Creating WEBCT Questions for Quizzes and Tests in College Algebra

1. Creating WEBCT Questions for Quizzes and Tests in College Algebra Dr. Anthony S. Pyzdrowski and Dr. Laura J. Pyzdrowski

2. WvEB Algebra: 2001-2002 • Online quizzes were implemented for the first time. • On the final course evaluation, over half of responding participants indicated that the online quizzes helped them learn the course material. • Approximately 25% reported that it was the component that most helped.

3. WvEB Algebra: 2002-2003 • 82% of the 62 respondents from WVU indicated that the online quizzes helped them learn the course material with half of them reporting that is it is the component that most helped them learn the material.

4. WvEB Algebra: 2002-2003 • The correlation between the online quiz average and the grade on the final exam showed only a moderate correlation ( r = .54)

5. On Campus Spring 2003 • Online quizzes were used for the on campus college algebra sections with a final enrollment of 300 students. A higher correlation coefficient of .83 was found to exist when comparing the online quiz average and the students’ performance on the same comprehensive final exam.

6. DFW Changes • The on campus spring semester 2002 drop/fail/withdraw rate was 51.3 percent • The on campus spring semester 2003 drop/fail/withdraw rate was 37 percent.

7. Caution • The only major course component change was the use of online homework quizzes. • Other factors such as instructor, administrative/department support for change, and student differences most likely influenced some of the change as well.

8. Hirsch and Weibel (2003) • Studied the effect of WebWork homework assignments on student performance on the common final exam in a general calculus course of 1175 students.

9. Hirsch and Weibel (2003) • Found that students in the web-based sections: • Showed a statistically significant improvement on the final exam. • Those who attempted every WebWork problem had higher grades on the final by at least two letters.

10. The Good • Use of online quizzing can ease the grading requirement for the instructors of large sectioned or multi-sectioned courses. • Students can get immediate feedback and work whenever/wherever they choose.

11. The Bad • The “up front” work of constructing the question bank, quizzes, and tests is an ongoing necessity requiring a lot of time. • Each semester, “bad” questions must be eliminated or fixed and new questions should be added. • As new questions are added, they should go through a review process to make sure that they are relevant to the course content and are clear and meaningful.

12. Solutions • Test packages: • a good source for a number of the classic questions; will have a random generator

13. Solutions • Test packages: • Questions can be used from test generating programs such as TestGen-EQ by Prentice Hall. • Export the test as an HTML file. • Select and save the graphs and equations from the test to use in your WEBCT questions.

14. Solutions • Develop homemade questions that are more meaningful to the course at a given site. • developing questions in WEBCT • scripting questions in a word processor • using a management toolsuch as Respondus

15. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Types of questions available in WEBCT. • Multiple Choice • Matching • Calculated • Short Answer • Paragraph

16. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Sections common to all question types. • Title: Used to identify the question. • Question: The question. • Equation: Create or edit an equation. • Format: HTML/Text. • Image: Attach an image to the question. • Any text that has an HTML format can contain valid HTML code.

17. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Multiple Choice question components: • Allow students to choose: n answers. • Scoring: Cumulative/All nothing. • Allow negative score: Yes/No. • Answer layout: Vertical/Horizontal. • Answer order: Randomized/As listed • Indices: Numbers/Letters.

18. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Multiple Choice question components: • Answer i: • Correct answer: Check if correct answer. • Answer space: The answer. • Format: HTML/Text • Value % % of the question points.

19. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Multiple Choice question components: • Feedback i: • Feedback space: The feedback. • Format: HTML/Text. • General feedback: • Feedback space: The feedback. • Format: HTML/Text.

20. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Matching question components: • Settings: • Marking scheme: Equal/All or nothing/Right less wrong. • Preview columns: Yes/No. • Matching pairs: • Answer type: Short answer/Long answer • Match i: The match question. • with i: The match answer.

21. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Matching question components: • General feedback: • Feedback space: The feedback. • Format: HTML/Text.

22. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Calculated question components: • Formula: The formula. • variables in {}’s. • Use ( ), +, -, *, /, **, sqrt(x), log(x) base e, sin(x) in radians, cos(x) in radians, exp(x) e, atan2(x) in radians for the formula. • Analyze variable: Checks formula.

23. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Calculated question components: • Variables:(For each variable) • Minimum: minimum value. • Maximum: maximum value. • Decimal places: number of decimal places to use for each variable.

24. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Calculated question components: • Calculate answer sets to: • number: decimal places/significant digits. • type: decimal places/significant digits. • Answer set: • Generate random answer set: Creates sets. • Number/set: Number of sets to generate. • Edit answer set: Edit values in set.

25. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Calculated question components: • Answer tolerance (+/-): • number: error range value for correct answer. • type: % or Units for the error range. • Units: Units for the answer. • Value % of the question value: % points for Units. • Required: Yes/ No. • Ignore spaces: Yes/ No. • Ignore case: Yes/ No.

26. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Calculated question components: • General feedback: • Feedback space: The feedback. • Format: HTML/Text.

27. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Short answer question components: • Number of answer boxes: n. • Case sensitive: Yes/No. • Answers: • Answer i: Answer to match. • Value (%): Value of question for answer. • Width: Width of Field 5 to 100 pixels. • Grading option: Equals/Contains/RegEx. • Allow in answer box: All/1/2/...

28. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Short answer question components: • General feedback: • Feedback space: The feedback. • Format: HTML/Text.

29. Developing Questions in WEBCT • Paragraph question components: • Settings: • Answer box size: lines and columns for answer. • Answer: • Pre-fill answerbox: Initial test in answer. • Equation: Equation initially in the answer. • Correct answer: Correct answer for feedback. • Equation: Correct equation for feedback. • Format: HTML/Text.

30. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • General procedures: • Do not introduce extra spaces. • The field names are case sensitive. • Lines beginning with a colon (:) identify a field name • Each question must begin with the type declaration line :TYPE:{MC|S|P|M|C}

31. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • General procedures: • A :TITLE: may be included in a question which specifies the title of the question. • A :QUESTION: must be specified. • Comment lines begin with a #. • Save the file as an ASCII text file.

32. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Question formats: • MC Multiple Choice • S Short Answer • P Paragraph • M Matching • C Calculated

33. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Multiple choice question format: • :TYPE:MC:{1|N}:{0|1}:{C|A} • MC indicates that this a multiple choice question. • {1|N}: 1 or N correct answers possible. • {0|1}: Negative scores. • {C|A}: Cumulative/All or nothing. • :TITLE:title text (Optional) • title text The title.

34. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Multiple choice question format: • :QUESTION:{H|T} • question text • {H|T} HTML/plain TEXT. • question text The question. • :IMAGE:filename (Optional) • filename The path to an image.

35. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Multiple choice question format: • :LAYOUT:{horizontal|vertical}(Optional) • {horizontal|vertical} Answer arrangement. • :ANSWERi:% value:{H|T} • answer text • % value % of question for this answer. • {H|T} HTML/plain TEXT. • answer text The answer.

36. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Multiple choice question format: • :REASONi:{H|T}(Optional) • feedback text • {H|T} HTML/plain TEXT. • feedback text Feedback for answer. • :FEEDBACK (Optional) • general feedback text • general feedback text The feedback.

37. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Multiple choice question format: • :CAT:text • text The category for this question.

38. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Short answer question format: • ::TYPE:S • S indicates that this a short answer question. • :TITLE:title text (Optional) • title text The title. • :QUESTION:{H|T} • question text • {H|T} HTML/plain TEXT. • question text The question.

39. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Short answer question format: • :IMAGE:filename (Optional) • filename The path to an image. • :ANSWERS:n • n Number of answer boxes. • :CASE:{0|1} (Optional) • {0|1} Case sensitivity.

40. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Short answer question format: • :ANSWERi:text:value%:{0|1|..|n}:width:{0|1|2} • text The answer. • value % Value of the answer. • {0|1|..|n} Answer box for this answer. • width Number of pixels for the width. • {0|1|2} Exact match/Any part/RegEx.

41. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Short answer question format: • :FEEDBACK (Optional) • general feedback text • general feedback text The feedback. • :CAT:text • text The category for this question.

42. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Paragraph question format: • :TYPE:P • P indicates that this a paragraph question. • :TITLE:title text (Optional) • title text The title.

43. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Paragraph question format: • :QUESTION:{H|T}:columns:lines • question text • {H|T} HTML/plain TEXT. • columns Number of columns. • Lines Number of lines. • question text The question.

44. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Paragraph question format: • :IMAGE:filename (Optional) • filename The path to an image. • :TEMPLATE: (Optional) • template text • template text The initial text in the answer.

45. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Paragraph question format: • :ANSWER:{H|T} (Optional) • answer text • {H|T} HTML/plain TEXT. • answer text The answer. • :CAT:text • text The category for this question.

46. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Matching question format: • :TYPE:M:{short|long}:{short|long}:{E|A|RW}:{0|1} • M indicates that this is a matching question. • {short|long} First column short/long. • {short|long} Second column short/long. • {E|A|RW} Equal/All or nothing/Right less wrong. • {0|1} Preview columns.

47. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Matching question format: • :TITLE:title text (Optional) • title text The title. • :QUESTION:{H|T} • question text • {H|T} HTML/plain TEXT. • question text The question .

48. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Matching question format: • :IMAGE:filename (Optional) • filename The path to an image. • :Li lefti text • :Ri righti text

49. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Matching question format: • :FEEDBACK (Optional) • general feedback text • general feedback text The feedback. • :CAT:text • text The category for this question.

50. Scripting Questions in a Word Processor • Calculated question format: • :TYPE:C • C indicates that this is a calculated question. • :TITLE:title text (Optional) • title text The title.