Quizzes - epi-workbench/EWBTemplates GitHub Wiki

Quizzes on Epi-Workbench serve as interactive assessments that reinforce learning, gauge comprehension, and provide targeted feedback. While quizzes are currently used exclusively for Check-on-Learning (COL), this guide applies to all quiz types that may be implemented in the future (e.g., graded module quizzes, chapter quizzes, and certification assessments).

The EWB platform uses a special quiz builder to create quizzes. Authors should follow this guide to ensure consistency, usability, and high pedagogical value.

Page Contents

Key Features of EWB Quizzes

EWB quizzes have several platform-specific characteristics that authors must consider when designing and implementing assessments.

Lesson association

  • Quizzes must currently be associated with a specific lesson.
  • To create a quiz that covers multiple lessons, create a standalone lesson for it (e.g., Measures of Association Chapter Quiz).
  • This requirement may change in the future, but authors should design quizzes with this limitation in mind.

Standalone vs. embedded

  • Standalone Quizzes:
    • Appear as separate items in the course navigation bar on the left side of the course page.
    • When opened, the content pane contains only the quiz questions.
  • Embedded Questions:
    • Individual quiz questions can be embedded directly into lesson markdown.
    • Once embedded, those questions no longer appear in the standalone quiz view.
    • If all quiz questions from a quiz are embedded, the quiz itself is removed from the navigation bar.

Knowledge points (KP)

  • Learners earn KP when successfully completing quiz questions, just like with coding exercises.
  • Default value: 100 KP per question (can be adjusted by the author in the quiz builder).
  • Scoring:
    • 0 KP: Incorrect or unsubmitted questions.
    • Full KP: Correctly answered questions.
  • Partial credit is not supported.

Completion requirement

  • All quiz questions must be answered correctly before learners can proceed to the next lesson.
  • This ensures that quizzes serve as an effective learning checkpoint.

Top

Creating Quizzes

The EWB quiz builder provides an intuitive interface for creating and managing quizzes. Authors should follow these steps to ensure quizzes are set up correctly.

Steps to create a quiz

  1. Navigate to the course builder page in EWB.
  2. Select the lesson you want to associate the quiz with.
    • If the quiz is meant to cover multiple lessons, create a new lesson specifically for the quiz.
  3. Click the Create Quiz button (icon: ? inside a circle).
    • This button is located to the right of the lesson title, between Edit Lesson and Delete Lesson.
  4. Enter a title for the quiz:
    • For COL quizzes, use the format:

      Check on Learning: [Lesson Name]

  5. Add a description:
    • For COL quizzes, the description can be left blank.
  6. Click Create Quiz to open the quiz builder interface.

[!NOTE]
As of 2025-08-05, quizzes are used exclusively for COL quizzes. Additional guidance will be added when other quiz types are implemented.

Top

Writing quiz questions

Quiz questions are the core of EWB quizzes. They should be clear, aligned with lesson objectives, and formatted for ease of use.

Steps to add a question

  1. In the quiz builder, click Add New Question.
  2. Enter the question text in the provided text box.
    • You can use either the WYSIWYG editor or the Markdown editor (toggle via the bottom-right corner).
  3. Use formatting to improve readability:
    • Headings, bold, italics, lists, tables, block quotes, links, and inline code are supported.
    • Code blocks can be inserted for displaying code examples.
  4. Adjust the knowledge points (KP) if necessary:
    • Default value: 100 KP.
    • This can be modified using the Points box under the Question Text field.

Top

Question Types

The EWB quiz builder supports several types of questions. Authors should choose the type that best aligns with the learning objective.

Single choice

  • Multiple-choice with one correct answer.
  • Use this type for True/False questions.
    • Answer choices must be exactly True and False, in that order.
    • Do not use alternative forms such as TRUE, FALSE, or lowercase.

Multiple choice

  • Multiple-choice with one or more correct answers.
  • Learners must select all correct answers to receive credit.

Matching

  • Learners match items in a list on the right to items in a list on the left.
  • Distractors are not supported; every left-side item must have a corresponding right-side item.

Numerical

  • Learners enter a numeric value.
  • Authors can set a tolerance for correctness (default = 0).
    • Example: Correct answer 2 with tolerance 0.5 accepts values from 1.5 to 2.5.

Fill in the blank

  • Authors create a statement with blanks ([]) that learners must complete.
  • Example:
    • Statement: A data frame with dimensions 3x5 has [] rows and [] columns.
    • Correct answers: 3, 5.

Top

Formatting Guidlines

Proper formatting ensures quiz questions are easy to read, consistent, and accessible.

