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Quizzes in ICON

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What is Possible with ICON’s Quiz Tool?

  • Create quiz questions, choosing from twelve different types.
  • Include images and/or links in your quiz questions.
  • Display text and/or an image for use with multiple questions.
  • Designate items as Bonus questions.
  • Create random question sets so each student has different questions or a different question order.
  • Import questions from a text file.
  • Specify when, for how long, and to whom a quiz will be available, enforce the time limit, display a clock, and/or specify a grace period.
  • Override availability restrictions to allow for make-up quizzes or students with special needs.
  • During a quiz, disable printing or paging, prevent students from moving backward, or make questions mandatory.
  • Have ICON automatically grade quizzes and display the results to students.
  • Compensate for faulty questions by awarding the entire class extra points after quizzes have been submitted.
  • View compiled class responses to a long-answer question before scoring the question.
  • Customize reports on student performance and item results.
  • Try out a quiz as a student and view any student reports you may have set up for that quiz.

Note: Icon has a Self-Assessment tool, which allows students to test their knowledge without being evaluated by you. See Self Assessment Tool.

15 December 2008
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Creating Questions in ICON

It is recommend that you create all your questions from within the Question Library and then import them into the quiz, survey, or self-assessment.  This approach allows you to re-use the same questions in multiple assessments and/or to randomize questions in your assessments.

When creating questions, you can use ICON's built-in HTML editor to add images or add links content files, to other areas of your ICON course, or to external purls.

To create a question from within the Question Library:

  1. Click Quizzes (or Surveys or Self Assessments) in the NavBar at top.

    2. Note: The Surveys and Self Assessment tools are not included in the default template NavBar. For instructions on how to add these links, see Changing the NavBar and Course Homepage.)

  2. Click question library Question Library.

  3. Select the question type from the Create New droplist and click Go.
    • If you wish to enter text or a graphic to be displayed before several related questions, select Text Information Item or Image Information Item. 
  4. Click on one of the following question types and follow the instructions for that type.

    • Likert (available only with the Survey tool) - Can include multiple questions, each linked to same opinion scale.

    • Multiple Choice - Answer choices can be randomized.

    • True or False

    • Long Answer - Must be graded manually.

    • Short Answer - ICON compares student answers with those entered beforehand by instructor. Can include multiple answer boxes, with a specific answer required for each box.

    • Multi-Short Answer - Like Short Answer, except a variety of answers may be acceptable in all the answer boxes provided by the instructor (e.g., the question "Name three state capitals." would allow any one of 51 possibilities in each of three answer boxes).

    • Arithmetic - For each variable you enter, numbers are selected randomly from within your specified range.

    • Significant Figures Question - Similar to Arithmetic questions type, but allows students to enter their answers in scientific notation format (useful if the answer is very large or very small). The questions are then graded based on what students entered as their significant figures.

    • Fill in the Blanks - Can include multiple blanks, inserted at any point in the sentence.

    • Multi-Select Question - Students choose more than one answer.

    • Matching

    • Ordering

Likert (Available Only with Survey and Self-Assessment Tools)

The popular Likert item, widely used for surveys, can actually include multiple questions, each linked to the same opinion scale. There are seven built-in opinion scales to choose from, along with an optional N/A response.

You can use a Likert item alone or with other item types, including other Likert questions (when the same survey calls for different scales).

To create a Likert question:

  1. In the Survey tool Question Library, choose Likert Question (LIK) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Type the introductory text that will proceed the statement(s) you want students to evaluate. Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Introductory Text . In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    4. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  4. From the HTML editor, you can include an image in your introductory text: Click inerst image icon Insert Image.

    5. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the checkbox beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.

  5. Under the Questions section, select the opinion scale, keeping in mind it will be applied to all statements you include in this Likert question.
  6. By default, Icon gives you two spaces for adding statements. Click add option icon Add Option to enter additional statements.
  7. Enter a statement in the Value textbox. Students will evaluate that statement by selecting one of the options included in the applied scale.
  8. Click the Remove Remove icon for any option textbox you don’t need (if you don’t, ICON will insist that you enter text before you can save the Likert question).
  9. To enter question feedback (optional), click expand icon Expand question feedback.
  10. Enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive).
  11. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  12. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type).

