Navigating
In Classroom, questions are the foundation of all coursework, and assignments or assessments. If you intend to share questions with other educators in your district, or simply reuse your questions in different assignments, the most efficient way is to create a Question Template.
First, log in to Classroom, and from the Home screen select Question Templates, then New Question Template from the directory tree on the left, or select the Question Templates link from the Compose section.
You are presented with a blank New Question Template. Navigating the form is easy. There are tabs across the top, Details, Standards, Points, Banks, and My Assignment Templates. Selecting any of the tabs takes you to that section of the form. There are drop down lists which contain the acceptable values for many of the form fields. Use the Continue button to step through the form in wizard fashion and use the Cancel button to exit at any time. Make sure you select Save & Continue or Save & Exit if you want to keep your work.
At any time you can use the breadcrumbs across the top to access previous screens. You can also use your browser's Back and Forward buttons.
Also, many of the fields listed on the form are optional. While this information is not necessary to create the question it will help other educators to locate the question during filtering and searching. Keywords must be separated by a comma. Keyword phrases must be surrounded by quotes.
Formatting Questions
Every section of a question which can contain text has a text editor. One thing to remember while composing...you are creating a document for the web. What you create will be read by various browsers on various operating systems. It is not quite the same as creating a document in a word processing program. There are features you may not be used to, and ones you expect to be there which are not. Most of the common text formatting features are available though, like bold, italics, and indent.
The text editor tools menu also has a feature to link to another document, and to insert images. It also has a math editor.
When you select the insert link icon, the only field required is the address or location of the page you want to link to, this is called the URL. Select the browse folders icon.
You are redirected to the Moxie Manager, which is a file storage utility. From here, you can upload documents or select from documents already in your library. We recommend you use a good naming convention, or very descriptive file names as your list of documents and pictures could get very long. For more information on using MoxieManager, read the article "How to add files to MoxieManager".
Once you select a document to link to, the URL is filled out for you. The Text to Display is what the student or educator will see when reading your question. The Title is information for your browser. We suggest you set the Target to New window, that way the user will have two browser windows open, your question and the document.
To add a picture to your question, select the image icon from the editor's toolbar. The only field required is the source, or the location of the image.
You are again, directed to Moxie Manager. Upload a new image or select an image already in your library. We recommend you use a good naming convention for your images.
Once you select an image the source address is filled out for you. The image description is information for the browser. You can limit the size of the picture when it is displayed by setting its dimensions. These units are in pixels. The most common display measurement for pixels is 72 pixels per inch. If you select the Constrain proportions box, the image will never change size, even if the student or teacher increases the size of their browser window. We recommend you do not select this option as it hinders people with visual impairments.
The DETAILS tab
The Details tab houses the majority of information needed for the question. There are many optional fields here, but you must select a Question Type, and enter the Question Text.
Depending on the question type you select the question's answer choice requirements will change.
The question Label, while optional, is handy when scoring an assignment, or when viewing question analytics. You can use it to briefly identify the question. For instance, if the question was
"The coach has twenty-three children on her team. Seven more children want to join the team. Which problem shows how many children will be on the team in all?"
You may want the Label to say "Children on the team?"
Grade Level and Subject are also optional fields, but SDS suggests you add them to assist during filtering and searching.
In adaptive testing, students would confront increasing or decreasing levels of difficulty depending on whether or not they answer questions correctly. Use Difficulty Level, to identify the question.
Complexity is based on Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Levels. Use this optional tag when creating questions to focus on a domain.
Depth of Knowledge is based on Norman Webb's levels, which categorize questions according to the complexity of thinking a student must express to correctly answer them. Use this optional tag when creating questions to promote student learning at a higher level, creating questions which increase in complexity through the graduated use of these levels.
Knowledge Type can either be Declarative or Procedural.
Keywords can be added to the details of any question, and again, while optional, they help refine searches. SDS recommends you add keywords to your questions if you intend to share them with other educators in the district. All keywords must be separated by a comma.
The remainder of the Details tab is specific to the question type.
Scored Answer Questions
Scored answer questions require more interaction from both the student and the teacher. Use them for questions which require short answers, fill in the blank answers, essays, and multi-part answers.
In addition to the fields listed in the Details section above, the question of course, is required, as notated by the red asterisk.
Both the Question and Scoring Instructions have the text and math symbol editors, as well as the image and link file directory utility.
The Scoring Instructions section is not required, but if you intend to share the question with other educators, it is a good idea to give them a scoring rubric. When you, or another educator, use scored answer questions in an assignment or assessment, they are not automatically scored. The teacher must access the assignment and review the students' responses. Based on their response, and the teacher's professional judgment, the teacher assigns a score. If you have entered Scoring Instructions, they are visible during assignment scoring, which makes the process easy. As you see in our example, you can also include the answer to the question in the scoring instructions. Only the teacher can see and access Scoring Instructions.
Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice questions are automatically scored if students access the assignment or assessment from the on-line student taker. Use multiple choice questions when you want to present the student with answer choices.
Both the Question and Answer Choices have the text and math symbol editors, as well as the image and link file directory utility.
In addition to the fields listed in the Details section above, the question is required, as notated by the red asterisk. However, the answer choices are also required. You must have at least two answer choices. Multiple choice questions also have a Text Passage area, if the student needs to read a short paragraph or sentence to be able to answer the question.
