• Learning Technologies for Online Exams

Learning Technologies for Online Exams

Exam Platform Feature Comparison


PLATFORM CANVAS GRADESCOPE CROWDMARK
ASSESSMENT TYPE (Classic) Quiz Assignment
(file upload)		 Exam/Quiz Homework/Problem Set Assigned Assessment
INSTRUCTOR
Set-up & Access Log into Canvas and click into your Canvas course to create a new (Classic) Quiz. Log into Canvas and click into your Canvas course to create a new Assignment. Make sure the submission type is set to file upload. Submit a request form to the LT Hub to request for a Gradescope course.

Once set-up, you can access Gradescope from your Canvas course.		 Submit a request form to the LT Hub to request for a Gradescope course.

Once set-up, you can access Gradescope from your Canvas course.		 Submit a request form to the LT Hub to request for a Crowdmark course.

Once set-up, sign in at https://app.crowdmark.com/sign-in/ubc.
Assessment creation & delivery Instructor creates a quiz on Canvas and adds questions to the quiz.

Instructor publishes the quiz and students will access it within Canvas.
 

*Extra time or additional attempts can be granted to students with accommodations.

 Instructor creates an assignment in Canvas with the submission type set as “file upload”.

Instructor publishes the assignment and students will access it within Canvas.		 Instructor creates a question template which students will print and write answers in a designated space or annotate on the document using their device (similar to filling out a worksheet). Instructor lists out all the questions on a document. Instructor creates the assessment questions in Crowdmark. The questions can be typed directly, embedded as images/PDF or a combination of both.

Crowdmark sends an assignment link to students via email.
Question type(s) Multiple choice, fill in the blanks, fill in multiple blanks, numeric answer, true/false, matching, multiple answers, multiple dropdown, formula, essay, file upload question Can include any question type which students can answer on paper or annotate on the document using their device. Can include any question type which students can answer on paper or annotate on the document using their device. Can include any question type which students can answer on paper or annotate on the document using their device. Can include any question type which students can answer on own paper
Grading
  • Automatic grading for questions that have a correct answer (e.g. multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blanks, etc.)
  • Can grade by rubric.
  • View student’s submissions and grade directly in Speedgrader (supports annotations)
  • Grade offline by downloading all submissions in bulk, annotate them, and re-upload to Canvas
  • Grade by question
  • Grades by rubric (add additional rubric items as you grade)
  • Rubric is shared across graders
  • Supports positive and negative grading
  • Can make changes to rubric and regarded retroactively
  • Can group similar answers and grade as a group
  • Students can request regrade
  • Supports multiple graders
  • Grade by question
  • Grades by rubric (add additional rubric items as you grade)
  • Rubric is shared across graders
  • Supports positive and negative grading
  • Can make changes to rubric and regrade retroactively
  • Can group similar answers and grade as a group
  • Students can request regrade
  • Supports multiple graders
  • Grade by question
  • Supports multiple graders
Providing feedback
  • Provide general comments or question level comments (using Speedgrader)
  • Supports automatic item level feedback based on correct/incorrect answers.
  • Provide general comments for the assignment or annotate directly on the document (using Speedgrader)
  • Include comments in rubric items.
  • Annotate directly on the document
  • Supports LaTeX in comments and rubric items
  • Include comments in rubric items.
  • Annotate directly on the document
  • Supports LaTeX in comments and rubric items
  • Can attach multiple files to the same comment
  • Annotate directly on the document
  • Supports LaTeX in comments
  • Can attach files or images to comments
Managing Student Submissions
  • Can see who submitted and at what time.
  • Can include late submission penalties.
  • Time extensions for students with accomodations.
  • Can see who submitted and at what time.
  • Can include late submission penalties.
  • Can see who submitted and at what time.
  • Can include late submission penalties.
  • Ability for instructor to submit on behalf of a student
  • Time extensions for students with accomodations.
  • Can see who submitted and at what time.
  • Can include late submission penalties.
  • Ability for instructor to submit on behalf of a student
  • Time extensions for students with accomodations.
  • Can see who submitted and at what time.
  • Can include late submission penalties.
  • Ability for instructor to submit on behalf of a student
Statistics/Results
  • Overall quiz statistics for the whole class
  • Question level statistics
  • Student level statistics
  • Students’ quiz results can be downloaded to excel
  • Overall assignment statistics for the whole class
  • Overall quiz statistics for the whole class
  • Question level statistics
  • Add tags to questions and view question statistic by tags
  • Overall quiz statistics for the whole class
  • Question level statistics
  • Add tags to questions and view question statistic by tags
  • Overall quiz statistics for the whole class
  • Question level statistics
Constraints
  • Only multiple choice, true/false, and multiple answer question types have the option for regrading.
  • If multiple graders are grading the same quiz, they may override each others’ grades and comments.
  • If multiple “file upload” questions are displayed on the same page and students upload video files (or large files), the files will not upload successfully.
  • To view the files students have attached to “file upload” questions, the instructor must download the files.
  • Cannot grade by individual question.
  • If multiple graders are grading the same assignment, it may override each others’ grades and comments.
  • Instructors need to distribute the exam template to students outside of Gradescope (e.g. email, post on Canvas, etc.)
  • Instructors need to distribute the exam questions to students outside of Gradescope (e.g. email, post on Canvas, etc.)
  • Instructors have to manually create each question.
  • Certain email servers (e.g. xxx@163.com) block Crowdmark emails, hence students cannot receive the assignment link. Instructors need to ask students to update their email address in Canvas and request the LT Hub do a resync of the class roster.
STUDENT
Print assessment No No Yes
(or annotate directly on the document using your device)		 No No
Submission process Select or fill in their answers within the quiz on Canvas. Write answers on paper (i.e. for math or chemistry equations) or type answers in a word doc (i.e. research paper). Upload file(s) to Canvas.

