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Quiz Directions and Tips

This page provides general directions and tips for taking quizzes in this class. To actually take quizzes go to the quiz page.

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Quiz Directions

Class quizzes are multiple choice and timed. For this class, quizzes are 15 questions and you have 25 minutes to complete them. You may attempt each quiz twice and keep your best score. Questions and answer sets are randomized for each quiz, so each is unique. They are, of course, open note and book. All quizzes are open at the start of the term but close as we cover the material. Weeks run Wednesday to Wednesday with the physical class meeting at the end of the week. For example, if we cover C3 for a particular week, that quiz will close at 11:59 PM the Tuesday before that Wednesday.

Technical Issues

If your computer locks up, your internet access goes down, you get kicked out of Canvas or you have other technical issues screw-up your quiz experience you need to contact me IMMEDIATELY. I can reset the quiz, but your previous quiz will go away. DO NOT wait until the last minute to take your quiz. These types of problems should VERY rare and Canvas provides me fine-grained details on your activity. Persistent issues with reliable web access may require you take quizzes at another location.

Accommodation

If you need extra time to take quizzes due to a learning difference, you need to provide documentation via the Accessible Education Center (AEC) This process can take time, so if you are in process but do not have your paperwork yet, let me know. I can accommodate you based on the eventuality of you getting certified. However, if I do not get documentation I will require you retake any quizzes you used the extra time on.

Sometimes students are certified to get extra time but choose not to use it (for whatever reason). Regardless, you should notify me and provide documentation so I can set the quizzes for extra time. Remember, just because you have extra time you do not have to use it all. If you do not tell me, and then decide you want extra time after all, I will not allow you to take past quizzes over.

Finally, if the AEC is preparing a special textbook for you and they have not done it yet, let me know so we can work something out.

Quiz Tips

Quiz questions are randomly drawn from a pool of questions, so every quiz is different. All quizzes are open the first week of the term and close as we finish covering the material. Failure to take the quiz in the allotted time due to waiting to the last day of the quiz and having technical difficulties or lack of a computer or internet connection at home are not valid excuses. Students without his/her own or limited access to computer or internet connections need to make arrangements to use the many campus facilities to take the quizzes. I highly recommend setting a specific time and place to take your weekly quiz so you are less likely to space it out. Make sure to build in a margin for error so if your plans are thwarted you still have a chance to take the quiz.

Quiz Questions Hints

Each quiz question will start with a code (Eg, C3.4) that gives a hint as to the location of the answer in the text. C3.4 = chapter 3, likely in the first few pages as C3.24 is likely toward the end. Note that these numbers DO NOT correlate to actual page numbers!

Problem Questions or other Quiz Issues

If you feel that a particular quiz question is faulty (confusing, an incorrect answer is listed as the correct answer etc.) you should contact me immediately. Remember, in multiple choice quizzes several answers may be partially or broadly correct, but only one answer is the BEST one available. Please note each quiz question has a page number where the question’s answer is located in the text that is visible after the quiz is taken and recorded. In order to address any issues, students should follow the following steps.

  1. Note the question code (eg. C3.24) and not the questions number (eg. 7) as the questions are randomized.
  2. Copy and Paste the entire question and answer choices into an email or take a screen shot.
  3. Locate the answer you think is correct (or also correct) in the text and clearly state it as well as giving the location where the instructor can find it in the text.
  4. Clearly and concisely give that rationale for why the assigned answer choice is incorrect and your selected answer choice is a better or equally good answer.
  5. Email this information to the instructor. A confirmation email will be returned and a ruling will be forthcoming.

Non-conforming Quizzes

Occasionally there will be a data entry error on a quiz. All quizzes will be the same length (#of questions), worth the same points per question and as a total, and be open the same amount of time. If a quiz does not conform to all these criteria DO NOT TAKE IT and contact the instructor immediately.

How to do well on Quizzes

These quizzes are designed to (1) elicit memories of the readings, (2) allow a consistent framework for finding the materials if needed, (3) train students to identify key concepts, and (4) develop skills in retaining information and organizing your strategies for highlighting and note-taking to facilitate information retrieval. These are critical skills that students can take into non-academic settings. Questions are generally taken verbatim from the text. For example, the primary word in sentence is missing or a definition is given and the correct term must be selected. Quiz questions range from easy to difficult, although in many cases a hard question for one student is easy for another. Here are some guidelines:

  1. There will be four possible answers, only one answer is the BEST answer for the question.
  2.  It is possible that two answers may be possibly/partially correct, but only one is the BEST answer.
  3. Out of the four potential answers one will usually be a “throw away” or obviously wrong
  4. Out of the four potential answers one will usually be obviously incorrect if the student is somewhat familiar with the material.
  5. Out of the four potential answers one will usually be possibly correct, but is incorrect because it has some sort of flaw that fails to fully and accurately answer the question.
  6. Do not over-think or over-complicate the questions. There are no “trick” questions and they are all pretty straight forward.
  7. Open book and open note does NOT mean easy! There is physically NO WAY to look up every answer for every question in the allotted time. If you are not familiar with the material you will fail.
  8. Pick and choose. Again, you can’t look everything up – so only look up questions (1) you definitely do not know (2) if you have time at the end of the quiz. 
  9. Take 100% of your allotted time! (BTW: I will know exactly how long you spent on each quiz)

Here are some basic tips on taking any multiple-choice quiz.

  1. Your first guess is almost always correct (see #6 above). Research shows that not only is your first inclination usually correct, but changing an answer choice without sufficient reason usually results in an incorrect answer. Do not change your answers lightly!
  2. If you are stuck on a question, use the process of elimination. Start by eliminating the answers you know are incorrect and try and reduce the pool of potential correct answers. The more answers you can eliminate the greater chance of you guessing the correct answer.
  3. Never leave a question blank. If it is blank you have a ZERO percent chance of earning the points. Even if you blindly guess, you still have a one-in-four chance of being correct (see #2 above).
  4. Watch your time. Do not spend too much time on one tough question. Do the easy questions first and go back for the hard ones.
  5. Organize a strategy that will allow to prioritize which questions to spend time on. I suggest making a table on a sheet of paper with 3 columns and # rows for each question.
Q# OK MAYBE  ?


Write the first answer you think is correct, if you are really sure put it in the “ok” column, if kind of sure, the “maybe” column, if you really do not know, then use the “?” column. Resist loading up one column category. Do this as fast as you can read (but read each question twice) and select the first answer you think is right or makes sense. Then, start with the “?” column and start looking up the answers. Once you finish that column, go to “maybe,” and so forth until you are at about 1 minute. Then save them.

Quiz Performance Issues

There is an introductory quiz on this material for extra credit to get you used to the format. If you do poorly on the earlier quizzes it is sign you need to modify your study or quiz taking strategies. Simply trying the same failed methods over and over will not work and will result in frustration and poor grades. If you are having problems, contact me as soon as possible for advice on how to improve your performance.