Creating Tests and Surveys

Creating a test in Blackboard
Deployment and availability of a test
Can students save their tests?
A student needs to retake a test that is only available for students to take once. How do I make the test available for that student only?
A student has missed a test (or assignment) and the time limit has passed. How can I allow this student to take the test?
Adding Bonus Questions
Can students view a test after they have taken it?
Moving questions from a test to a pool.
Creating a test using questions from a Pool.
Points for students to consider when test-taking
Using Assignment Manager
Can I use Blackboard to conduct a survey?
Deployment and availability of a survey.
How do I view survey results?

Creating a test in Blackboard

You can create a new test by either cliicking "Tests, Surveys, and Pools" in the Control Panel, then choosing "Test" and clciking "Build Test" or by using the Evaluate button in the desired content area and clicking on the grey "Create" button located to the right of the "Create New Test" area.
Enter a name, description and instructions for the test, (note: you can come back and add the description and instructions later if you choose). Click ‘Submit’.
You will automatically be taken into the Test Canvas. It is in the Test Canvas that you will create/add the questions for your test.
Under the ‘Creation Settings’ link select the features desired. If you wish to add images or graphics to your test you must indicate this under the Creation Settings by checking the appropriate boxes under Images, Files and External Links.
Click ‘Submit’ and ‘OK’ to save settings.
To add questions select the question type from the drop-down menu entitled "Create Question".
Type your question in the text box and complete the subsequent fields. If the question requires, such as multiple choice, make sure to select the correct answer by selecting the appropriate radio button.
Click ‘Save’ to save the question.
Continue selecting question types from the drop-down menu and adding questions to complete your test.
When you have added all questions click ‘OK’.

To modify a test that has already been created you can get to it through "Tests, Surveys, and Pools" in the Control Panel. After clicking the "Test" option, use the action menu to the right of the test's name to make the changes in the Test Canvas. IMPORTANT: If the test has already been taken by students you can only make textual changes, i.e. correcting a typo. Changing anything else will erase the scores of students who have already taken the test (If the test has been deployed you can also edit it by clicking on the action menu next to the test in whatever content area the test has been deployed).

Deployment and availability of a test

In order for students to see and take a test the test must be added as content or ‘deployed’ To do this:

From any Content Area (such as Assignments)
In Edit Mode:ON, select the Evaluate button, and choose "Create Test" (Yes, create, even if you've already created it and simply want to deploy).
In the ‘Add Test’ section, chose one of the previously created tests you wish to deploy by clicking on it to highlight it.
Click ‘Submit’.

As with most content in Blackboard you have the ability to set date and time parameters and other availability criteria around a test. To set the options for a test:

After following the steps above and clicking ‘Submit’ you will be presented with the Modify Test page. Click on ‘Modify the Test Options’.
Make sure that the radio button next to ‘Yes’ under Test Availability, "Make the Link Available" is selected. If you set the date and time parameters even though you make the test available it will not be available to students until the designated date and time. If you do not make the test available you must remember to go back in and change the radio button. Otherwise, even when the intended date arrives the test will not show up for students.
Set the remaining options such as the date and time, Test Feedback and Test Presentation.
Click ‘Submit’ and your test is now deployed in that content area (even if it is not available, the test now resides in that content area and is populated in Grade Center).

Can students save their tests?

Providing that the Force Completion setting has not been activated a student can save their responses without submitting the test for final grading. Once the answers have been saved the student may log out and return later to resume the test. This is not recommended for timed tests as the timer continues even if a student decides to resume the test at a later time.

A student needs to retake a test that is only available for students to take once.

An instructor can clear a student’s attempt on a test through the Grade Center. This will then allow the student to retake the test. Be aware though, that clearing a test attempt deletes any recorded answers or grades and will be overwritten with the new test attempt.

From the Control Panel click on "Grade Center" under the Evaluation section.
Locate the test and the student’s score. If the student was locked out of the test for some reason there may be an "Attempt In Progress" icon or a green-boxed exclamation point instead of the score. Click on the action button in the cell that corresponds with that students test, whether it has a score or an icon in it.
Chose "View Grade Details" from the drop-down menu of the action button (chevron).
Chose either to click on the "Go" next to the Last Attempt in the Delete section of the current grade, or, in the Attempts section, click on the action menu next to the score in the Value column and choose "Clear Attempt"
A warning box will appear. Click ‘OK’.
The score will have been removed and the student can now retake the test.

