Online Quizzes

So far, I am thrilled with the decision to integrate online quizzes into my courses this semester (see my previous post). Over 90% of the students enrolled in my courses come to class having competed the readings for that day, enabling them to engage in discussion on a variety of topics.

Online quizzes are really easy to set up. Admittedly, it does take time to input the questions into the "pools" on Blackboard. But in my estimation, the benefits outweigh the costs for setting up online quizzes. Consider the following benefits:

You can set up quizzes with time limits, banks of questions to deter cheating ("pools" in Blackboard),  due dates, and in random order.

You can set up quizzes with multiple choice and true/false questions (among other options).

Students can take quizzes at any time up to the due date of the quiz, allowing night owls or early risers to complete these assignments at the optimum time for them.

Grades go directly into Blackboard, so you don't have to take time in class to administer quizzes or grade these after class.

It encourages students to budget their time and operate on a regular schedule.