There are many options for assessment in Moodle. This webpage looks at the following options and the ways each can be used:

• Rich Text
• Assignment
• Discussion
• Quiz
• Plagiarism Detection (Turnitin)

Rich Text

What is it?
Text typed into the Atto editor is automatically saved and the teacher can set a Word limit which will display a warning if students exceed it. In addition to allowing users to add and edit text -- also allows for the embedding of video, math formula and other rich media.  Interestingly, it’s possible to use rich text editing to record up to two minutes of audio or video directly into Moodle. The Online Text ATTO editor appears automatically whenever users start to post a message, create an announcement, assignment or label.

Assessment Applications?
Online Text can be used to support anything from short answer questions and forum posts to student video responses.

Assignment

What is it?

An Assignment can be thought of as a virtual pigeonhole or place for students to upload submissions.  Submissions can be made in the form of direct text entry or file uploads. Assignments can accept many file types including Microsoft Office files such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel as well as video, audio and archive files like .zip. Access to assignments can be provided or assigned to individual students, groups, or entire classes. Submission dates and times can be mandated.

Assessment Applications?
The most common use of Assignments is as a way for students to upload essays, reports, or other non text-based assessment evidence. The latter can include any kind of digital file including lab reports, programming assignments, learning logs, recorded video demonstrations or other video files, narrated presentations etc

Quiz

What is it?
A Quiz is a type of assessment in Moodle, typically composed of a defined series of small short questions. The questions can be of different types and many available types can be auto-corrected by Moodle itself. It is possible to also -- or exclusively -- include free text questions for, e.g., essay or short written answers, there are over 15 question types in Moodle, full details can be found here: https://docs.moodle.org/38/en/Question_types. There are numerous options available also in terms of creating multiple quizzes or quiz instances from the same bank of questions.  Questions can be used across different modules and also organised into so-called “question banks”, which can then be used by the system to select a random subset of questions to appear on each attempt.  Quizzes, when released to students will, appear on the Assignments Index Page, the Quizzes Index Page, the Gradebook and on the User Dashboard.  Quizzes can be assigned to individual students, groups or entire classes. Quizzes can be scheduled and time-limited.

Assessment Applications?
Time-limited computer-based multiple choice question tests are probably the most common use of Moodle quizzes. Quizzes, however, could also be used as the basis for an open book or essay-based exam, short question exam, in-tray exercise or instant report. Students can also upload a file or image using the essay type question which can be useful to show workings on a maths based question or upload an Excel file to demonstrate knowledge.

Plagiarism Detection

What is it?
We use a plagiarism detection tool called Turnitin. Turnitin will accept text-based submissions in most common formats, such as Word or PDF, and detects possible plagiarism cases by comparing submitted student files with an extensive range of public web, subscription-based sources and past student work.  Once the comparison is complete, the system provides an “originality report” indicating the degree of similarity between the submitted file and those other sources. Students can upload their assignment to a test area on the WIT Libraries Moodle page to check their originility score before submitting. See this page to learn more about Turnitin assignments: http://ctel.wit.ie/support/view/turnitin-assignment-types

Assessment Applications?
A complement to certain kinds of text-based assessment. It could also be used to support formative assessment relating to academic honesty/integrity and conventions of academic writing and scholarship. It is ideally used for essay style assignments over 1000 words.

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