A student has missed a test (or assignment) and the time limit has passed.

To allow a particular student to take a past test, an instructor can set the Adaptive Release feature for that test:

From the Control Panel go to the content area that contains the deployed test.
Click on the action menu (chevron) to the right of the test name.
Click on ‘Adaptive Release’.
Choose the new date criteria by selecting the appropriate date and time. If there is a date already set in Test Options you will need to go into the Test Options by clicking on ‘Modify the Test Options’ next to the text and deselecting the date and time.
Click on the ‘Browse’ button under Membership to search for the student who will be retaking the test.
Click ‘Submit’ to enter the student’s user name into the ‘Membership Username’ field.
Click ‘Submit ‘and ‘OK’.

The elected student will now be able to take the test at the time and date specified under the Adaptive Release.

Adding Bonus Questions

An instructor can add bonus questions to a test without penalizing students who don’t answer them. Once you have created your test in Test Manager add your bonus questions with their designated points value. Deploy the test into you content area. Then prior to making the test available go into the Grade Center and change the total points value on the test:

From within the Grade Center click on the action menu within the column heading of the test.
Select "Edit Column Information".
Decrease the point value of the test to exclude the bonus points.
Click "Submit".

Can students view a test after they have taken it?

Students can only view tests if you have selected all Test Feedback categories (Score, Submitted answers, Correct Answers and Feedback) when indicating the Modify the Test Options settings.

Moving questions from a test to a pool

Pool Manager acts as a repository for test questions. You can then create new tests using questions stored in the Pool Manager. If you use a course cartridge, many of these upload question pools into Pools Manager from which you can then pull questions into a new test. However, just because you create a test in Test Manager does not automatically put the questions created into Pool Manager. To add the questions from your existing test into the Pool Manager:

From the "Tests, Surveys, and Pools" in the Control Panel, selct "Pools".
Click on the blue "Build Pool" button.
Give you pool a name and description and click ‘Submit’.
You are then in the Pool Canvas. From the Add drop-down menu select "Reuse Question" and choose "Find From Pool or Test".
Select the test whose questions you wish to add and check the box next to "All".
Click Search.
Click the box in the green shaded area to select all and click "Add Selected".
The Pool Canvas will open containing all the questions from your test.
Click "Ok" to save.

You can continue to add questions from different tests to the same pool by clicking on the Modify button next to the Pool name. This opens the Pool Canvas where you can add and edit your pool questions.

Creating a test using questions from a Pool

To create a test using questions from a pool you’re still going to create the test in Test Manager so…

From the "Tests, Surveys, and Pools" link in the Control Panel, click on "Tests".
Select the "Build Test" button
Give your test a name and enter a description and instructions and then click "Submit".
In the Test Canvas page, select "Find from Pool or Test" from the "Reuse Question" action menu.
Select the test or pool whose questions you wish to add and check the box next to "All".
Click Search.
Click the check boxes next to those questions you wish to add to your test and click ‘Submit’.
The Test Canvas will open containing all the questions from your test.
Click ‘Ok’ to save.

Points for students to consider when test-taking

→ The greater the length of the test (as far as number of questions) and, therefore, the longer the time allotted for a student to take a test, the more open it is to delay and issues. A test that is over an hour long will inevitably start being problematic. If necessary, a test should be broken down into parts so that students experience the minimum amount of time within a Blackboard testing environment.
→ Students should not wait until the last minute to take a test. If a student does experience technical difficulties there needs to be adequate time to resolve the issue and complete the test.
→ Log into Blackboard through http://sf.blackboard.com rather than going through the sf.edu website
→ If working from a computer with a dial-up connection, ensure the ISP time-out settings are set to the maximum allowed time. Many ISPs will disconnect or time out a test because of the lack of activity on the page. Even though a student is scrolling, checking boxes, etc., within the test, as far as the browser is concerned it is on the same page and "inactive". This is particularly prevalent if a test is untimed or exceeds 35-45 minutes.
→ Using a wireless network when taking a test can be unstable.
→ If using Internet Explorer, version 7.0 or above is required.
→ Turn off pop-up blockers and phishing filters and make sure security settings are low enough not to be blocking traffic. Spyware and other programmes running in the background can interfere with test taking.
→ The browser must be enabled to accept Cookies.
→ Don't have any other applications open, just the internet browser on Blackboard (not multi-tasking on other sites, either).
→ Do not resize, minimize or refresh the browser window once the test has started.
→ Students shouldn’t use the browser back and forward buttons to navigate within a test. To move from question to question, only use the arrows within the testing window.
→ When entering the test, only click once. Sometimes it takes a while to load (give it at least a full minute). If, after clicking once, nothing happens for a while, then contact the instructor immediately. Do not click again. If a student clicks twice, a message advising the student they already took the test pops up and barrs the student from being able to retry taking the test.
→ If the test is presented all on one page it's not necessary to save every single answer (which refreshes and therefore reloads the page every time). Just save the answers every so often and then complete the final submission. If there are multiple users taking the test at the same time and continually saving answers this can cause the test to run very slowly for all users actively within the test. A student can still decide to change answers up until the time of test submission.
→ Do not click the Submit button until the test is complete.
→ A student should contact the instructor immediately if they experience a problem or a technical difficulty that has prevented them from finishing the test. The instructor is the only person who can clear a student’s attempt, through the Grade Center, and allow them to re-take the test. N.B. When an instructor clears a student's attempt, all previously submitted answers are erased.

