Using Moodle Quizzes

Using Moodle QuizzesTo Improve Student Comprehension

The “Testing Effect”The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention.

Roediger HL 3rd, Butler AC, Trends In Cognitive Science 2011 Jan;15(1):20-7

Abstract

Learning is usually thought to occur during episodes of studying, whereas retrieval of information

on testing simply serves to assess what was learned. We review research that contradicts this

traditional view by demonstrating that retrieval practice is actually a powerful mnemonic

enhancer, often producing large gains in long-term retention relative to repeated studying.

Retrieval practice is often effective even without feedback (i.e. giving the correct answer), but

feedback enhances the benefits of testing. In addition, retrieval practice promotes the acquisition

of knowledge that can be flexibly retrieved and transferred to different contexts. The power of

retrieval practice in consolidating memories has important implications for both the study of

memory and its application to educational practice.

In my classes:

Moodle Quizzes replace note-taking homework and short answer homework assignments.

I use Moodle quizzes for quick, in-class vocabulary and basic comprehension assessments

Randomized Experiment in My Class

2009-2010

Students using Moodle quizzes instead of completing vocabulary notes performed just as well as their peers on the unit tests

*Lowest performing students did not do as well when just taking the quizzes in this experiment

QuizzesMy Favorite thing about Moodle!

Google Forms vs Moodle Quizzes

Google forms are great for getting feedback, or for quick surveys

Moodle quizzes are much better for assessing knowledge- the question formats and statistics are much richer

Moodle Quizzes AllowMultiple Question types

Randomized Questions- this is key!!

Tailored Feedback for each answer

Detailed statistics on student responses

How to Make the Moodle Quiz:

Add an activity or resource

main Updating Quiz page

Or use Deferred Feedback

This is the next screen

Then Preview the Quiz

I will explain how to enter feedback

Grading the QuizIt’s done for you!

Scores can also be downloaded to a spreadsheet

You can also view the Responses

Detailed Statistics are available for each question

The Questions

The Question Bank

- Editing Categories

On the Edit Categories Page you should make new Categories- Think about sections from which you may want to draw random questions

Note: Be Careful of Image Names!

The “image description” on an image will display if students hover over it on some computers.

Sometimes kids can drag the image to the desktop to find it as well.

The name of the question is hidden, however.

This question is called “sandstone” in my question bank, but I had to change the image name to not give away the answer.

FeedbackFeedback- You can give feedback for specific answers

General feedback- shows for all students, depending on Quiz Settings

General feedback is some text that gets shown to the student after they have attempted the question. Unlike

feedback, which depends on the question type and what response the student gave, the same general feedback

text is shown to all students.

You can control when general feedback is shown to students using the "Students may review:" check-boxes on the

quiz editing form.

You can use the general feedback to give students some background to what knowledge the question was testing.

Or to give them a link to more information they can use if they did not understand the questions.

True/ False

How the question looks on the quiz

How it looks after you answer and submit

Tips for TypesSome interesting types of questions

Answers for a Matching QuestionCan outnumber the “questions”

“Shuffle” rearranges the questions

Short Answer

Fill in the blank

You can use asterisks for flexibility, and give separate scores to different responses

Multiple Choice

Use Negative grades for wrong answers when allowing more than one answer

(e.g. Check all that apply)

Embedded Answer (Cloze)

These are excellent once you get to know them

Embedded Answer (Cloze)

The final result has multiple drop-down choices

You can also have Short Answer (fill in the blank)

Make sure to check the points

In the Edit Quiz menu, Cloze often have extra points

Calculated Questions

These are tricky, but valuable for certain classes.

They generate different numbers each time someone takes the quiz.

Have Fun!Start making your quiz!

Other StudiesScience. 2008 Feb 15;319(5865):966-8. doi: 10.1126/science.1152408.

The critical importance of retrieval for learning.

Karpicke JD, Roediger HL 3rd.

Psychol Sci. 2006 Mar;17(3):249-55.

Test-enhanced learning: taking memory tests improves long-term retention.

Roediger HL, Karpicke JD.