Multiple Choice

  1. In the Question Library, select Multiple Choice Question (MC) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. Type your question text by clicking in the text field to activate the HTML editor or clicking on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    5. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  5. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your question text: Click inerst image iconInsert Image. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the checkbox beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  6. Choose the Enumeration (none, letters, numbers) and Style (layout for answer alternatives).
  7. To order the answer choices differently on each student’s test, click the Randomize options box (optional).
  8. Type your answer options in the Value textboxes; notice the optional HTML editor and spell checker icons.
  9. Select or type weight for each answer option (e.g., 100% for the best choice; 80% for a nearly correct answer; 0% for incorrect responses).
  10. Click add option icon Add Option to enter additional answer choices.
  11. Click the Remove trash icon for any option textbox you don’t need (if you don’t, ICON will insist that you enter text before you can save the question).
  12. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  13. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Enter question feedback Enter question feedback.
  14. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  15. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type).

True or False

  1. In the Question Library, select True or False Question (T/F) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. Type the statement that students will evaluate as true or false. Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    5. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  5. From the HTML editor, you can include an image in your question text: Click inerst image iconInsert Image. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  6. Choose the desired Enumeration (none, letters, numbers) and Style (layout for answer alternatives).
  7. Select the weights for the True and False answer options (e.g., 100% for the correct response, 0% for the incorrect response).
  8. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  9. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Enter question feedback Enter question feedback.
  10. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  11. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type).

Long Answer

  1. From the Question Library, select Long Answer Question (LA) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. Type your long answer question text. Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    5. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  5. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your question text: Click inerst image iconInsert Image. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  6. Select the number of rows and columns for the answer input box. This option determines how much space students will have to provide an answer.
  7. In the Initial Text textbox, enter any text that precedes the student’s answer.
  8. In the Answer Key box, enter a model answer (for graders only; students can’t see this.  To make a model answer visible to students you, would need to enter it as feedback.)
  9. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  10. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Enter question feedback Enter question feedback.
  11. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  12. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type).

Short Answer

  1. In the Question Library, select Short Answer Question (SA) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. Type your short answer question text. Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    5. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  5. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your question text: Click inerst image iconInsert Image. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  6. Select the number of rows and columns for the answer input box. This option determines how much space students will have to provide an answer.
    1. In the answer textbox(es), enter the pool of answers you will accept in any one of the Answer input boxes. Click Add Answer Add Answer to add another answer possibility to your answer pool. If you need more blanks, enter the number you want to add and click add blank icon Add Blank. ICON will compare the student’s entry in each blank with the pool of acceptable answers you provide in the answer boxes for that blank. If you want ICON to look for capitalization, select Case Sensitive; if not, select Case Insensitive. Alternatively, you can enter a regular expression—programming that tells ICON to allow different spellings, etc., for an answer alternative (for help creating a regular expression, email icon-support@uiowa.edu).
  7. Enter or select a weight (percentage awarded) for each acceptable answer alternative (e.g., the preferred answer may earn 100% while the second-best may earn 80%.) 
  8. Click the Remove Remove icon for any answer textbox you don’t need (if you don’t, ICON will insist that you enter text before you can save the question).
  9. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  10. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Expand question feedback Expand question feedback.
  11. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  12. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type.)

Multi-Short Answer

  1. This works much like the Short Answer question, except a variety of answer alternatives may be acceptable in any one of the answer boxes provided by the instructor (e.g., the question "Name three state capitals." would allow any one of 51 possibilities in each of three answer boxes). (The Short Answer question also allows for multiple answers but requires a specific answer for each box.)
  2. In the Question Library, select Multi-Short Answer Question (MSA) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  3. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  4. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  5. Type your question text. Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    6. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  6. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your question text: Click inerst image iconInsert Image. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  7. Select the number of rows and columns for the answer input box. This option determines how much space students will have to provide an answer (e.g., the question "Name three state capitals" would need three answer input boxes).
  8. In the answer textboxes, enter the pool of answers you will accept in any one of the Answer input boxes. If you need more Answer textboxes, enter the number you want to add and click add blank icon Add Answer. ICON will compare the student’s entries with the pool of acceptable answers you provide in the answer boxes. If you want ICON to look for capitalization, select case sensitive; if not, select case insensitive. Alternatively, you can enter a regular expression, programming that tells ICON to allow different spellings, etc., for an answer alternative (for help creating a regular expression, email icon-support@uiowa.edu).
  9. Enter or select a weight (percentage awarded) for each acceptable answer alternative (e.g., the preferred answer might earn 100% while the second-best might earn 80%). If you want your students to receive full credit only if they identify all the options you have specified, distribute the weight evenly (e.g., if you have 2 input boxes, give a weight of 50% to each acceptable answer alternative).
  10. Click the Delete Remove icon for any answer textbox you don’t need (if you don’t, ICON will insist that you enter text before you can save the question).
  11. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  12. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Expand question feedback Expand question feedback.
  13. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  14. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type).