You can have up to 10 answer choices. You can also have more than one correct answer. If you do have more than one correct answer, and a student chooses any one of the possible correct answers, Classroom considers the student's answer correct. The student will receive the full points possible for the question. In other words, there is no partial credit on multiple choice questions.
Correct answers need to be flagged as correct, then they will turn green. Incorrect answers remain red. Use the trash can icon to delete an answer and start over.
There is also an area to add a distractor rationale to an answer choice. This gives the student immediate feedback on their selection and the educator which will allow another opportunity to provide instruction. If the student selects a wrong answer you can tell them why it is wrong, if they select the correct answer, you can provide praise!
If needed, you can select Add another answer at the bottom of the Details tab to add additional answer choices.
True/False Questions
True/False questions are automatically scored if students access the assignment or assessment from the on-line student taker. Use true/false questions when you want to present the student with only two answer choices.
Only the Question has the text and math symbol editors, as well as the image and link file directory utility. The Answer Choices can only be True or False.
In addition to the fields listed in the Details section above, the question is required, as notated by the red asterisk. The answer choices are also required. True/False questions also have a Text Passage area, if the student needs to read a short paragraph or sentence to be able to answer the question.
The correct answer needs to be flagged as correct. It will turn green. The incorrect answer remains red.
There is also an area to add a distractor rationale to an answer choice. This gives the student immediate feedback on their selection.
The Standards Tab
Classroom was designed to be a standards-based gradebook. In order to utilize this feature to its fullest extend, standards should be added to all questions. There is no requirement to add standards to questions, however, we highly recommend it, as you may find benefit from their analysis. To access the built-in standards banks in Classroom, select the Add Standards button from the Standards tab. To learn more about browsing standards read the article Using Filters to Browse Content.
From there, select which bank of standards you would like to access. All districts are loaded with several common standards banks including the CCSS, EALR & GLEs and the NGSS, however, there may also be district designed standards listed, for instance report card standards or those aligned with learning targets or competencies.
The Points Tab
The majority of the time questions are worth points, and the sum of those points equal the assignment or assessment score. Every question in Classroom has a default of one (1) point. This is an indicator of whether or not the student met the standard assigned to the question. On a Question Template there must be at least one point.
This example shows the defaults for multiple choice and true/false questions.
However, there is flexibility on question points. You can have MORE than one point and you can change the color of the met/not met, or passing, indicator.
Additionally, if it is a Scored Answer question, you can create a color band range. This is a performance level very similar to what is commonly used on assessments.
This example shows the default view for a Scored Answer question.
For Scored Answer questions, you add performance levels by altering the default Passing minimum and maximum score. This inserts a color band between the met/not met default. Start with the maximum points the question is worth and work backwards. Classroom will fill in the maximum values of the other performance levels when you enter a minimum value.
You can change the label of the color band (performance level) and you can mark which level indicates met standard using the Passing radio button. You can even use decimal values!
Select Add Color Band to insert additional performance levels.
If the student answers a multiple choice or true/false question correctly, they will receive the maximum points. If you use color bands on a Scored Answer question, the student result will fall within a single performance range.
Classroom does provide flexibility with question points at the assignment level. There are features which prevent a question from being scored and which allow questions to be scored based on their performance level value or color band.
The Banks Tab
In Classroom, shared banks are places where educators can deposit the questions and assignments or assessments they have created in order to share them with other educators in the district. When you create a New Question Template you can choose to submit it to a Shared Question Template bank. A bank manager reviews the question for accuracy and relevancy. If approved, your question will become part of the shared bank.
To submit your question template to a bank, select Add Question Template Banks. A district can create as many banks as they need and each bank can have its own bank manager.
Click on the appropriate bank from the list and then choose Add Selected. You can submit to more than one bank.
Your question will show Export Pending Approval. Once the bank manager reviews it, it may say "Export Approved" or "Export Rejected". If your question is rejected, the bank manager can add a comment as to why. You can always correct the question and re-submit it if necessary.
PLEASE NOTE: If approved, a duplicate of your question is created and deposited into the bank. This entirely new question has a new identification in Classroom and all connection to you is lost. Therefore, you cannot modify or delete your original question in order to modify or delete the question in the shared bank. Only a bank manager can modify or delete a question in a shared bank. SDS highly recommends that you or a colleague carefully review your questions before submitting them to a shared bank. Bank managers look to your professional judgment and experience when composing a question and therefore, their review may not be a thorough as yours.
The My Assignment Templates Tab
The reason for creating a question is inclusion in an assignment or assessment. The My Assignment Templates tab gives you the option of adding a question to an existing Assignment Template.
Select the Add Assignment Templates button to see a list of your existing assignments.
Then select the plus symbol to the right of any assignment which should include this question. You can add the question to more than one assignment at a time. Now click Add Selected.
The question is now included in the assignments you chose. Using the question repeatedly in various assignments is another way to reinforce student learning and mastery of standards. Especially if you have added distractor analysis to your question's answer choices. If a student encounters a question early in the term and answers it incorrectly, but are presented with the correct answer, they are likely to remember not only the correct answer the next time they see the question, but why the answer is correct.
[Updated: 01/8/15, prh]
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