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Assessment FAQ

How can I publish student grades in myCourses?

Yes. The Grades tool in myCourses allows you to enter and manage your students' grades. The Grades tool also allows your students to view the grades that you have entered. An overview of how to set up your gradebook and share grades with students can be found here.

If the internet drops during an exam in myCourses, can I extend the exam time? Is there a policy?

There is no policy. Normally, Teaching and Learning Services recommends giving students a 15-minute buffer in addition to the designated exam period to compensate for any internet or access problems. If there are bigger issues, students can contact you, and you can decide if you would like to allow them more time to access the quiz/exam. This can be done by giving students “special access” in myCourses, under the "Restrictions" tab when editing the quiz/exam.

Given the current disruption to teaching and learning, TLS recommends that instructors allow students more time than usual to complete online exams or not impose any time limit.

If students are taking a quiz in myCourses and the internet drops temporarily, are students able to resume taking the quiz without losing the work they have already done?

If a student loses connection to the Internet or the page freezes while they are in the middle of taking a quiz, they can exit the quiz and re-enter it. Questions that have been completed will be auto-saved and will remain. However, if there is a time limit on the quiz, the time will continue to elapse.

How can I link rubrics to assessments in myCourses?

To know more on how to link rubrics to assessments click here.

How can I use Respondus Lockdown Browser in myCourses?

Respondus Lockdown Browser allows you to lock students’ browsers, preventing them from accessing any other application or visiting another website. Note that this tool can only be used in Quizzes.

To use Respondus:

  1. Go to Quizzes.

  2. Click LockDown Browser at the top of the page.

  3. Click the icon to the left of the quiz title and select Modify Settings.

  4. Select Require Respondus LockDown Browser for this exam.

  5. Click Save and Close

Can myCourses assessments be shared with Teaching Assistants?

Yes. TAs are automatically added and removed from Classlists in myCourses according to the registrations in Minerva. TAs in your course will have a default role with a permission level similar to a regular student. You must change their Role to TA - Assessment or TA - Full Permissions to allow them to add Content, mark Assignments, or enter Grades. More information about changing roles in myCourses can be found here.

How can students see quiz feedback and correct/incorrect answers?

Instructors can alter the Default Submission View or create an Additional View that allows students to view questions and their responses. Instructors can choose to release all questions and user responses, or just those answered correctly or incorrectly. See here for more information.

How can I view Quiz results?

For a quick view of results, instructors can access Quiz Statistics by clicking the arrow beside the Quiz name and then "Statistics". This function provides overall results, as well as more specific information regarding individual students and questions. Furthermore, instructors can create a Report with customizable metrics.

How can I grant students special access to a quiz? (i.e. SAA students)

Please see instructions here. Some special access options include extending quiz availability and granting students extra time. This may be necessary if students encounter technical difficulties during the quiz.

Is it possible to automate grading in myCourses?

Yes. In Quizzes, all question types can be set up to be graded automatically except Written Response questions. Note that you will also have to set Synchronize to Grade Book for scores to be exported automatically to the Grades tool. 

Can I create a question bank in myCourses?

Yes. In fact, it is recommended that you create your questions in the Question Library. These questions can then be used in Quizzes, Surveys or Self Assessments. Steps for creating or editing questions can be found here.

Can questions in quizzes be shuffled?

Yes. You can shuffle the questions in a quiz by doing the following:

  1. On the main Quizzes page, click the name of the quiz you want to shuffle questions for.

  2. Select the checkbox beside Shuffle order of questions at the quiz level.

  3. Click Save and Close.

Find out more about randomizing questions and creating question sections in myCourses here.

How can I import questions into a quiz?

.csv files are accepted by myCourses for importing text, values, and other datatypes into a quiz. A similar process can be undertaken for survey and self assessment questions. Additionally, an instructor can Add Content from a Past Course, including the Question Library.

What is the difference between due date and available date when creating a quiz in MyCourses?

You can set a start and end date for a quiz or assignment (start date, end date), but if you add a due date, that overrides the end date. However, it indicates that the assignment was submitted late (and students can access it from the Overdue tab on the Course Schedule page, if activated).

Can I set a time limit for a quiz? For individual questions?

You can set a time limit for overall quizzes in myCourses, but not for each question.

Can I preview a quiz before publishing it on myCourses?

Yes. myCourses allows you to preview quizzes, surveys and self assessments. The Preview page within the Quizzes tool allows you to test the quiz to see exactly what students will see before releasing it to them. In a quiz preview, you can answer the questions, view allowed hints, submit the quiz, view the Submissions page (with graded answers if Synchronize to Grade Book is turned on), and view report results. 

Instructions on how to access the Preview page can be found here. 

How do I create a quiz on myCourses?

Check out our Knowledge Base articles about myCourses quizzes and quiz questions. 

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While this resource is accessible worldwide, McGill University is on land which has served and continues to serve as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. Teaching and Learning Services acknowledges and thanks the diverse Indigenous peoples whose footsteps mark this territory on which peoples of the world now gather. This land acknowledgment is shared as a starting point to provide context for further learning and action.

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