Respondus
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Using Respondus to Create Quizzes and Quiz Banks
Respondus 3.5 allows you to create your own questions and quizzes and surveys for use in FerrisConnect while you are offline. Questions can be typed directly into Respondus, imported from a file, or retrieved from a FerrisConnect course.
Some features of Respondus include the ability to:
- "spell check" an entire exam file
- add tables, bulleted lists, font changes, and enhanced formatting (e.g. bold, italics) just like in a word processor
- insert mathematical and scientific symbols using the Respondus Equation Editor
- embed graphics, audio, and video without writing or viewing the underlying HTML
- resize graphics and convert them to JPEG format with one click
- preview questions before publishing them to the server
- retrieve exams from FerrisConnect, complete with media files
Note: Respondus is software for which Ferris has a campus-wide license. This means that you can request to have Respondus installed on your work computer free of charge!
Creating a New Respondus File
This is the screen that appears each time you start Respondus.
Respondus can be used for a variety of different course management systems. Respondus calls each system a different personality. The first thing you need to do when you start Respondus is make sure you are on the correct personality. For courses in FerrisConnect, you need to use the WebCT 6-8 / Vista 4-8 personality.
Click on the Create button to make a new file.
A pop-up window will appear, give your file a name and description. Click OK.
The software will switch you to the Edit tab at the top where you will enter your questions. From here on out, adding questions to the file is as simple as choosing the question type from the left, and entering your title, question wording and possible answers.
Hint: You can jump from the title to the question area to the answers area using the Tab button, and once you are entering in the answer choices, you can jump between answer options using the Page Up and Page Down buttons.
Once your question is entered, click on Add to End of List and it will appear in the list at the bottom of the screen.
Note that the title of the question is a hyperlink. You can click on any question title at any time to view the question, modify it, move it to a different place in the question list or delete it.
Enabling Feedback in Respondus
If you want to include feedback with your questions you can enter it while you develop the question. Simply check the Enable Feedback button in the blue navigation area on the left, and you will see a line for feedback after each answer option as well as a button to enter general feedback for the entire question.
Tip: General feedback is feedback that each student will see no matter which answer they choose. More specific feedback is seen only by those students which select the answer for which the feedback was written and that feedback is entered in the field directly below the answer option.
Importing Questions from a File
Respondus will import multiple choice, true-false, paragraph, short answer, matching, and multiple response questions from rich text files, plain text files, or Microsoft Word documents, if the questions are in Respondus’ “Standard Format”. The formats are described briefly below.
Standard Format for Importing Multiple Choice
Each question must begin with a question number, followed by either a period "." or a parentheses ")".
Example: 3) Example: 3.
The question wording must follow the question number. (Note: at least one space should be between the question number and the question wording.)
Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light? Example: 3. Who determined the exact speed of light?
Each answer choice must begin with a letter (A-Z) followed by a period"." or a parentheses ")".
Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light?
a. Albert Einstein
b. Albert Michelson
c. Thomas Edison
d. Guglielmo Marconi
'Optional Elements
A title can be imported with each question. If a title is not provided for a question, the first 20 characters from the question wording will be used as the question title. Titles must be placed at the beginning of a question and begin with "Title:" followed by the actual text for the title. If the title exceeds 20 characters, the remaining characters will be dropped during the import.
Example: Title: Speed of Light
3) Who determined the exact speed of light?
a. Albert Einstein
b. Albert Michelson
For questions being imported to an Exam file, correct answers can be indicated in two ways. First, you may place an asterisk (*) directly in front of the answer choice (do not put a space between the asterisk and the answer choice).
Example: 3) Who determined the exact speed of light?
a. Albert Einstein
*b. Albert Michelson
c. Thomas Edison
d. Guglielmo Marconi
The second option is to place a list of correct answers at the end of the file. The list must begin with the word "Answers:" and the answers should start on the following line (no blank lines are allowed). Note that any text after the answer list will be ignored.
