Assignments and online tests

Assignments and online tests let you set work and assess it without paper. Both are created from the course menu in the Teacher workspace, and both appear to learners in the student portal.

Assignments

Creating an assignment

1. Open the Teacher workspace and select the course.
2. Choose Assignments.
3. Create a new assignment and give it a clear title that will make sense in a list weeks from now.
4. Write the instructions. Say exactly what to produce and how it should be submitted.
5. Set the due date, allowing for weekends, holidays, and other subjects’ deadlines.
6. Attach any supporting material students need.
7. Publish the assignment so it appears in the portal.

Reviewing submissions

1. Return to Assignments for the course.
2. Open the assignment to see who has submitted.
3. Review each submission and record your marks and feedback.
4. Follow up with learners who have not submitted.
5. Where the work contributes to continuous assessment, record the mark in Assessments so it counts towards the report card.

Online tests

Creating a test

1. Open the course and choose Online Tests.
2. Create the test and give it a title students will recognise.
3. Add your questions.
4. Set the timing — when the test opens, how long learners have, and when it closes.
5. Decide how students gain access. Many schools use an access code given out at the start of the session so the test cannot be taken early.
6. Save and check the test appears as expected before the session.

Running the test

1. Confirm learners can sign in to the portal before the test begins.
2. Share the access code at the start of the session.
3. Students open Online Tests in the portal and take the test.
4. Monitor progress from the teacher workspace where that view is available.

After the test

1. Open the test in the teacher workspace to see submissions.
2. Review results and grade any responses that need manual marking.
3. Carry marks into Assessments where the test contributes to the term’s score.
4. Discuss common mistakes with the class — the results view is a useful teaching tool in itself.

Tips

• Run a short practice test before a test that counts. It surfaces sign-in problems when the stakes are low.
• Keep instructions unambiguous. Students read them without you in the room.
• Avoid clustering deadlines. Check what other subjects have set that week.
• Give feedback quickly. Feedback delivered while the work is fresh has far more impact.

Common issues

Students cannot see the assignment

Confirm it was published rather than saved as a draft, and that it is attached to the correct class course.

A student says the test would not open

Check the opening and closing times and confirm they entered the access code correctly. A learner who is not on the class roster will not see the test at all.

A submission arrived late

Handle it according to your school’s policy. You can still review and mark work that arrives after the deadline.

Marks are not showing on the report card

Assignment and test marks feed reports through Assessments. Record the contributing score there.

What’s next

Once marks are recorded in Assessments, your class teacher can review the broadsheet and begin compiling report cards.