Arithmetic

  1. In the Question Library, select Arithmetic Question (2 + 2) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter the number of points the question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. Enter your question text. To display the value of a variable in your question text, ensure that the variable is enclosed in curly braces (e.g., "What is the sum of {x} and {y}?). Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    5. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  5. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your question text: Click inerst image iconInsert Image. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  6. Enter your formula (used to calculate the correct answer), e.g., ({x}+{y})/4.

    7. Click the question icon Question Mark to view a list of defined functions. Notice that all variables are enclosed in curly braces. Try out your formula by clicking the Test button.

  7. In the Answer Precision field, enter the number of decimal places the answer must be accurate to.
  8. Enter a tolerance value (in units or percent, e.g., answer can be off by 5% or 5 units).
  9. Enter the Unit the answer must be written in (optional, e.g., mph). 
  10. Select case sensitive if the units in your answer are case sensitive. 
  11. In the Worth box, choose a value to award for entering the correct unit (also optional).
  12. In the Variables section, define the variables you used in your question.  Enter the variable name (e.g., “x”), minimum and maximum values, and steps (increments ICON will use when randomly selecting values). For each variable you enter, numbers are selected randomly from within your maximum and minimum range at in increments you specify in the Steps textbox.  For example, if the minimum is 100, the maximum is 200, and the step is 5, ICON might randomly select 105, 110, 115, etc., up to 200).
  13. Click the Remove Remove icon for any variable textboxes you don’t need (if you don’t, ICON will insist that you enter text before you can save the question).
  14. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  15. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Expand question feedback Expand question feedback.
  16. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  17. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type).

Significant Figures Question

  1. In the Question Library, select Significant Figures (x10) from the Create New droplist and click Go. The Significant Figures question is similar to the Arithmetic question, however, the answer is expressed in scientific notation (useful if the answer is very large or very small).
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter the number of points the question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. Type your question text. Enclose variables in curly braces, e.g., “What is {xa} times {xb}? Give 2 significant digits in your answer. ” Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.  
  5. Enter your formula (used to calculate the correct answer, e.g. ({xa}*{xb}), and try it out by clicking the Test button. In the "Significant Field" (2 in this case) you can specify the number of significant figures that should be in the student's answer (that is, the number of digits students should enter in the non-exponent field). You can deduct a percentage of the score if the students fail to meet this requirement (optional).
  6. Enter a tolerance value (in units or percent, e.g., student answer can be off by 5% or 5 units).
  7. Enter the Unit the answer must be written in (e.g., mph; this is optional).  Select case sensitive if your answer is case sensitive.  In the Worth box, choose a value to award for entering the correct unit (also optional).
  8. In the Variables section, define the variables you used in your question.  Enter the variable name (e.g., “xa”), minimum and maximum values (type the exponent in the box to the upper right of “x10,” for example "-12"), and steps (increments ICON will use when randomly selecting values). For each variable you enter, numbers are selected randomly from within your maximum and minimum range at in increments you specify in the Steps textbox.  For example, if the minimum is 100, the maximum is 200, and the step is 5, ICON might randomly select 105, 110, 115, etc., up to 200).

    9. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  9. Click the Remove trash icon for any variable textboxes you don’t need (if you don’t, ICON will insist that you enter text before you can save the question).
  10. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your question text: Click inerst image iconInsert Image. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  11. beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  12. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  13. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Expand question feedback Expand question feedback.
  14. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  15. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type).