Using the Assignment Tool in a Content Area

The Assignment Tool is a useful mechanism that allows instructors to post an assignment containing attachments in any content area of a course site, automatically creating an item entry for it in Grade Center. The instructor can then view and download the complete assignment, grade it and provide feedback all from the comfort of Grade Center.

To create an assignment using the Assignment Tool:

In EDIT MODE:ON, click on the Content Area you wish to place the assignment.
Mouse-Over and select "Create Assignment" from the blue "Evaluate" button.
Give the assignment a name, attach a point value, any relevant instructions (keep them succinct) and include an attachment if desired.
Click ‘Submit'

To view completed assignments:

From the Control Panel click on Grade Center, under the Evaluation section.
Click on the action menu next to the green-boxed exclamation point (!) corresponding with the student's name in the correct assignment column.

Click on "View Grade Details".
Click on the action menu next to the green-boxed exclamation point (!) under the Attempts section to "Open Attempt".
Click on the student's submission under "3. Review Current Attempts" to either open or save the file to your computer.
Add a grade, comments and re-submit the document if edited.
Click "Submit".

A really nice feature of the Assignment Tool is that you can download multiple completed assignments at the same time from Grade Center:

From the Control Panel click on Grade Center, under the Evaluation section.
Click on the action menu in the name portion of the appropriate Assignment column.
Click on "Assignment File Download".
Select all students, just a few, or choose only those files that "Need Grading".
Click ‘Submit'.
Click on the ‘Download assignments now' link, click ‘Save' and indicate where you want the files to be saved on your computer.
The files downloaded are packaged as a zipped folder so you need to unzip/uncompress it in order to view the individual files.

How do I create a survey in Blackboard?

Surveys are created in much the same way as tests, using the Survey Manager. Surveys however, are not graded (although the results are viewed through the Grade Center) and are anonymous. This means an instructor can view overall results and individual comments but without knowing the author of the score or comments.
To create a survey:

From the Control Panel click on "Tests, Surveys, and Pools" and choose the Surveys link.
Click on the "Build Survey" button.
Follow the steps for creating a test to create a survey.

Deployment and availability of a survey

In order for students to see and take a survey the survey must be added as content or ‘deployed’ To do this:

From any Content Area (such as Assignments)...
In Edit Mode:ON, select the Evaluate button, and choose "Create Survey" (Yes, create, even if you've already created it and simply want to deploy).
In the ‘Add Survey’ section, chose one of the previously created surveys you wish to deploy by clicking on it to highlight it.
Click ‘Submit’.

As with most content in Blackboard you have the ability to set date and time parameters and other availability criteria around a survey. To set the options for a test:

After following the steps above and clicking ‘Submit’ you will be presented with the Modify Survey page. Click on ‘Modify the Survey Options’.
Make sure that the radio button next to ‘Yes’ under Survey Availability, "Make the Link Available" is selected. If you set the date and time parameters even though you make the test available it will not be available to students until the designated date and time. If you do not make the survey available you must remember to go back in and change the radio button. Otherwise, even when the intended date arrives the survey will not show up for students.
Click ‘Submit’ and your survey is now deployed in that content area (even if it is not available, the survey now resides in that content area and is populated in Grade Center, even though it is not a graded item).

How do I view survey results?

Survey results are viewed through Grade Center

From the Control Panel click on Grade Center in the Evaluation section.
Click on the action menu in the survey name column heading.
Click on ‘Attempts Statistics’ to view the results and any comments.

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