructor could have students identify a certain cell structure, an artistic technique, or a geographical feature on a map.

1. Select Hot Spot from the Add Question drop-down list and click GO to add questions.
2. Add Question Text and Point Value.

3. Click Browse to upload an image file that will be used for specifying a Hot Spot answer and click Next to continue. 

Note: Blackboard will accept *.jpg, *.gif, or *.png files. These files will be uploaded in exactly at 100% size into the Hot Spot question, so be sure to resize the image in another program (such as Adobe Photoshop) before loading.

4. Click and drag the mouse over an area in the image to specify the hot spot area for the correct answer. Start with the upper left corner of the rectangle and drag down to the lower right. Click Clear to remove the rectangle and start again.

5. Enter Feedback that will display in response to a correct answer and an incorrect answer and click Submit.

Adding a Fill in Multiple Blanks Question

This question type allows you to set up either a single or multiple blanks question. In addition it is much easier to create acceptable variations on "correct" answers in the blanks.

1. Select Fill in Multiple Blanks from the Add Question drop-down list and click GO to add questions.
2. Add Question Text that includes up to 10 variables in square brackets [x] corresponding to locations in the text where the fill-in-the-blank fields should appear. Variables must be unique, and cannot be reused. A second setup page allows you to specify answers.

3. Choose whether or not to allow Partial Credit. Partial Credit is simply calculated by the total number of points divided by the number of blanks (e.g., a 10-point question with 2 blanks gives 5 points for each blank for 'partial' credit).
4. Click Next to specify answers and provide feedback for each variable/blank in the question. Each variable can have a different number of acceptable answers.

5. Click Next to specify feedback for the question as a whole (right answer feedback will be given only if all blanks are answered correctly; incorrect answer feedback will be provided should even one of the blanks have an incorrect answer) and click Submit.

Adding a Jumbled Sentence Question

This question type allows you to create a sentence with one or more drop-down menus in the body of the sentence. The student chooses the correct values from the drop-downs to create a correct sentence.

1. Select Jumbled Sentence from the Add Question drop-down list and click GO to add questions.
2. Add Question Text that includes variables in square brackets [x] corresponding to locations in the text where the drop-down list of answers should appear. Variable names must be unique and cannot be reused.

3. Choose whether or not to allow Partial Credit. For this question type, Partial Credit is a simple function of the total number of points divided by the number of answer choices. For example, if the question is worth ten points and there are two answer choices, then each answer will be worth five points.
4. Select the number of answers for this question and enter the answers that will appear in the drop-down list.

5. Click Next to specify correct answers. Specify the correct answers by selecting them in each drop-down list

6. Enter Feedback that will display in response to a correct answer and an incorrect answer. If Partial Credit is allowed, answers that are partially correct will receive the feedback for an incorrect answer. Click Submit.

Adding a Short Answer Question

Like Essay questions, this question type requires the instructor to grade the answers manually. Short answer, as opposed to Essay questions, can be limited in length by the instructor.

1. Select Short Answer from the Add Question drop-down list and click GO to add questions.
2. Add the question text, point value, and an example of a correct answer.

3. Provide a sample of correct answer and define the number of rows that will display in the answer field.

Adding an Either/Or Question

This question type is similar to a "True/False" question except that more options are available for the answers: either/or, yes/no, true/false.

1. Select Either/Or from the Add Question drop-down list and click GO to add questions.
2. Add Question Text and Point Value; then indicate the correct answer.

3. Choose the Answer Orientation from the drop-down list and Select the Answer Choices and select the correct answer. Then click Submit.

Adding a Quiz Bowl Question

This question type is like a question from Jeopardy, where the answer has to be in the form of a question. The student chooses the question word (e.g. Who, What, Where, When, etc.) from a drop-down and then types in an answer prompt. The instructor determines certain "key words" that must be in the answer phrase. Partial credit can be given if the incorrect question word is chosen.

1.Select Quiz Bowl from the Add Question drop-down list and click GO to add questions.
2. Quiz Bowl questions require the answer to be in the form of a question.

3. Specify one or more interrogatives and one or more phrases that must be included in the answer. Then click Submit.

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Adding Images to Questions or answers in a Quiz

1. You may include images in any question type. To do this, click Creation Settings to the right of the Go button. Use Creation Settings to add images to both questions and answers. You can add to or change these settings at any point in the quiz creation process.

2. On this screen, check the box next to Add images, files, and URLs to questions, and also the box next to Add images and files to answers, and then click Submit.

3. You will be brought to a screen that confirms the settings you have changed. Click OK.
4. You should now be viewing all the questions you have created so far in this quiz. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will add an image to a Multiple Choice question. Find the Multiple Choice question that has already been created. To the far right of the question, click the Modify button.

5. To attach an image to this question, click on the Browse button next to the "File" field.
6. Find the file on your computer and click Open. The file path should now appear in the "File" field.
7. Under Action, click the down arrow and choose Display image within the page. This allows the student to view the image at the same time they view the question.

8. To add an image to an answer, scroll down the page to your list of possible answers for the multiple choice question. Under the Answer text box, click Browse next to the field marked File.
9. Find the file on your computer and click Open. The file path should now appear in the File field and under Action, click the down arrow and choose Display image within the page. This allows the student to view the image at the same time they view the answers.

Note: You can add a URL or web links to questions and answers using this procedure.

10. Click Submit. You will return to a preview of the quiz and your images should appear in the question and answers.

Adding Links in a Question

1. You may include links in any question type. To do this, click on Creation Settings to the right of the Go button. Use Creation Settings to add links to both questions and answers. You can add to or change these settings at any point in the quiz creation process. On this screen, check the box next to Add images, files, and URLs to questions, and also the box next to Add images and files to answers.
2. Use the True/False question we have already created. Next to the True/False question, click on the modify button.