Fill in the Blanks

  1. In the Question Library, select Fill in the Blanks Question (FIB) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your question text: Click inerst image iconInsert Image. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.
  5. In the first Text: box, enter the text that precedes the answer. ICON requires that you have text before the blank.  
  6. Select the blank size.
  7. In the Answer box, enter the correct answer. (ICON will make a character-by-character comparison).
  8. Enter the weight the answer is worth (weights do not need to total 100) .
  9. If more than one answer variation is acceptable (e.g., boxer and pugilist), click Add answer Add Answer and enter the variation.  (If that answer is second-best, you may wish to assign a lesser weight, e.g., 80%.)
  10. In the second Text: box, enter the text, if any, that follows your answer(s). Click the Remove Remove icon to get rid of the second Text: box if you don't use it (if you don’t remove an unused textbox, ICON will insist that you enter some text when you try to save the question).    
  11. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  12. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Expand question feedback Expand question feedback.
  13. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  14. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type).

Multi-Select Question

  1. Important Note: If your multi-select question includes more incorrect answer alternatives than correct ones, students may receive some undeserved points when they fail to select all the correct alternatives. This is a bug.
  2. In the Question Library, select Multi-Select Question (M-S) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  3. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  4. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  5. Enter your question text. Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    6. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  6. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your introductory text: Click inerst image icon Insert Image.

    7. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.

  7. Choose the Enumeration (none, letters, numbers) and Style (layout for answer alternatives).
  8. To allocate points, choose from the following:
    1. All or Nothing - To earn points, students must select all the right answers and none of the wrong answers.
    2. Right Minus Wrong - Students are penalized for not selecting a right answer as well as for selecting a wrong answer. The system multiplies the number of points possible by the percentage of correct responses.
    3. Right Answers. Students receive credit for not selecting wrong answers, but they are not penalized for selecting wrong answers. For example, if a multiple select question has two correct answers and two wrong ones, the student who chooses one correct answer and nothing else receives credit for selecting the correct answer plus credit for not selecting the two wrong answers, therefore earning 75% of the points allotted to that question. The only time students won't get credit for not selecting wrong answers is if they don't select anything at all.
  9. To order the answer choices differently on each student’s test, click the Randomize options box (optional).
  10. Type your answer options in the textboxes; notice the optional HTML editor and spell checker icons.  Click the Correct box next to each right answer.
  11. To enter additional answer choices, type a number in the Add Option box and click Add option Add Option. As noted above, due to a bug in ICON, if your question includes more incorrect answer alternatives than correct ones, students may receive some undeserved points when they fail to select all the correct alternatives.
  12. Click the Remove Remove icon for any option textbox you don’t need (if you don’t remove unused textboxes, ICON will insist that you “enter some text” before you can save the question).
  13. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  14. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Expand question feedback Expand question feedback.
  15. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  16. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type.)

Matching

  1. In the Question Library, select Matching Question (MAT) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. Enter your question text. Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text . In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    5. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  5. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your introductory text: Click inerst image icon Insert Image.

    6. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.

  6. To allocate points, choose from the following:
    1. All or Nothing - To earn points, students must select all the right answers and none of the wrong answers.
    2. Right Minus Wrong - The system divides the total number of points possible by the number of correct answers.
    3. Equally Weighted - Students receive credit for right answers while wrong answers are subtracted from the points for the question.
  7. Enter the choices and matches and then use the droplist beside each match to select the correct choice number.
  8. To add more choices, type the number needed in the Add Choice textbox and then click Add Choice Add Choice.  To add more matches, type the number needed in the Add Match textbox and then click Add match Add Match. You don't have to have an equal number of choices and matches.
  9. Click the Remove trash icon for any Choice or Match textbox you don’t need (if you don’t remove unused textboxes, ICON will insist that you “enter some text” before you can save the question).
  10. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  11. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Expand question feedback Expand question feedback.
  12. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  13. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type.)

