English | Español

Taking an exam

The ASSESSMENT > Tests option generates and evaluates a test exam with random questions drawn from the database of questions created by the teachers of the course. This is one of the services most valued by students, allowing them to self-assess and get to exams with more confidence.

There are currently six types of answers:

• Integer number
• Real number
• True / False
• Unique choice among several options
• Multiple choice among several options
• Text

Initially, the student must choose:

• Tags (descriptors or subjects) associated to test questions
• Types of answers
• Number of questions

SWAD choose random questions from the chosen tags and presents an exam to the student. SWAD incorporates a mechanism to prevent students repeating again and again the same test exam by pressing the back button of the browser. Once a student has answered a test exam and this has been evaluated, if he/she returns back to the previous page in the browser and try to re-evaluate the same test, the action is denied.

Once the student have finished answering the exam, he/she can optionally activate "Allow teachers to consult this exam" (if so, teachers can see the results and details of the exam). Finally, the student must click Done; assess exam for the test to be corrected and stored.

Feedback

Once completed the test, the student may receive feedback on his/her answers and the correct answers. Teachers can choose the visibility of the feedback offered to the student.

Grade calculation

For the types of answers T / F, single choice and multiple choice, the rating calculation aims the student to obtain a 0 score when choosing random answers. For a given question, if N is the number of answers (SWAD forces N >= 2), T the number of answers declared as true by the teacher (SWAD forces T >= 1), F the number of answers declared false (F = N - T), H the number of hits or correct answers by the student, and E the number of errors, the expressions used to calculate the score or result R of the question are:

• If 0 < T < N
  • R = H/T - E/(N - T) = H/T - E/F
  • In true / false answers, T = 1 and N = 2, so R = H - E
  • In unique choice answers, T = 1 and N >= 2, so R = H - E/(N - 1)
• If T = N (all answers are true, only possible in multiple choice answers)
  • R = H/N = H/T

Results

If you are a student, click on Results icon (trophy), then choose a range of dates, and click on View test results button. A list will appear with the exams you did in that range of dates. You can see the results and details of each of the exams by clicking on View test icon (at the right of the row).

If you are a teacher, click on Results icon (trophy), then select the students whose tests you want to see, choose a range of dates, and click on View test results button. A list will appear with all exams made in that range of dates. You can examine the results and details of those exams that the students have marked with Allow teachers to consult this exam by clicking on View test icon (at the right of the row).

Configuring tests

By clicking the Configure icon (a gear) at top left of the box, a form appears in which the teacher can:

• Choose visibility of questions in plugins:
  • Question bank not downloadable/visible from other applications (SWADroid, iSWAD, TriSWADos). Recommended if you use the tests option to make exams.
  • Question bank downloadable/visible from other applications (SWADroid, iSWAD, TriSWADos). Recommended if tests are intended only for self-assessment.
• Set the minimum, default and maximum number of questions in a self-assessment test.
• Set the minimum time (in seconds) between performing two consecutive examinations by a student. This time is defined by question, and SWAD multiplies it by the number of questions of the last examination. If the elapsed time since the last examination is insufficient, the student will have to wait to make a new one, and will be informed about this.
• Choose feedback for students between the following options:
  • No feedback
  • Little: only the total score of the test is shown
  • Medium: the score of each question is shown, but not the correct answer
  • High: the correct answer is displayed on each question
  • Maximum: show feedback text
• Choose the visibility of the results offered to the students in each of the following items, activating the checkbox to show the corresponding content or deactivating it to hide the content:
  • Text of questions and answers: The text and optional multimedia elements of both the stem and each of the options (in the case of unique or multiple choice questions) are shown.
  • Feedback text: The optional feedback text written by the teachers is shown both in the stem and in each of the options (in the case of unique or multiple choice questions).
  • Right answers: It shows which are the correct answers set by the teachers. The answers given by the user are always shown, they cannot be hidden.
  • Score of each question: The numerical score of each of the questions is shown.
  • Total score: The total numerical score is shown (sum of the scores of all questions).