Formative Tests

This page provides an introductory overview of the planning and running of online tests for formative purposes, including: benefits, technology, support, accessibility, and next steps.

In addition to summative examinations, online tests can be used for diagnostic or formative purposes. A variety of question types can be used, including multiple choice, gap fill, interactive and short answer questions. Students may access the test remotely using their own devices or in a PC lab. Students need to be connected to the internet to be able to open, take and submit a test.

Useful links

Benefits

There are clear, well-documented pedagogical benefits to formative evaluations of any kind. These include improving attendance and engagement, embedding a culture of independent, preparatory study, reducing test anxiety, and addressing inaccuracies established through independent study and reading in a low-stakes environment. Online formative testing can combine these with some further pedagogical and efficiency benefits. For example:

  • Automatic marking: available for some question types on some testing platforms.
  • Immediate feedback: some testing platforms provide options for tailored, question-by-question feedback to help students improve their knowledge and performance.
  • Access for students in different geographical locations: if you are running a test remotely, where students access the test on their own devices away from campus, you can accommodate students in different locations and different time zones.
  • Sophisticated reporting: some testing platforms allow you to produce detailed reports, helping you to reflect on the process, refine the exercise, or identify areas in which more instruction is needed.
  • Efficiency: Saving time can be a driver for implementing online tests, but this should not be the primary motivation. Moreover, there is a significant initial and ongoing resource and time investment to run an online test that should be considered.

Available Technology

There is a range of technologies available for summative online testing, each providing different options and accommodations:

  1. Blackboard Tests: Blackboard Tests provides a flexible, robust platform for online testing, offering the means to pose a variety of different questions. Blackboard Tests has high levels of integration with other university systems and is familiar to most students, administration and academic staff. Consequently, it can be set up by any user with the appropriate permissions in the relevant Blackboard course and can be navigated by students who have previously engaged with Blackboard. Blackboard Tests also allows for a timer to be set, if this is something you want to use.
  2. H5P: H5P is a web-based tool that can produce engaging online resources. These can include video, audio and interactive elements, including short quizzes. The resources can be embedded into Blackboard.
  3. Mentimeter: Mentimeter is an online polling software that can be used to present live or asynchronous polls, quizzes and word clouds. Polling is anonymous, and students can download the app or complete polls from their browser on a laptop, pc or mobile device. There’s also the option of embedding these polls in Blackboard.
  4. Numbas: Numbas is a free, open-source assessment tool that performs automatic marking on various answers, including mathematical expressions, numbers, Boolean operations, short text and multiple-choice. It provides a straightforward way to create online tests for mathematical subjects and other numerate disciplines.
  5. TurningPoint: PointSolutions is a student response system (SRS) that can be used to create polls, quizzes and surveys, then deliver them online or in person, live or scheduled, and store the responses for analysis. It is quick and easy for novice users to introduce basic practices into their teaching, and there is an excellent range of advanced features for those wishing to do more.

Digital Education Office support and School responsibilities

Setting up a new online formative test requires a significant investment of time and resources. Typically there are three phases to organising an online test:

  1. Consultation and planning.
  2. Preparation and implementation, including developing content.
  3. Running and ongoing administration, including managing results and evaluation.

The Digital Education Office can provide support in the consultation and preparation phases. Running the test and ongoing administration will be the responsibility of the School, contacting the Digital Education Office for advice if required.

For further information, please refer to our breakdown of responsibilities and support, available in Online Tests.

Accessibility

You should consider accessibility for your students when running a formative online test, providing text in an 18pt format, using an easily readable font, and always adding alternative text to any images. If it is a timed test, you should also accommodate any Alternative Exam Arrangements (AEAs) a student may have. If you are planning a timed test, the Digital Education Office recommend using Blackboard Tests as a platform, following our recommended workflow’s guidance on accommodating AEAs.

Next Steps

For further guidance or to arrange a consultation, please contact the Digital Education Office.