Ordering

  1. In the Question Library, select Ordering Question (ORD) from the Create New droplist and click Go.
  2. Enter a title (if you don’t, ICON will use the first 20 characters of your question).
  3. Enter number of points question is worth (required) and a difficulty level (optional; for use when choosing question sets or analyzing results).
  4. Enter your question text. Click in the text field to activate the HTML editor or click on html editor Edit Question Text. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, the HTML editor will activate within the same window (notice the Basic and Advanced tabs); in Safari, the HTML editor will open in a new window. Also notice the optional spell checker (spellcheck button) on the left.

    5. Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. To add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites click the Quicklink button Insert QuickLink.

  5. From the HTML editor you can include an image in your introductory text: Click inerst image icon Insert Image.

    6. To choose a file from your computer, click My Computer, click Browse to select the file, and then click Upload. To choose a file from your File Manager, click Course Offering Files, click the circle beside the file you want to use, and click Select File.

  6. To allocate points, choose from the following:
    1. All or Nothing - To earn points, students must select all the right answers and none of the wrong answers.
    2. Right Minus Wrong - The system divides the total number of points possible by the number of correct answers.
    3. Equally Weighted - Students receive credit for right answers while wrong answers are subtracted from the points for the question.
  7. Enter the items to be ordered. To add more items, type the number needed in the Add Item textbox and then click Add item Add Item.
  8. For each item, select the correct order from the dropdown list.  The items will be randomized in the quiz or survey.
  9. Click the Remove trash icon for any items you don’t need (if you don’t remove unused textboxes, ICON will insist that you “enter some text” before you can save the question).
  10. To enter a question hint (optional), click expand icon Expand question hint.
  11. To enter question feedback (optional, unless you are using this question in a self assessment; since ICON does not mark self assessment questions as right or wrong, the text you enter here is the only feedback students will receive), click Expand question feedback Expand question feedback.
  12. Click Preview to view your question. Then click Go Back.
  13. Click Save (or click Save and Copy to create another question with your entries or Save and New to create another question of this type.)
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Importing Quiz Questions from a Text File

You can create questions offline using ICON’s question formatting template and then upload your questions into ICON.

To download ICON’s question formatting template:

  1. Click Quizzes in the navigation bar at top.
  2. Click icon Question Library.
  3. Click Import (top).
  4. Select From a Desire2Learn Text Format File from the droplist.
  5. Click CSV Sample File to download this template.
  6. Open this file from within Microsoft Excel.

Using this file as your guide, replace the example values in this file with your own.

To upload a completed question file:

  1. Click Quizzes in the navigation bar at top.
  2. Click icon Question Library.
  3. Click  Import.
  4. Select From a Desire2Learn Text Format File from the droplist.
  5. Click Browse, select your completed question .csv file and click Open.
  6. Click Save.
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Creating Quizzes

In this part:

Adding a New Quiz

  1. Click Quizzes in the navigation bar at top.
  2. Click new quiz icon New Quiz.
  3. Click the Properties tab.
  4. Enter a name for your quiz and select or enter a quiz (not grade) category, if applicable.
  5. Click Save Quiz.

You have just entered the minimum information required to save a quiz. Now you’re ready to enter additional settings and then add your questions, as described in the following sections.

Associating a Quiz with a Gradebook Item

To create a column in your gradebook so ICON can automatically enter the score:

  1. Click the quiz Properties tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Click add grade item.
  3. In the New Grade Item popup window, enter a gradebook item name and a short name.
  4. Select a parent gradebook category (optional).
  5. Enter the Maximum Points and weight, and indicate whether this is a bonus item. Important: If the grade item and the quiz have different Maximum Points, the Maximum Points for the quiz will be converted to the Maximum Points for the grade item.
  6. Set the visibility options for the gradebook item (optional).
  7. Click Save.
  8. Back on the Properties panel, check whether you want ICON to automatically export the grade to the gradebook and whether you want students to see the score immediately upon submission. (NOTE: The option allow attempt to be set as graded immediately upon completion also determines whether a quiz attempt will be graded by the system. A user will not be able to see the score or any feedback until their attempt has been graded. This way, the instructor may control the release of feedback on a student-by-student basis by leaving this box unchecked and grading individual attempts at the "Grade Quiz" page.)
  9. Click Save Quiz.