General guidelines

  • Keep language clear and concise.
  • Avoid unnecessary jargon or overly complex sentence structures.
  • Focus each question on a single concept.

Code formatting

  • Use inline code formatting (`code`) or fenced code blocks (```) within question text to display code snippets.
  • Do not apply code formatting to answer options.
    • Instead of asking learners to select correct code snippets, use coding exercises where they write code directly.

Markdown support

  • Both the WYSIWYG and Markdown editors support:
    • Headings
    • Bold, italics, and strikethrough
    • Lists (ordered and unordered)
    • Tables and block quotes
    • Links and images
  • For accessibility, always provide alt text for images used in questions.

Top

Response Feedback

Feedback is an essential component of EWB quizzes. It helps learners understand why an answer is correct or incorrect, reinforcing learning rather than simply scoring performance.

Default feedback behavior

When learners submit answers, the EWB platform automatically displays visual cues and default messages:

  • Correct answer

    • Left edge of the question box turns green
    • Toast message: “Correct answer! 🎉”
    • Green feedback box: “Correct: Great job! 🎉”

  • Incorrect answer

    • Left edge of the question box turns red
    • Toast message: “Incorrect answer!”
    • Red feedback box: “That’s not quite right. Take another look and try again. You got this! 🤩”

  • No answer

    • Blue feedback box: “This is required.”

Custom feedback

Authors can write custom feedback to replace or enhance default messages.

Types of custom feedback

  • General correct feedback – shown whenever the learner selects any correct answer.
  • General Incorrect Feedback – shown whenever the learner selects any incorrect answer.
  • Response-Specific Feedback – targeted feedback based on specific selections or inputs.

Response-specific feedback by question type

  • Single & multiple choice:

    • Feedback for correctly selecting an answer.
    • Feedback for failing to select a correct answer.
    • Feedback for selecting an incorrect answer.

  • Matching:

    • Feedback for correct matches.
    • Feedback for incorrect matches.

  • Numerical:

    • Feedback when input is within tolerance.
    • Feedback when input is outside tolerance (too high/too low).

  • Fill in the blank:

    • Feedback for correct entries.
    • Feedback for incorrect entries.
    • Feedback for close but incorrect matches.

Feedback precedence

When multiple feedback types could apply, the platform follows this order:

  1. Response-specific feedback (highest priority)
  2. General feedback
  3. Default feedback (only shown if no custom feedback is provided)

Top

Special Section: Check-on-Learning (COL) Quizzes

Check-on-Learning (COL) quizzes are a specific type of EWB quiz designed to give learners low-stakes, formative assessment opportunities throughout the course.

Purpose of COL quizzes

  • Reinforce key concepts from lessons.
  • Encourage active recall and application without penalty.
  • Provide immediate, supportive feedback to guide learning.
  • Build learner confidence by allowing unlimited attempts.

Question frequency

  • Each lesson should include a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 COL questions.

Embedding COL questions

COL questions are usually embedded directly into lesson markdown to create a seamless learning experience.

  • When embedding, use a heading, followed by a line break, and then the quiz question block.
  • Embedded questions use the following structure:
## ✅ Check on Learning

```{quiz,id=28}
<!-- Question: What is the name of the function we used in the co... -->
<!-- Type: Single Choice -->
```
  • Use H2 headings when the question is associated with a subsection of a lesson.
  • Use H1 headings when embedding quizzes in video lessons.
  • Avoid deeper heading nesting (H3 or lower), as it creates unnecessary complexity.

How to embed quiz questions into lesson markdown

  1. Create the quiz and add questions using the quiz builder as usual.
  2. Click the Copy quiz syntax for markdown button in the top-right corner of the quiz question.
  3. Open the lesson markdown file where the question should appear.
  4. Paste the copied quiz question syntax into the markdown.
  5. Save the lesson markdown file and preview to ensure the embedded question appears correctly.

Standalone COL quizzes

  • COL quizzes can also be created as standalone items in the course navigation bar.
  • This approach is helpful when embedding is not practical (e.g., a COL quiz covering multiple lesson concepts).

Knowledge points (KP) and completion rules

  • COL questions follow the same KP rules as other quizzes:
    • 100 KP by default, adjustable in the quiz builder.
    • 0 KP for incorrect or unsubmitted questions.
    • Full KP for correct responses.
  • Learners must correctly answer all COL questions to move on to the next lesson.

Using coding exercises in COL sections

While COL quizzes will often use EWB quiz questions, the use of coding exercises is also highly encouraged.

  • Coding exercises provide learners with hands-on practice and reinforce concepts through application rather than recognition.
  • Authors should consider mixing quiz questions with coding exercises to create richer, more interactive check-on-learning experiences.

Top