Digital assessment with Ans

From September 2024, Radboud University will use Ans testing software for digital testing.

Ans' software is web-based. This means you can use it on any device with an internet browser. So it doesn't matter whether you work at your workplace or from home. Tests become administered under controlled conditions to ensure data security. Students therefore take digital tests on Chromeboxes in a dedicated test location (the Comenius building) and on Chromebooks in the sports halls via a dedicated test wifi network.

Ans allows you to:

Develop and manage test questions in an item bank.
Compile tests using questions from the item bank.
Administer tests to students (both as practice tests and for grades).
Check students' answers and give (direct) feedback on them.
Analyse how the questions and test were made.
Give students digital access to the test and their answers.
Determine test scores and cut-off scores to calculate grades.
Collaborate with colleagues in developing and checking questions and tests.
In addition to Ans, you can use software such as SPSS or Word, for example, during digital tests.

Advantages with Ans

The software is easy to use via the internet, no matter where you are. Ans can automatically grade and score an entire test if the exam consists only of closed question types. This saves grading time. With Ans, you can divide the grading work among several teachers and set up a reassessment if necessary. Furthermore, you can easily do a test analysis, so you can properly analyse and evaluate the test (results).

Transition guide Cirrus to Ans

Transition guide Ans.pdf

pdf 228.52 KB

1. Question types

There are different question types available in Ans. Look here for an overview of question types available in Ans for use in your test(s). The list below show all the question types for a digital test sorted by way of answers.

1.1 Student chooses one or more answers from given response options

Multiple choice question: question with two or more answer options of which one or more answers are correct. Read the manual multiple choice question or watch the short video multiple choice question.
Fill-in question: question that requires the student to fill in an empty field by selecting the correct answer from a list of answer options. Read the manual fill-in question or watch the short video fill-in question.

1.2 Student uses given alternatives to arrive at an answer

Order: question in which the student must place the options in the correct order. Read the manual order or watch the short video order.
Match: question in which the student must place the options in given terms. This can be a one-to-one relationship or multiple terms to another term. Read the manual match or watch the short video match.
Comprehensive Integrated Puzzle (CIP):  question in which the student must complete a table using given options appropriate to a case. This question type is primarily used in medical education to test clinical reasoning.
Hotspot: question that requires the student to click on the requested location in, for example, a map, image of a text or a picture. Read the manual hotspot or watch the short video hotspot.
Hotspot match: question that requires the student to drag the answer options to the correct location in an image. Read the manual hotspot match or watch the short video hotspot match.

1.3 Student formulates own response

Numerical question: question with a number as the answer. Read the manual numerical question or watch the short video numerical question.
Fill-in question: question that requires the student to fill in one or more blank fields. Read the manual fill-in question or watch the short video fill-in question.
Open: question that requires the student to give a (long) answer to a question that is not automatically checked. Read the manual open or watch the short video open.
Mathematical equation: question with one or more equations as the answer. Read the manual mathematical equation or watch the short video mathematical equation.
Code editor: question in which the student answers with code in a programming language. Read the manual code editor or watch the short video code editor.

1.4 Student answer by file

File upload: question in which a file can be uploaded. Read the manual or watch this short video.

Coordinate the use of this question type with your faculty’s digital assessment coordinator.

2. Item bank and attachement

Many terms used in the item bank in Cirrus have a different name in Ans. It also happens that the same term has a slightly different meaning in Ans.

Terms in item bank

An Item in Cirrus is a task containing one or more separate questions in Ans.
The Status, such as concept, live, etc. in Cirrus are called Label in Ans.
A Label in Cirrus is called Tag in Ans.
A Section in Cirrus is a tag, an exercise or flow group in de test in Ans, depending on the reason for which you use the section:
- Tag: if you want to bundle questions with the same topic in your item bank.
- Exercise: if the questions in your section are sub-questions (a, b, c, etc.).
- Flow group: when the questions in your section are not directly related to each other, but are on the same topic.
Page in Cirrus is part of the test instructions in Ans. You create these with each test and no longer in the item bank.

Manuals

Add an attachment

Adding an attachment to your test could be done in Cirrus at item, section and test level. In Ans, you can add an attachment at the test level. See how to do that in this video.

3. Reviewing

Reviewing in Ans is slightly different from reviewing in Cirrus. To help you through the new process, videos and support pages are available.

In Cirrus, it was necessary to publish the results after finishing the review. In Ans, this is not required; once everyone has finished grading, it is complete.

Brief explanation of reviewing Ans

3.1 Review settings

Setting up the grading is done in the Subject where you can, for example, add fellow teachers as ‘graders’.

You can also start grading per assignment of candidate directly in the Course.

In Ans, you do this through: Course → Assignment → Settings → Review options.

Read the manual or watch the video review setting.

3.2 Assign review work

In Ans, you do so through: Course → Assignment → Settings → Assign reviewers.

Read the manual or watch the video assign review work.

3.3 Start review

Ans also gives a direct overview of the progress of all graders. To start grading click on a candidate or assignment. You have the possibility to place annotations and adjust answer models

In Ans, you do this through: Course → Assignment → Review.

Read this manual or watch the video start review.

3.4 Finishing review

In Cirrus it was necessary to publish the results after finishing the review.

In Ans this is not necessary, when everyone has finished grading it is finished. In Ans you are done when you finish reviewing.

Read the manual or watch the video finishing the review

3.5 Publication for review

In Cirrus, to schedule a review, the results had to be submitted and published. In Ans, it is only necessary for the scores to be published for a review. The step of submitting the results does not exist in Ans. Publishing the results to schedule a review can only be done by the Digital Assessment Faculty Coordinator of your faculty. The DAFC can then also directly schedule the review. Always contact the DAFC of your faculty first. They can also inform you about the possibilities of a review.

Read the manual or watch the video publication for review.

Masja van Meeteren is professor of Criminology at the Faculty of Law. In this video, she explains how she collaborates with colleagues in test construction and assessment. In her course, this contributes to the quality of test questions and a more reliable assessment of exams.

Ruud van den Beuken is associate professor of English Language and Culture at the Faculty of Arts. In this video, he talks about how grading with assessment criteria in test software Ans helps him to assess better and more transparently.

4. Points of interest

Some of the terms you are used to from Cirrus are different in Ans. Which ones they are, we have put them side by side in this diagram.

	Cirrus	Ans
Items (in library/ question bank)	Item	Exercise
Workflow dashboard	Library	Question bank
	Assessment	Assignment
	Delivering	Taking
	Marking	Review
	Candidate review	Publish button
	Report	Insights

Tests with additional software

During the administration of a digital test, the use of additional software may be necessary to properly assess certain learning objectives for your course. By letting students use additional software during the test, skills can be tested more authentically, which improves the quality of your test.

The following software can be used on request:

Excel
PowerPoint
R-Studio
SPSS
Word
Chemdraw
Mnova

If you wish to use these or other additional software during your tests, please discuss this on time.

Manual

Digitally taking an assessment

Contact

If you have questions or doubts about Ans, contact your faculty's digital assessment faculty coordinator.