Each topic has several system modules you can enable to suit the focus of the topic and how intensive you want the learning processes in a topic to be. In this article, we examine the Assessment module in more detail.
First, activate the assessment process by enabling the Assessment module under Manage Navigation. This will create a new module within the topic called Assessment. Explorers will reach this module after they have completed the knowledge components in a topic.
Second, edit the Assessment module to create the assessment settings.
NOTE: You cannot edit topics which are imported from our library - only topics which are copied from our library. If you have imported a topic from our library which contains an assessment, then you cannot edit the Assessment module and make any of these changes. By default, our library topics that contain an assessment are set to a 100% pass mark. This is based on best practices for compliance training which should require that learners completely understand all aspects of a topic to be considered proficient in it. If your organisation would prefer a lower pass mark than 100% for a library topic, then copy the topic into your portal, instead of importing it. This will allow you to edit the topic as you see fit, including changing the pass mark.
Nominate how many questions should be asked in the assessment. Remember that the creator of the topic will then need to create at least that many quizzes (including standard quizzes, fill-in quizzes and match activities) as part of their topic creation process. We recommend between 3 and 10 quizzes is a good test without creating too much burden on the creators or explorers.
Set the assessment pass mark. This should be the number of quizzes (including standard quizzes, fill-in quizzes and match activities) to be correctly answered to trigger a 'Pass' of the assessment. Write the actual number of quizzes, not a per cent. e.g. If you have selected 4 quizzes to be asked and want a 50% pass mark, then end 2 as the minimum score.
Set the maximum number of allowed retakes. If explorers fail the assessment, they will not be able to progress further in the topic. Instead, they can retake the assessment. The number of attempts they make to pass the assessment will be recorded in their journal and in admin reporting. They can continue to retake the assessment until they use up the number of allowed retakes. At that point, they can request more retakes which will trigger an alert to Admins.
Enable 'manual approval' for assessments. By default, explorers will see their assessment results as soon as they complete the last quiz question (including standard quizzes, fill-in quizzes and match activities) in the assessment. By enabling this option, explorers will instead see a 'holding' page which does not reveal their result. Instead, an admin will need to go to their progress page, review their assessment results and manually mark the assessment as complete (including setting the final pass mark - or triggering a retake).
How does the assessment impact creators?
Once you have saved these changes, the creator of the topic will now see a new option in the Quiz, Fill-In and Match elements which allow questions to be included in the assessment process.
Remember, creators need to create at least the minimum number of required quizzes (including standard quizzes, fill-in quizzes and match activities) for the assessment before the assessment will function.
How does the assessment impact explorers?
Explorers will see a new Assessment module towards the end of the topic. They will be asked the minimum number of questions, drawn randomly from all the assessment quizzes (including standard quizzes, fill-in quizzes and match activities) created in the topic. They will have to answer all the questions before seeing their results and pass or fail mark.
Explorers can not progress in a topic until they have passed the assessment.
Can explorers retake an assessment?
Yes. If an explorer fails the assessment, they can retake the assessment. However, they can only activate a retake if they have not used up the number of retakes allowed for that assessment.
If they have run out of retakes, they can request more retakes which will trigger an email to both the explorer and the administrator of their portal requesting the retake. The email includes a direct link for the administrator back to the explorer's progress reporting.
Admins can log in to the Admin area of your portal and navigate to the progress reporting for that explorer in that topic. You will then be able to review their assessment results. If you wish to allow a retake, there is an 'Allow retake' button beside the assessment results for that explorer.
This will reset the assessment and allow the explorer to retake the assessment. It does not reset their allowed retakes - it is just a single retake option. You should then notify the explorer that the assessment is now available. If they fail the assessment again, admins will need to allow another retake.
NB: Only Admins can allow a retake of an assessment. This function isn't available to creators.
Can you create a topic or article which is ONLY an assessment?
Yes.
For topics, you can create a topic which contains only an assessment.
Create a new topic with a single part called Instructions.
Go to the Settings tab and Manage navigation. Disable the Overview, Insights and Destination modules. Enable the Assessment module and edit the settings for your assessment as required.
Return to Part 1 (Instructions) and add a single Section element (you can leave it blank). Then add a single Text element and put the instructions for the Assessment - explaining what content it will cover, the number of questions, the pass mark and the number of allowed retakes.
Then add all the Quiz, Fill-In and Match elements for your assessment (tagging each of them to display in the 'assessment only').
For the explorer, they will then see the short instructions and then the assessment module.
For articles, you can use the Quiz, Fill-In and Match elements and take advantage of the option to require explorers to correctly respond to the activity. This means they retry the quiz, fill-in quiz or match activity if they submit an incorrect answer. Your article could, for example, contain 15 quizzes (including fill-in quizzes and match activities) over five sections, allowing explorers to work through them in five groups of three. This is a more 'lightweight' style of assessment than using the Assessment module in a topic.
Can assessments (and topics) be manually assessed?
Yes.
To do this, go to the Assessment settings as a creator and enable the option 'Do not show assessment results until reviewed by an admin.'
Once enabled, explorers will not see their assessment score and will be 'held' at that module in the topic. An admin will then need to review their topic progress and manually approve the assessment (or request a retake).
Are there options for manual grading by assessors?
In addition to the formal Assessment module, you can also use a variety of building blocks (events, tasks, Q&A and upload) to create complex assessment activities which require manual grading by an assessor. You can learn more about these options in this article.