Example: Answers:
1. A
2. B
3. C
Standard Format for Importing True and False Questions
The process of importing a "true and false" question is similar to that used for importing multiple choice questions (see above). Both of the following examples are valid ways to format a true and false question for importing purposes.
Example: 3) Albert Michelson determined the exact speed of light?
*a) True
b) False
Example: 3) Albert Michelson determined the exact speed of light?
*a. T
b. F
It’s important to note that the "True" (or "T") answer choice must be listed above the "False" (or "F") answer choice in order for Respondus to recognize it as a true and false question type. (If "False" appears first in the list, the question will be imported as a "multiple choice" question.)
To include a "title" with the true and false question, follow the same formatting rules described above for multiple choice questions. For instance,
Example: Title: Light speed
3) Albert Michelson determined the exact speed of light?
*a. True
b. False
A second way to designate a correct answer for a true and false question is to place it in a list of correct answers at the end of the file. The list must begin with the word "Answers:" and the answers should start on the following line--no blank lines are allowed. The correct answer for a true and false question can be designated in three ways: (1) using the complete words "True" and "False," (2) using the letters "T" and "F," or (3) using the alphabetical letters "A" (for true) or "B" (for false). For example, the formatting of each of the following answers is acceptable for true and false questions in which all of the answers are "true":
Example: Answers:
1. True
2. T
3. A
Standard Format for Importing Paragraph Questions
The logic for importing paragraph questions (also known as "essay" or "open-ended" questions) is similar to what is described above for multiple choice questions. The primary difference is that the first line of formatting must begin with "Type: P". This is followed by the "Title" (which is optional), the question number, and the question wording.
Example: Type: P
Title: Michelson-Morely experiment
4. How is the Michelson-Morley experiment related to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity?
If you are importing a paragraph question into an Exam file, you can supply an answer two different ways. First, you may provide an answer immediately after the question wording, in which the answer begins with a. or a).
Example: Type: P
Title: Michelson-Morely experiment
4) How is the Michelson-Morely experiment related to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity?
a) In 1887, Albert Michelson and Edward Morely carried out ....
The second way to supply an answer for a paragraph question is to place it in the list of correct answers at the end of the file. As described above with multiple choice questions, the list must begin with the heading "Answers:" and must be positioned at the end of the file. A paragraph answer should begin with the corresponding question number, followed by either a period "." or a parentheses ")". This is then followed by a space and then the answer itself.
Example: Answers:
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. In 1887, Albert Michelson and Edward Morely carried out...
5. B
Again, answers will be ignored if they are imported into survey files.
Standard Format for Importing Short Answer Questions
To import a Short Answer question, the first line of formatting must begin with "Type: S". This is followed by the "Title" (which is optional), the question number, and the question wording.
Example: Type: S
Title: Who invented television?
5. Who is known as the "father of television"?
Respondus allows you to import only one correct answer per question, but it does permit you to enter multiple forms of that answer.
Example: Type: S
Title: Who invented television?
5. Who is known as the "father of television"?
a. Zworykin
b. Vladimir Zworykin
c. Vladimir Kosma Zworykin
Answers can also be placed at the end of the file, using a format similar to multiple choice questions. The only difference is that you can enter multiple forms of an answer by repeating the question number.
Example: Answers:
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. In 1887, Albert Michelson and Edward Morely carried out...
5. Zworykin
5. Vladimir Kosma Zworykin
5. Vladimir Zworykin
6. B
Standard Format for Importing Matching Questions
The process of importing a "matching" question is similar to what is described above for importing multiple choice questions, but there are some key differences. The first line of formatting must begin with "Type: MT". This is followed by the "title" (which is optional), the question number, and the question wording.
Each answer (which consists of both portions of a correct match) must begin with a letter (a-z) followed by a period "." or a parentheses ")". The two parts of the match must be separated with an "=" symbol and there should not be any hard returns or blank lines within either parts of the answer.
