Quest Learning and Assessment
Quest Learning & Assessment is a non-profit organization at the University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences maintaining a web-based tool for instructors and students of mathematics and science. Originally created as the UT Physics Homework Service as early as 1991,[1] the system was updated and moved to the College of Natural Sciences[2] in 2002 to provide service to the broader array of STEM courses. It is being used at over 1,000 U.S. institutions; high schools as well as 2-yr/4-yr colleges and universities.[3]
Questions and Assignments[edit]
Instructors can create homework, quizzes and exams from a large pool (over 75,000)[4][5] of Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Physical Sciences and Computer Science questions. Most questions have built-in variations, so Quest can create custom assignments for each student. Students get immediate feedback when answering questions and can view step-by-step solutions after the assignment due date has passed.
Grading system[edit]
The default grading system uses a "guessing neutral" system similar to the SAT grading scheme. Instructors also have the ability to set the grading system to an "item neutral" scale where points are not deducted from the assignment for failed questions. If a student gets an answer correct they are awarded points, however points are subtracted for incorrect answers to discourage guessing in both of these models. Additionally, instructors can use "One Free Try" grading in order to encourage students to re-try a question before being penalized. Depending on the setting and type of question, students will have multiple tries per question. The following is an example of a question with seven tries and the corresponding points:
Note: This is only an example of a free-response.
| Answer correct in number of tries | Points awarded |
|---|---|
| 1st try | 10 points |
| 2nd try | 9.3 points |
| 3rd try | 8.65 points |
| 4th try | 7.9 points |
| 5th try | 6.96 points |
| 6th try | 6.9 points |
| 7th try | 5.8 points |
| 8th try | 0 points |
This grading system is an accurate representation of a student's skill in the content. Using the "re-try" system, a student who makes a careless mistake can still receive partial credit if he/she answers it correctly the next time.[6]
Academic Dishonesty[edit]
With the presence of an online educational platform, academic dishonesty exists. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Searching for answers on search engines
- Asking for answers using online platforms
As a result, instructors commonly use this platform for practice and not for graded assignments such as quizzes and tests.
References[edit]
- ↑ "UTPhysicsHistorySite". web2.ph.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- ↑ "College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin". cns.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- ↑ About Quest
- ↑ The Quest Platform
- ↑ Online Homework Service Appreciated by AHC Students and Instructors
- ↑ “How to Sign up UT Quest?” Studylib.net, studylib.net/doc/9968301/how-to-sign-up-ut-quest%3F.
External links[edit]
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