3. Enter the desired URL in the field next to URL. Remember to include "http://". Give the website a title by typing in the Name field. Click Submit.

4. Your link should appear in the question on the preview page. You can add a link to any answer using the same procedure.

Note: Creating a link will allow the student to view the media file in a new window. Displaying the media within the page will allow the student to view the media in the same frame as the questions.

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Making a Quiz Available to Students

1. To make your quiz available to students, click on Control Panel and choose the Content Area where you would like to put your quiz. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will put the quiz under Assignments. Click on the "Assignments" link.

2. Click Add > Test

3. Select the quiz you want to make available from the list of quizzes and then click Submit.

4. A screen should appear to tell you that the test was successfully added. Click OK.

5. You are then given two choices. You can either Modify the test itself, or you can Modify the test options. We do not want to make changes to our quiz at this point, so we will choose "Modify the Test Options".

6. In the Test Information section, you can change the quiz title and description. You can also change the text color of the title by clicking on the Pick button and choosing a color from the color palate.

7. Choose whether or not that you want to open the test in a new window.

 

8. In the Test Availability section, you can make the test become available. You want to make the quiz link visible by clicking on the circle to the left of "Yes". You can have Blackboard Create an announcement on the Announcements page telling students that the quiz is now available. You can decide if you want the student to be able to Take the quiz multiple times or a specific number of attempts. If the student must Complete the quiz the first time they take it. This is also the section where you Set the time limit for the quiz.

9. In this section, you can also set the dates that the quiz will be available to students, and if necessary, create a Password that students will need to enter to access the quiz. The password CANNOT contain any spaces.

10. The deployment of tests has been enhanced to permit Self-Assessment in two forms: allow the instructor and student to view the grade or only allow the student to view the grade. In each case, the grade is not included in the final score for the student. When deploying a test in a course, the instructor should uncheck the option Include this test in Gradebook score calculations to allow students to take the test without affecting their overall score. Both the instructor and the student will still be able to review the results of the test. This option was previously only available through the Gradebook but is now also available in the course content area when deploying a test. The second self-assessment option, called Hide the score of this test from the Gradebook will allow the student to take the test without displaying the results to the instructor.

11. In the Test Feedback section, you have the option to change the type of feedback students receive after finishing a quiz. Instructors may select any combination of the score, submitted answers, correct answers and feedback to be displayed to the student at the end of an assessment.

11. In the Test Presentation section, you can choose whether you want the student to be able to view the entire test at once or if you would like them to view just one question at a time. You can also choose to randomize the questions, which means that each student will see a different order of questions.

12. Click Submit to update the options for this test.
13. The next screen confirms your modifications. Click OK, and Blackboard brings you back to the menu where you have the option to modify your quiz or the test options. If you are finished with modifications, click OK. Your quiz is now visible in the Assignments section of the control panel.
14. If you allow multiple attempts or a specific numbers of times to attempt this assignment, the Gradebook displays all the attempts. The Gradebook item is scored based on grading options: last attempt, first attempt, highest score, lowest score, or average of scores. Additionally, an Override field has been included so that the instructor can override the score independent of any attempts. Now that all attempts are visible in the Gradebook, the clearing options have been enhanced as well. The instructor may choose to clear (or delete) the last attempt, first attempt, highest attempt, lowest attempt, or all attempts within a specified date range. This action may be performed by item (for all students at once) or by user (for a specific user). Go to Gradebook > click a student's score > Go to Modify Grade page.



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Performance Dashboard

The Performance Dashboard is a course tool that allows Instructors to see key information and outcomes for all course users. It displays the last time users logged in, their course role, content availability by user based on Adaptive Release criteria, Review Status for content items, Discussion Board statistics for each user, and a direct link to the Gradebook: User Grade List page for individual users.

The Dashboard shows a list of each student with columns for name, role, last course access (including days elapsed), review status, adaptive release rules, discussion board posts, and view grades. The last four columns are selectable.

If you choose "Review Status," the number indicates the number of items that the user has self-identified as "reviewed". ONce clicked, it will list all course items with review status, showing whether this user has viewed it or not, and whether this user is able to view it or not.

Clicking on the icon in the "Adaptive Release" column will show you a course map view of all items that can have Adaptive Release rules applied. Next to each item, another icon will show whether this item is able to be viewed by the particular user you selected or not and whether that user has indicated that they have viewed the item or not.

The "Discussion Board" column displays the total number of posts by a user. Clicking on the number will display options for statistics on total number of posts, date of last post, average post length, minimum and maximum post lengths, and average post position within a thread. The grade for a discussion board can be entered through this interface as well.

Finally, the last column will allow the instructor to go directly to the gradebook entries for a particular student, right from the Dashboard.

Course Statistics

Course statistics help instructors generate a statistics report of student’s activities and involvements in their Blackboard course.

Generating a Statistics Report

1. Go to Control Panel > Assessment > Course Statistics
2. Choose the type of report to generate in the pull-down menu.

3. Choose the time period for the report.

4. Select the users to include in the report in the selection box and then click Submit.

5. The course statistics are displayed in table and graphical format.

Exporting a Course Statistics Report
Once you have generated a statistics report, you may export the data into a comma delimited file (*.csv) that can be read by MS Excel for further evaluation of the data.

1. At the top of the graphical report, click on Export Data.

2. Click OK after the warning message. Note: You may need to manually change the file extension to .csv

3. Select "Save this file to disk" and then click OK.

4. Open the file in MS Excel

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