Students can re-submit up until the end date.		 Print the assessment and write answers on the template or complete it online by annotating the template. Upload PDF to Gradescope.

Students can re-submit up until the due date.		 Complete the assessment on paper or on the computer in a word doc. Upload PDF or image of answer to Gradescope. In Gradescope, identify answers for each question.

Students can re-submit up until the due date.		 Complete the assessment on paper or on the computer in a word doc. Upload PDF or image to Crowdmark, one response per question.

Students can re-submit up until the due date.
Submission file type and size limits
  • “File upload” question types can take a long time to upload, depending on network connection (~120 MB = 10 min)
  • Accepts media files, image files, PDF, docx, weblinks
  • Size limit per upload is 5GB
  • Only accepts PDF
  • Can only submit one PDF file per assessment
  • Accepts images or PDF
  • Accepts images or PDF
  • Does not accept .docx files
  • Size limit per image file (JPG/PNG) is 12 MB and PDF file is 25 MB
Constraints
  • If an exam is timed, the timer continues running even if the student loses internet connection.
  • File size cannot exceed 5GB per upload
  • Students need to have access to a printer to print the exam.
  • Students need to have access to a mobile device that can scan their work to a PDF.
  • Low quality cameras make it difficult to scan clear images.
  • Students need to have access to a mobile device that can take pictures or scan their work.
  • Low quality cameras make it difficult to take clear images
  • During submission, students have to tag their image/pdf uploads with the corresponding question number in the exam.
  • Students need to have access to a mobile device that can take pictures or scan their work.
  • Low quality cameras make it difficult to take clear images
  • Submission by mobile device is not currently supported.

*For all the tools listed above, if used in a large enrolment course, it is recommended to stagger your exam start times to mitigate potential load issues.

Gradescope/Crowdmark Mitigation Strategies for Exams:

  • If possible, consider creating a "practice exam" with similar format and requirements for students to complete beforehand.
  • For any course with more than 150 students, use a staggering approach when implementing exams in GradeScope/Crowdmark. The staggering intervals should be at least 5 minutes apart.
  • Have a back-up plan (an alternative technology) in place with the exams configured and set to switch over to, in the event of major server failure.
  • Notify Skylight LT in advance that you will be using Gradescope/Crowdmark for your exam to coordinate support and communication.

 

Last updated on: July 26, 2021

Learning technology support

If you have any questions or if you would like to report an issue regarding a learning technology, please don’t hesitate to contact us at LT.support@science.ubc.ca. For in-person support, please join our LTRs at one of our drop-in sessions.