Disabling Pager Access and/or Printing During a Quiz

To disable paging or printing:

  1. Click the quiz Properties tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Under Optional Advanced Properties, select (or de-select) the following:
    • Disable right click – Students cannot download or print the quiz.
    • Disable pager access – Students cannot send or receive pager messages during quiz
  3. Click Save.

Students may find alternative ways to print the quiz, e.g., by printing the entire screen.You can make this inconvenient in two ways:

1) place one question on each page of the quiz and

2) present the answers to multiple choice questions in dropdown menus.

To display one question at a time:

  1. Open a new or existing quiz
  2. Click the Layout/Questions tab
  3. Enter a 1 in the Place – questions per page box
  4. Click Go.

To use dropdown menus with a multiple-choice question:

  1. Create or edit the question (from within the quiz or Question Library) and select Dropdown under Enumeration.
  2. Click Save.

Displaying / Hiding Question Hints

If you added hints when creating individual questions, you may or may not wish to display these hints in this particular quiz.

  1. Click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name.
  2. Under Optional Advanced Properties, select or de-select allow hints.

Adding a Quiz Description, Introduction, Header, or Footer

  1. To display a description or introduction (optional): From within Edit Quiz, click the quiz Properties tab (if this tab is not displayed, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Click Expand messages. Enter a description and/or introduction message and select on for the text you entered.
  3. To display a header or footer, click Expand page header/footer, enter your text, and select on for the text you entered.
  4. Click Save Quiz (top right)

Restricting Availability Dates and Times

  1. From within Edit Quiz, click the quiz Restrictions tab (if this tab is not displayed, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. To make the quiz available, select Active from the Status droplist. You must select Active even if you enter start and/or end dates.

Restricting Access Based on Group Membership or Completion of Online Task

Note:  If you plan to restrict quiz access based on group membership and you haven’t yet defined the group, save your quiz and create the group now (see the Online Help section Creating Groups). Then you can Edit your quiz and set up restrictions. 

To set quiz restrictions:

  1. Click the quiz Restrictions tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Click Create and Attach under Additional Release Conditions. 
  3. In the Create a New Release Condition popup window, select the prerequisite group membership or task from the dropdown lists.
  4. Click Save.

Note: If you enter more than one condition for selective release, a student will need to satisfy each of the conditions (not just one) in order to access the quiz.

Requiring a Quiz Password or Special Machine Connection (IP)

  1. Click the quiz Restrictions tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Click Expand optional advanced restrictions.
  3. Enter the password and/or IP.

Setting a Time Limit, Grace Period, Etc.

  1. Click the quiz Restrictions tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Under Timing, enter time limit and grace period (before quiz is flagged as late); if a time limit is checked the grace period must be at least one minute.
  3. Click the Enforced checkbox. This box must be checked in order for time limit settings to be in effect.
  4. Indicate how ICON should treat late submissions:

    • Allow Normal Submissions - Students will be able to submit the quiz (but not begin it) after the allotted time period; no points will be deducted.

    • Use Late Limit of x minutes - Students will be able to submit the quiz after x minutes but will get a 0, which the instructor can override. ICON will keep unsaved answers for the instructor to view.

    • Auto-Submit When Attempt Exceeds Time Limit - ICON will keep only those answers the student has already saved by the end of the time limit. Also, if the student takes no action (to save answer or submit) after the time limit expires, the quiz will be displayed to the student as "in progress" and no score will be given; if the student does take an action, the student's score will reflect saved answers only.

Overriding Availability and/or Timing Restrictions

You can override your availability settings for make-up quizzes, students with special needs, etc.  You can grant different privileges to different individuals.

  1. Click the quiz Restrictions tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Under Advanced Availability, select Allow selected users special access to this quiz or Allow only users with special access to see this quiz.
  3. Click Add Users to Special Access.
  4. On the popup window, enter the special access privilege(s) you wish to grant.
  5. Select the user(s) to be granted the special access privilege(s). You can also set date/time restrictions that are separate from the overall date/time restrictions.
  6. Click Add Selected.  The student name(s) and special privilege will be listed under special access. 
  7. If you want to override quiz settings in a different way for another student or students, click Add Special Access  again and repeat the process.