Example: Type: MT
Title: Scientific discoveries
4) Match the correct name to the discovery or theory.
a. Michelson-Morely = Speed of light
b. Einstein = Theory of Relativity
c. Marconi = radio waves
Spaces before or after the "=" symbol are optional, but it is important that an answer only uses the = symbol for the purpose of separating the two parts of the match. If you plan to list correct answers for other questions at the bottom of the document, simply skip the number for all questions that are of the matching variety.
Standard Format for Importing Feedback with the Various Question Types
With an Exam file, feedback for individual answer choices can be imported by placing the feedback immediately after the answer choice and by beginning the line with the @ symbol. There must be at least one space between the @ symbol and the feedback text.
Example: Title: Speed of Light
3) Who determined the exact speed of light?
a. Albert Einstein
@ No. Albert Michelson determined the exact speed of light.
*b) Albert Michelson
@ Yes. Albert Michelson won the Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light.
etc.
"General Feedback" can be imported in a similar way, but it must appear immediately after the question wording and before any of the answer choices. The line must also begin with the @ symbol, and there must be at least one space between the @ symbol and the feedback text.
Example: Title: Speed of Light
3) Who determined the exact speed of light?
@ Albert Michelson was the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Physics (1907).
a. Albert Einstein
@ No. Albert Michelson determined the exact speed of light.
*b) Albert Michelson
@ Yes. Albert Michelson won the Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the exact speed of light.
etc.
As shown in the previous example, both types of feedback can be used within a single question. (Note: if you are importing questions into a survey file, all feedback designations will be ignored.)
An Overview of the Settings Tab
After you have created your question bank, The Settings tab may be used to set up a quiz for FerrisConnect. Here you can create question sets for random selection of questions in a quiz and input all of the same settings you are given in your course management system.
The only settings you cannot set-up in Respondus are Selective Release settings. You must log into your course to set those up.
Publishing Your File
Once your file is ready to go, the last step is to publish it to FerrisConnect. Click on the Preview & Publish tab. Then click on Publish to WebCT, and then click on the Publish Wizard button. The wizard varies depending on which personality you are developing the quiz for. See below for the personality specific information.
Publish Settings for FerrisConnect
If you are publishing to FerrisConnect, the publish wizard will look like this:
If this is the first time you are using Respondus to publish to FerrisConnect, you will most likely not have your server settings, so click on the Edit Settings button.
- First, open an internet browser and navigate to FerrisConnect either through MyFSU or by typing http://fsuvista.ferris.edu into your browser. Once you are at FerrisConnect, copy the entire URL from the address bar, and paste it into the first box in the server information window show above.
- Then, click on Extract. The software will have detected the various institutions of FerrisConnect we are using. Click on the drop down menu next to Institutions to select Ferris State University.
- Finally, give these server settings a name such as FerrisConnect, and enter your username and password. (Note: If this is your own computer you can click the box to remember them.) Click OK.
If you already have your settings saved in Respondus, then just click on Next.
- Respondus will connect to the server, and this screen will appear.
- Use the drop down box to select the section you wish to add the questions/quiz.
- Create a new category – it is a good idea to use a useful name for the category
- If you want to upload a quiz, check the box next to Create/replace Quiz,
- Give your Quiz a title
- Check the boxes next to the options you want to use
- Click Next.
- If you chose to link the quiz to an organizer page or learning module, then the next screen will allow you to select where to add the link.
- Finally, you will see the confirmation screen showing each step in the process and at the end it will let you know when the quiz and questions were published successfully.
For More Information
This only scratches the surface of Respondus. For more information, consult the help file, visit Respondus.com or make an appointment to visit the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.
How to Obtain Respondus for Your Personal Computer
- Please visit the HomeCD site
- Use your Novell/MYFSU id and password to log in. (Make sure the checkbox is clicked)
- You can download all the applications or each individually.
- Instructions for installing the software is available on the site.
Resources
- Respondus Test Bank Network: click here to see if your publisher has made test banks available in Respondus format.
- Respondus Demo Movies: some training videos available at Respondus.com
