Select Your Online Assessment Tool
This blog summarizes Anna's webinar session and shares with us the advantages and disadvantages of using Quercus and Crowdmark for your online assessment tools!
About Anna Limanni
Anna is a treasured member of FASE's very own Education Technology team! In the past, she has worked closely with CTSI and ACT teams to develop and deliver innovative teaching strategies and educational technologies. We couldn't be in better hands!
Session Details
Assessing student learning online can be challenging, but there are several tools that can help support your assessment strategy. In this session, we'll explore the benefits and drawbacks of the assessment tools that are part of the Academic Toolbox (see how the toolbox works).
This session was intended to help support your decision process as you decide how to build your online assessments (see Select your assessment tool). While we will talked extensively about the functionality (and the limitations) of each assessment tool, we didn't get into specifics. If you'd like some help to pick a tool, or if you've decided and are looking for some help to build an assessment, you can schedule a consultation and we'll get started.
Missed the Recording? Watch it Here!
Review the session's slidedeck
Webinar Agenda
Using Quercus
Quercus has two different types of assessments: Quizzes and Assignments. Both these options allow you to customize deadlines, accomodations, submission types, and feedback for your students. When quizzes and assignments are posted to Querucs, students can easily access it by navigating to the Quercus Course Page.
Quizzes
The Quizzes function is, in general, an online quiz and survey tool with a variety of question types including:
- Multiple Choice
- True/False
- Short Answer
These quizzes can be graded or ungraded. Multiple choice and T/F answers will be auto-graded and sent to the gradebook. You can also randomize questions by pulling them from a Question Group, essentially creating a different quiz for each student.
Assignments
Quercus assignments works more like an online dropbox for different types of student submissions. Students can upload files, media recordings, URLs, or submit text responses. You can annotate submission files to provide feedback, and Quercus allows you to download the annotated files. All assignments are also automatically submitted to Turnitin, where the submitted file undergoes a plagiarism check.
You can also (optionally) add a rubric to your assignment.
Using Crowdmark
Good news - Crowdmark has been officially licensed across the Faculty for the current academic year! If you haven't used Crowdmark before, it's essentially an online platform for creating, distributing, and grading digital copies of assignments. Students will recieve Crowdmark notifications via email, where they can follow the link to access their assignements.
To get started, see our guide on How to Adminster Crowdmark in Your Course.
Administered Assessment
Traditionally, Crowdmark's Administered Assessments allows instructors to grade tests and exams even if they are written on paper. After being scanned and uploaded by the instructor, Crowdmark allows students to see their feedback digitally and imports the grades onto the Quercus gradebook.
Assigned Assessment
This type of assessment is distributed digitally. Students will write their tests and exams remotely, then scan and upload them for marking. Feedback in Crowdmark is highly customizable - you can draw, comment, add shapes, and grade the question. Comments are saved in the Comment History, and you can reuse your comments for other submissions.
Quercus vs. Crowdmark
There are advantages and disadvantages to using each assessment tool. We'll go over them briefly, but both choices are viable.
Combining Tools
Why not choose the best of both worlds? Consider Two-Part Assignments:
-
Quizzes + Crowdmark
- The first part of the assignment can be a MC quiz on Quercus (optional: randomize the questions)
- Written portion on Crowdmark (can follow up on quiz; e.g. asking for a rationale for a quiz answer)
-
Assignment + BB Collaborate
- Written assignment on Quercus Assignment or Crowdmark
- Followed by oral presentation to discuss question responses (using BB Collaborate or Zoom)
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is on everyone's minds as lectures and coursework move online. Here are some ways we can promote academic integrity:
- Include statement of Academic Integrity on assessments (i.e. the first page of Quercus Quiz or Crowdmark Assignment)
- Give smaller, more frequent assessments
- Explore different types of assessments
- Discuss Academic Integrity with students and provide resources