Allowing Multiple Attempts

To allow the class to take the quiz more than once:

  1. Click the quiz Attempts tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Select the number of attempts allowed.
  3. Select which attempt or score ICON will use (highest, lowest, average, first, last).
  4. Click Save.

Associating a Quiz with a Learning Objective

You can associate the quiz with any Learning Objectives that were created using the Competencies tool. Simply click the Activities tab and select the Learning Objective and achievement threshold.

Tailoring Student Feedback

You can choose what kind of feedback will be available to students for attempts that have been graded (questions, student responses, correct answers, class average, score distribution).

  1. Click the quiz Submission Views tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Click Add Additional View.
  3. Enter a name for this submission view.
  4. Under View Restrictions, choose the start date and time for this submission view. (Click the Now button if you want this submission view to take effect immediately.)
  5. Select the feedback you want to display.
  6. Click Save View.

    7. Note: ICON does not display any feedback that has not been checked here (except in the gradebook). ICON will use the last view created or modified.

Customizing Reports on Quiz Results

You can customize reports to include specific statistics about student performance. Reports can be tailored for students, instructors, or your ICON administrator.  They can also be printed.

  1. Click the quiz Reports Setup tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Click the Add Report button.
  3. Enter a report name.
  4. Select the desired report type:
    • Question Statistics – class average, score distribution, percentage of correct responses for each question
    • Question Details – responses and average grade for each question
    • User Statistics – class average, score distribution, HawkID
    • Attempt Details – view individual quizzes
    • User Attempts -- view summaries of students' attempts
  5. Select the release date.
  6. Select the recipient group or subgroup:
    • Administrator
    • Instructors (Instructor, TA)
    • Student
  7. Click Save.

Adding Questions to the Quiz (Designating Bonus Questions, Making Questions Mandatory, Etc.)

ICON’s creators recommend that you create your questions from within the Question Library before adding (copying) them to your quiz.  For instructions on creating questions within the Question Library, see Creating Questions in ICON. After you have already created your questions:

  1. Click the quiz Layout/Questions tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  2. Click Add/Edit Questions.
  3. Click Import.
  4. From the Import Source dropdown list, select From an Existing Collection.
  5. From the Source Collection dropdown list, select Question Library if you want to import questions from the Question Library, or select a quiz or survey that contains questions that you wish to import.
  6. From the Source Section dropdown list, select Collection Root (to display all sections and questions) or select a specific section. (Note: Click on the plus sign beside section folders to see the questions contained in the section.)
  7. Check the questions you want to include.
  8. Click Save (upper right).

    Note: The questions are imported into the quiz. You may edit these questions from within the quiz itself or from within the Question Library. To edit a question, click on the question name.

  9. To return to the quiz settings, click Back to Quiz Layout/Questions (upper right).
  10. To edit points or difficulty, to designate a question as a bonus, or to make selected questions mandatory, click Edit Values and set the options.
  11. Click Save.

Randomizing Question Selection

You can randomize the selection of some or all questions in the quiz so they vary from student to student.  You do this by creating what is called a Random Section. You specify which questions are to be included in the Random Section and how many of those questions ICON should display for each student. You create the Random Section from within the quiz.

Before you can create a Random Section from within a quiz, the questions you plan to include must already be saved in the Question Library, and they must all have the same point value. For instructions on creating questions within the Question Library, see Creating Questions in ICON.

Important: You cannot randomize the selection of questions that are already in a quiz. If they're already there, you will need to delete them--first making sure there are copies in the Question Library--and then import them into the quiz from the Question Library as a Random Section.

To create a Random Section:

  1. Create and save the quiz (the quiz doesn't have to be completed yet; it can just contain a name).
  2. Click the quiz Layout/Questions tab (if you don’t see this tab, click Quizzes in the NavBar and then click the quiz name).
  3. Click Add/Edit Questions.
  4. From the Create New droplist, choose Random Section and click Go.
  5. Enter a name for the randomized questions section.
    • If desired, enter a message for your students to see when they are taking the quiz.
    • If desired, select Insert Image and select an image from the File Manager (Course Image) or upload one from your desktop.
    • Select your preferred Display Options.
    • If desired, click Expand section feedback Expand section feedback and enter feedback for the random section (the single feedback message relates to all questions in the section).
  6. Click Save.

