online assessments: safeassign + tips and pitfalls “whats” and “whys” of assessments...
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Online Assessments:SafeAssign + Tips and Pitfalls
• “Whats” and “Whys” of assessments• Assessment types• Types of test questions• Assignments• Rubrics• SafeAssign• Peer Review
Blackboard’s Assessment Features• Blackboard’s “Assessments”
o Testso Surveys
• Other Assessment Toolso Assignmentso Self and Peer Assessmentso SafeAssignmentso Links to External Publisher Assessment Tools
• Other Gradable Activitieso Discussion Forumso Journals, Blogs, Wikiso “Instructor’s Choice”
Advantages of Online Assessments
• Increase student engagement• Provide timely feedback• Location- and time-independent • Automatic score recording • Time-saving (Students and Instructors)• Inclusion of online media
Disadvantages of Online Assessment
• Students require technology• Students require technology skills• Technology problems• Impersonal• Difficulty providing assistance during a test• Integrity Issues
Uses for Online Tests
• Traditional Testing• Gather (useful) information• Assess your teaching• Pre-class preparation• Online Worksheets• Practice tests
COMMONLY-USED TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Commonly-used Types of Questions• Multiple Choice
o Students pick the single correct answer
• True/Falseo Students choose whether
a statement is true or false
• Fill in the Blanko Students must fill in a
blank or blanks with the correct answers
Commonly-used Types of Questions
• Matchingo Provides two columns for
students to match
• Short Answer or Essayo Students type their
answers into a text boxo Only difference is the size
of the answer box
• File Responseo Students can upload a file
to answer the question
More Types of Test Questions
• Calculated Formulao Assigns values to variables in
an equation and asks students to calculate the answer
• Calculated Numerico Fill in the Blank question
which only accepts a numeric answer
• Hotspoto Student must click on the
correct (rectangular) area of an image
Still More Types of Test Questions
• Jumbled Sentenceo Students select the correct
order of answers from a drop down list containing all of the potential answers
• Opinion Scale / Likerto Survey-style answers
based on an ordered scale
• Quiz Bowlo Jeopardy-style “answer
with a question”
• Either/Oro Fancier True/False
question which allows other dichotomous answers like agree/disagree
• Multiple Answero Students choose all
answers which are correct
• Orderingo Students must place a list
in the correct order
How to Build a Test
• Manually, from scratch• Use Respondus to import from .doc files• Re-using questions
o From other testso From Pools
Test Exceptions and Feedback
Test Best Practice
• Provide a practice test in your Course• Provide Test Taking information to your class‐• Randomize the order of answers
o Don’t use “all of the above” and “none of the above” or other positional questions
• Use a mixture of question types• Structure tests with sets• Avoid large images or other large media
Academic Integrity
• Difficult to prevent students from referring to other sources
• Online tests should be viewed as open book• Steps to reduce the potential for dishonesty:
o Have students sign an academic integrity policyo Limit the time for completing the testo Use “Question Sets” and randomization to present a
different version of a test to each student o Create a follow-up assignment requiring students to apply
the knowledge they have demonstrated on a testo Proctor the online tests where you can monitor student
activity
Assignments• Allows for paperless marking• A “drop box” for electronic submission• Automatic creation of Grade Center column• Drop box “closes” on or shortly after the due
date• Two kinds available
o Regular Blackboard “assignment submission area”o SafeAssignment
Grading Assignments
Grading an Assignment
• From the Grade Assignment Window:o Download submitted
documento (Use track changes?)o Enter commentso Enter Gradeo Upload marked document
Rubrics
• Clarify expectations for assignment
• Standardize marking across graders
• Improve feedback• Time-saving
Create Rubric
Grading With A Rubric
Rubrics Available…
• Assignments• SafeAssignments• Essay, Short Answer, and
File Response test questions
• Blogs and journals• Wikis• Discussion board forums
and threads
SafeAssign: The Plagiarism Detection Tool for Blackboard
SafeAssign™ is a plagiarism detection and identification service included with our Blackboard license. It helps educators determine if plagiarism
has occurred by detecting unoriginal content in student papers.
Instructors: How to Begin
• Go to a Content Page such as ‘Course Content’
• Under ‘Assessments’ choose SafeAssignment.
• Choose ‘student viewable’ = NO
How Does SafeAssign Work?
• The submitted papers are checked against SafeAssign’s databases of source material:o The Internet: comprehensive index of documents
available for public access on the Internet.o ProQuest ABI/Inform database.o Institutional document archives.o Global Reference database: papers volunteered by
students from Blackboard client institutions.• Trent students cannot contribute to the Global Database.
Sample Originality Report
Types of Submissions
• Student Submit:o A dropbox is created in Blackboardo Student may submit only one documento Paper becomes part of the Trent repository
• Direct Submit:o Instructors can submit particular papers or portions
of papers o Paper becomes part of the Trent repository
Best Practices for SafeAssign
• Do not use the ‘student viewable’ optiono greatly increase questions and anxiety for studentso report should be viewed subjectively by the
instructor• Do not use the ‘draft’ option
o draft assignments do not join the Trent Repository• Demonstrate to your students:
o what a safeAssign report showso emphasize whether or not it’s plagiarism is still
subjective
To Be Aware Of
• “Trent Respository” and the “Global Respository” hosted on Blackboard’s servers in the US o Documents are identified by code numbero Key linking code and student is held only on Trent’s
server• Trent students’ submissions cannot become part
of the Global Repository• Disabled for Trent
Peer Review
• The Blackboard Guide: http://www.trentu.ca/it/learningsystem/documents/self_peer_assessment.pdf
• Blackboard’s Help Pages: https://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_SP_10_and_SP_11/Instructor/070_Assignments/005_Self_and_Peer_Assessment
• A good quick guide from University of New South Wales: https://teaching.unsw.edu.au/blackboard-assessment
