Eazy Eval

Question Bank

This is the main data entry screen for the Question repository of Eazy Eval Environment. Each question can be added to the data bank using this window. All the features provided in this window are explained below.

The Question Bank Screen

Various Options inside the Question bank window are

• Quick Edit Panel - This panel gives access to tools using, which a question can be quickly loaded, for the purpose of editing. The "Domain" list box lets the user select a desired domain in to which he has permission. The "question id" list box lists the identification numbers of all the questions that comes under the selected domain. Choose, one of the identifiers from the list box and the corresponding question will be loaded in to the question bank window.
• Adding a new question - Follow the below given steps to add a new question into the databank.
  • From the Question type panel choose a type for the new question. It provides 5 different types to select from and each represents a different mode of question. All of them except 'descriptive' can be used for questions that can be used for online examination using Eazy Eval. 'Descriptive' questions cannot take part in online examinations and they can be used only for including in hardcopy question papers.
  • Select the domain under which the new question is to be classified. The plus button provided just to the right of the domains will launch the 'Domain' window, from which a new domain can be added.
  • Select a level of difficulty to be allotted to the new question. This can be used to find questions based on their difficulty when doing a search operation.
  • Set a average answering time for the question. While scheduling online examinations, options are available for setting individual answering time for each question. On the expiry of that time, each question gets locked. So any time set here while creating a question will be taken on as the default answering time for that question.
  • Type in the question. You can use the 'Font', 'Color' and 'Symbol' buttons for applying any visual formatting for the question or answers. The maximum point for the question can be set using the point list located on the right side of the question. While using the textbox for questions, you can double click on the textbox, to get a big view of the question.
  • Type in the options. Based on the 'Question Type' selected, the way in which options are presented will vary. While using the textbox for options, you can double click on the textbox, to get a big view of the options.

    a. If the question type is 'Multiple Choice', then there can be a maximum of 5 options. At least one option should be marked as the correct answer, using the checkbox against each option. More than one answer can be marked as correct and points can be distributed according to the weight of correctness using the point list placed against each option.

    b. If True/False type is selected then there will be only two options, True and False available. Only one option can be marked as the correct answer for these type of questions.

    c. If Yes/No type is selected, then as in the True/False type only two options will be available. These types of questions also support only one correct answer.

    d. For Fill in the blanks type of questions, the user can define a maximum of 5 correct answers. During valuating the answer sheet, for these types of questions, the user input is compared for the exactness of the answers provided in the question bank. So user discretion is recommended while, providing the options for fill in the blank questions.

    e. Descriptive questions cannot be used while configuring, online examinations. Here provision is given for defining the question and the maximum point only. These kinds of questions can be used for building hardcopy question papers, which can be used for conducting offline, normal examinations.

  • Any additional notes can be kept about a question using the reference column. These references are for informative purpose only.
  • At the bottom of the Question bank there are two checkboxes "Save the question along with visual formatting" and "Allow Option Shuffling". They control the way in which the questions are written in to the backend data repository.
    
    If you want your questions and options to preserve any visual formatting that you have done, like font colors or font sizes, then select the "Save the question along with visual formatting" option.
    
    While scheduling an examination, there is an option for making the options shuffle in random order for each examination. If you want the current question to have its options shuffled when it appears in an examination configured with the shuffled options set to 'ON', then select the "Allow Option Shuffling".
  You can use the "Save" button to add the question to the data bank.
• The "Search" button launches the Question bank Search window and it has a whole array of options using which you can find questions matching your search criteria. The Question bank Search window is explained in next section. Double clicking on a question in the search window will load the specific question in the question bank window for the purpose of editing. Questions that are already used cannot be edited and the user will be notified with a message. Unused questions can be edited and pressing the "Save" button will update the question at the data bank.
• If you want to make any question not to appear in any future examination scheduling processes, then the "Activate/Deactivate" buttons can be used. If you wan to deactivate a question, first load the question into the question bank window and press, the Deactivate button. To make a disabled question, back to Activated state, you can load the question into the, question bank window and then use the "Activate" button.
• If you need to permanently remove, any questions, from the databank then the "Delete" button can be used. This operation will remove the specific question from all the future question paper scheduling operations.
• The difference between "Deactivate" and "Delete" is that, when a question is "Deactivated" the question is not permanently removed from the question bank. It is temporarily blocked and by "Activating" the question the user can use it again. A "Delete" action when performed on a question will permanently remove that question from taking part in any future operations.
• The "Reset" button can be used to refresh the Question bank window. Doing so will clear all the text typed into the fields in this window.