FAQ – Quiz Tool in DC Connect

Frequently asked questions this week - Quiz Tool

This new blog series will detail common questions the CTL eLearning team receives from faculty each week! This week is about the quiz tool in DC Connect! 

1) Accommodations. How do I allow students with accommodations additional time? 

No problem. You'll need to go to the "restrictions" tab in the quiz settings in DC Connect. This resources from the University of Arizona provides a step-by-step resource on how to give select students quiz accommodations.

Prefer a video?  Here’s a video on how to grant access to select students.

2) End date vs. Enforced time limit.  I want my students to only have a certain amount of time to complete the quiz. What should I do?  

There can be confusion between the End Date and the Enforced Time Limit setting in the Quiz tool. Let's examine the difference.

The End Date does not control when the quiz ends. It only sets the last moment a quiz attempt can be started by a student. For example, if the start date is 1:00pm and the end date is 1:40pm, the student has 40 minutes to start the exam, not complete the exam. 

The Enforced Time Limit is what forces a student to submit their work after a specific time has elapsed.  You’ll also need to decide what happens after the time limit expires. You’ll have three options: allow student to continue working, prevent the student from making further changes and allow student to continue working, but score the attempt as zero after an extended deadline.

If you want your students to only have a certain amount of time to complete the quiz, you’ll want to use the Enforced Time Limit setting with the setting to Prevent the student from making further changes.  

Step-by-step screenshots:

  1. Go to “Restrictions” tab

Restrictions Tab

   2. Go to “Timing” and edit settings based on your needs. 

Timing Tab in Quiz Settings

3) A student is saying they're "locked out of the quiz". How did that happen? What do I do?   

How?

If you set a start date and end date in your quiz settings this will create a window that your students can access the test.  For example, if you set the start date for the quiz at 10:30am and the end date for the quiz at 10:55am, this allows students 25 minutes to get into the quiz. If a student tries to get into the quiz at 10:55am, the student will not be able to access the quiz (see screenshot below). This is why students are advising faculty that they are “locked out of the quiz. This setting does not enforce a time limit for quizzes.  

Screenshot of student who is locked out

If you are using the quiz tool in DC Connect, please follow the online learning considerations and be flexible whenever possible. Remember that students require time to log on, familiarize themselves with the new online environment, address technology problems (such as limited internet access) and caregiving responsibilities. A short time window causes students with any issues to be locked out of the quiz.  

We are encouraging setting the start date and end date to have the start and end time as the full duration of the assessment. For example, if you’ve set an enforced time limit of two hours, your start date and end date should be two hours at minimum. Ideally, additional time could be added to allow for students to log on. 

Please remember to communicate with your students on when they can access the quiz and how long they have to complete it.  

The quiz already started. What do I do?

Go into your quiz in DC Connect, press the "Restrictions" tab and then extend the end date.  This will allow your student to access the quiz.

4) Student View. How do I see my quiz as a student?   

You can use the “Instructor Student View” tool within your DC Connect course. This allows you to see your course, including your quiz as a student. You can even do the quiz! Check out this resource on how to use the “Instructor Student View” tool:  https://durhamcollege.ca/cafe/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/10/DC-Connect-Instructor-Student-View.pdf