Online Assessment Tools

Instructors often use online assessment tools to gauge their students’ progress. There are a number of options available for faculty, depending on what type of assessment they would like to perform. All of these tools can be used at no cost by Michigan Engineering faculty and students.

This page is a result of a collaborative initiative between the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, CAEN, and CRLT-Engin investigating options on how to improve technology for instruction.


Canvas Quizzes

Canvas has a built-in quiz/exam module with automatic grading that can be seamlessly integrated into any course.  The quizzes can be constructed in Canvas and can contain a mixture of a variety of different style questions including true/false, multiple-choice, and calculation-based questions. ITS offers training on how to use this and other features in Canvas. While there is some built-in ability to randomize or generate multiple versions of a single question or quiz (i.e., each student receives a unique version of the quiz), there are some constraints in Canvas.

Gradecraft

Gradecraft is a learning management system that instructors can use to build gameful courses.  Instead of the usual grades for each assessment leading based on a percentage correct, the tool uses gameful pedagogy to give students more autonomy in how they progress through the class.

Gradescope

Gradescope is a tool that supports the process of grading assignments and exams, whether paper-based, digital, or code. Instructors can see detailed assignment and question analytics in real time, and students receive faster and more detailed feedback on their work. Gradescope also works with U-M Canvas, so instructors can grade and annotate student submissions online, and export scores for manual import to their Canvas grade book. For more information, including how to get started go to our Gradescope page.

MiQuizMaker

MiQuizMaker is a tool collaboratively developed by Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, CAEN, and CRLT-Engin here at Michigan Engineering. MiQuizMaker is a web-based tool for faculty members and instructors to generate and randomize quiz questions for eventual loading into Canvas. This tool allows faculty members to create a unique quiz or exam for every student in their class for each assessment topic. Once loaded into Canvas, the quiz or exam can be taken multiple times by the students, and they can receive immediate feedback on their performance. Also, as each quiz or exam is unique to each student for each attempt, the motivation and ability to cheat are severely reduced.

PrairieLearn

The University of Illinois created an online problem-driven learning system for creating homework and tests. PrairieLearn allows instructors to write multiple versions of questions programmatically assessing students using a variety of types of questions including symbolic algebra, graphical drawings, and code. To get access to PrairieLearn, visit PrairieLearn.org, and under the “Are you an instructor?” prompt, click “Request course” and use your U-M Google account to log in.

Problem Roulette

Problem Roulette is a tool to help students study for exams by answering multiple-choice questions that are taken from previous exams.  The student can select what topics they would like to study, and Problem Roulette selects a suite of questions for the student.  There is no grading—Problem Roulette is a “point-free zone”—implying that this tool is for studying and not for assessment.