Creating Tests

Creating a test in Blackboard is a two step process. First you create the test (which consists of naming the test and setting some parameters and then creating the questions for the test). Next you deploy the test, that is, insert it into some content area and make it available for students. Full direction are at http://www.dwc.edu/library/blackboard/create_deploy_test.shtml

Short answer Questions

Answers to fill in the blank items in Blackboard are taken literally as only a computer can take things literally.  If you specify the correct answer as Abraham Lincoln, students who answer Lincoln, Abe Lincoln or A. Lincoln will all be counted wrong. You must enter all possible variations on the correct answer.  Because the question type works like this, I would only use it where there is a very narrow range of correct answer, for example, terminology questions.

Example

What term means “a problem with the discrete equivalent of a boundary condition, often exhibited in programs by iterative loops?”

The answer is: Fencepost error.
Even here you would have to specify:
fencepost error
fence post error

Capitalization does not count in short answer questions.

Timing Tests

There is a function in Blackboard that allows you to specify how long a test is allowed to be taken.  Blackboard even warns the student one minute before time is up. Be aware, however, that Blackboard does not close the test when the time is up or prevent the student in any way from working on it.  When the student submits the test, Blackboard gives the usually “successfully submitted” message.

Students who have gone over the time limit will show an Exclamation point in the grade book. If you click on the exclamation point you can see the amount of time the student took. However, there is no way to tell what questions were answered within the time limit and which were answered after the allowed time.

Therefore, on timed tests you must tell students that if they take longer than the allowed time their tests will be invalid.

Accepting HTML as Answers

If you are teaching a computer course and would like the student to submit HTML or other coding for an answer you must use the Essay question type. Essay questions have the same 3 options for text as Discussion Board threads:

If the student uses either Smart Text or HTML his answer will be executed and not displayed.  Students must remember to click Plain Text as an option to display coding in an answer.

Correcting Essay questions

Essay type questions are not automatically scored by Blackboard.  Instructors can specify in the feedback area what a good answer might have included. However, the essay must be graded by the instructor in order to receive a score.

If the test is made up of essay questions and other types of questions students will see the number of points they received for the other questions only.

Finding the essay to grade is a little tricky as well. Here’s how:

1. After test is taken, go to Control Panel/ Gradebook

            Under the column showing the test, click on the exclamation point

2. On the View Grades screen, click the View button

3. The next screen: Grade Assessment: Essay Test appears with the essay on it. You can read it and put the number of points in the box and click submit.

4. You receive a message that your grade was successfully updated.

Click OK to return to the View Grades screen and pick another student.