    7. Now you’ll select the questions to include in your Random Section:

  7. Click the name of the random section you just created to open it.
  8. Click Import.
  9. From the Source Section dropdown list, select a section of the Question Library or select Collection Root to show all sections of the Question Library.
  10. Click to place a checkmark next to questions you want to include in the random section; to view questions in an existing section, you may need to click the plus sign next to the question name. Questions that are already included in the quiz will not be imported.
  11. Click Save.
  12. In the tiny textboxes at top, enter the number of questions you want ICON to select and the point value for each question.
  13. Click Save. (Note: the Save button is easy to miss—it’s next to the points textbox.)
  14. Click Back to Quiz Layout/Questions.

Previewing a Quiz

You can take the quiz and view any results reports you have set up:

  1. Click Quizzes in the NavBar.
  2. Click on the Quiz name to open it.
  3. Click the preview icon Preview icon (top right).
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Grading Quizzes

ICON will automatically grade all questions except the Long Answer type (provided you have entered the appropriate settings).  You can override this automatic grading if you wish.

In this part:

Viewing Individual Attempts / Modifying Scores

To view and modify individual student attempts:

  1. Click Quizzes in the NavBar.
  2. Click grade quiz button Grade Quiz to the right of the quiz name.
  3. If you see In Progress by a student’s name, that student may have forgotten to submit the quiz or the quiz may have become unavailable before the student finished it.
  4. Click on the student attempt you wish to view.  That student’s quiz is displayed.  Correct answers are indicated with an checkmark (correct response icon), incorrect answers with an X (incorrect answer).
  5. To enter feedback on the overall quiz, type it in the Attempt Comments textbox.  To give feedback on a particular question, click Expand Question Feedback below the question.
  6. To override an autograde, enter a new score in the Score box for the question whose score you'd like to change.
  7. Click Re-Calculate.
  8. Click Save (top right).

Viewing Compiled Class Responses (Including Long Answers) for a Single Quiz Question

You can view compliled class responses to a long answer question before you grade the quizzes. For other question types, you can view a percentage breakdown of responses.

  1. Click Quizzes in the NavBar
  2. Click grade quiz button Grade Quiz to the right of the quiz name.
  3. If you see In Progress by a student’s name, that student may have forgotten to submit the quiz or the quiz may have become unavailable before the student finished it.
  4. Click the Questions tab.
  5. Click on a question title.  For most question types, you will see a percentage breakdown of responses. For long answer questions, you will see a listing of all the responses entered by students, regardless whether or not the quizzes have been graded.

Choosing a New Correct Answer After a Quiz is Released

If you edit a quiz question to choose a new "correct" answer after students have already taken a quiz, your change will apply to only those students who have not yet taken the quiz. To give proper credit to those students who have already taken the quiz, you can manually add points for the actual correct answer and remove points for the wrong answer.

  1. Click Quizzes in the NavBar.
  2. Click the  grade quiz button Grade Quiz icon to the right of the quiz name.
  3. Click the Questions tab.
  4. Click on the question title. 
  5. Click the grade quiz button Grade icon (far right of the gray Version bar).
  6. Click the circle for Give to attempts with answer (or with the following selection), select the actual correct answer alternative from the droplist (or check the box), and enter the number of points this answer should receive.
  7. Click Save. Your change will be displayed in the Modifications Log at the bottom of the page.
  8. Some of your students may have been awarded points for selecting the answer that was accidentally marked as "correct." To remove points from the quizzes of these students, click the circle for Give to attempts with answer (or with the following selection), select the answer alternative that was accidentally marked "correct" from the droplist (or check the box), and enter 0.
  9. Click Save. Your change will be displayed in the Modifications Log at the bottom of the page.

Viewing Quiz Statistics

To view a list of quizzes along with the class average on each quiz:

  1. Click Quizzes in the NavBar.
  2. Click statistics icon Course Statistics (top).

To view individual quiz statistics (class calculations, a distribution graph, and user statistics):

  1. Click Quizzes in the NavBar.
  2. Click statistics icon Course Statistics (top).
  3. Click on the quiz name.
      
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