Test designer¶
The CLS caters for a wide range of assessment activities — from large-scale question and test development with teams of authors, editors, and reviewers, through to a single learning manager putting together an automatically-marked quiz in 25 minutes.
Test Designer Settings let you tailor the level of assessment sophistication and functionality to your needs.
Navigate to Settings > Test Designer Settings.
The settings are grouped into collapsible sections.
When you've completed all your changes, select Save Designer Settings.
Note
The CLS assessment functionality evolves rapidly. If you have queries, contact the Janison support team.
General assessment options¶
Use Add Learning Wizard¶
The usual method of creating a test is via Design > Tests and Surveys > Add Test.
If checked, the Add Learning Wizard can also be used to create a test. The wizard simplifies the process of creating an enrollable assessment test but limits the options:
- Question banking is disabled.
- It isn't possible to search for pre-existing questions to add to a test.
- Unlinking a question from a test also deletes the question.
When you turn this on, you're selecting a more basic implementation of assessment — a number of other test designer settings are disabled.
Question Banks¶
Questions are created as members of a module. By default, question banking is enabled — once a question is created, it can be linked to and unlinked from any tests and test sections in the same assessment module.
If you disable question banking, unlinking a question from a test/test section deletes it from the CLS. You're warned:
Disabling reduces complexity for users who don't want a managed question bank.
Psychometric Dataset Management¶
If checked, a Psychometric Data widget is available in the widget bar for a question details page. Psychometric data is a more complex form of metadata that measures the performance of a question.
A psychometric dataset is similar to a custom attribute set — it contains the definition of fields that apply to questions, applied at the discipline level.
Test Authoring Schedule¶
If checked, a Test Authoring Schedule section appears on the details page of a test or survey. Only applies if there's a linked workflow process.
Item Authoring Schedule¶
If checked, a section appears on the details page of a question. Only applies if there's a linked workflow process.
Question options¶
Workflows for Questions¶
If checked, questions can go through a set of workflow approval stages. Enables workflow definition selection for a module, workflow states in the question list, the workflow widget on the question details form, and workflow state security checks.
Comments for Questions¶
Adds a Comments collapsible window on the assessment question details screen. Useful when workflow is enabled and multiple users are involved in review.
Question Custom Attribute Set on Discipline¶
Lets you add custom attribute sets to a question. Configured from the discipline details page.
Versioning for Questions¶
Displays a version number for questions. Versions increment when changes are saved or workflows are enabled and the state changes.
Question Name Field¶
If checked, questions must have a Name field as well as an Identifier.
Simple Question Edit Form¶
Limits the detail in the question edit form by removing Discipline, Module, Identifier, and Resources.
Multiple-component Marking Scheme¶
Lets you specify multiple components in a marking scheme for manually-marked question types (such as Short Answer).
Multiple Graded Responses¶
Enables more advanced scoring — for example, Per Distractor scoring on Multiple Choice questions, with min/max scores for each possible answer.
Embedded Interactions¶
Allows the interactive part of a question (Slider, Position Object) to be included in the middle of the question stem.
To use: select Insert > Insert Interaction within the Question Stem.
Semi-automatic Marking¶
Advanced marking option for Keyword question types. Only works with the Janison Extended Marking Plugin.
Advanced Question Filtering¶
Lets users create a question search filter. The word Advanced appears in the search menu, linking to a search functionality based on Boolean filters. See Building filters.
Question Response Analysis¶
Adds a Response Analysis section on the question details screen, showing percentages per distractor and how many users have attempted the question. Requires test attempts to generate data.
Prompt for Question¶
Adds a section to the question creation page for a prompt to help candidates answer.
Identifier auto generation¶
Specify automatically generated identifiers for questions, test sections, and tests. Identifiers follow a pattern you specify.
To open, expand the Identifier Auto Generation section. Check the auto generation checkbox and the options become active.
- Select a token from the Choose Token dropdown. It's added to the identifier pattern inside square brackets.
-
Select more tokens as needed (CLS entities, number sizes, year of creation).
Example — [Module.Name][yy] generates one unique identifier per module per year:
Adding Number (4 digits) gives [Module.Name][yy][nnnn] for uniqueness:
Note
Choose a number token large enough to accommodate the possible number of questions per module.
Check Auto Generated Identifiers are Read-Only to prevent users changing identifiers once generated.
Test options¶
Workflows for Tests¶
Same as workflows for questions, applied to tests.
Skins¶
Allow Test Player Skin Settings Override — customise the skin for the test player.
Script Version¶
Selecting Increment version enters the current date in this field.
Optional Questions¶
Adds This section has optional questions in the Randomisation and optional question dropdown. Candidates choose a specified number of questions from those offered.
User Custom Attribute in Player Services¶
Contact Janison for more information.
Custom Attributes in Player¶
Contact Janison for more information.
Test Custom Attribute Set on Discipline¶
Lets you add custom attribute sets to a test, configured from the discipline details page.
Test Blueprint¶
Adds a Blueprint Settings section on the test details page. Contact support for details.
Comments for Tests¶
Adds a Comments section on the test details screen.
Versioning for Tests¶
Displays a version number for tests.
Advanced Test Filtering¶
Lets users create a test search filter using Boolean filters. See Building filters.
Test Response Analysis¶
Adds a Response Analysis section on the test details screen showing the number of test attempts, average score, and responses to questions.
Hide Warning when Tests are not in the Catalogue¶
Hides the warning message about adding a newly created test to a catalogue item. Suitable for authoring systems where authors aren't involved in delivery.
Show Available Mark on Each Question Inside the Test¶
Displays the mark for each question in the test player.
Auto Save Interval¶
Sets the seconds between auto-saves for Short Answer question types. Valid range: 20–600.
Enable Open Modules¶
Warning
Not recommended. Specifies that questions belonging to a module appear in search results for a test in a different module. Contact the Client Service Team.
Test section options¶
Multi Section Tests and Surveys¶
Adds the Use Multiple Sections checkbox on the test creation page.
Multiple Section Checked by Default¶
Automatically checks Use Multiple Sections on the test creation page.
Note
Multi Section Tests and Surveys must be enabled.
Test Section Banks¶
Lets test sections be reused across multiple tests in the same assessment module.
Workflows for Test Sections¶
Same workflow approach as questions and tests.
Subsection Randomisation¶
Specify random question selection at a sub-section level. Adds the This section has subsections that use random question selection option.
Section Navigation Types¶
Test sections can be set to linear or nonlinear navigation through questions. Nonlinear is the default.
Cross Module Test Sections¶
Warning
Not recommended. Contact the Client Service Team.
Test Section Custom Attribute Set on Discipline¶
Lets you add custom attribute sets to a test section.
Comments for Test Section¶
Adds a Comments section on the test section details screen.
Advanced Test Section Filtering¶
Lets users create a test section search filter using Boolean filters.
Available question types¶
The CLS provides a smaller set of question types for Learning Modules (Match, Multiple Choice, Multiple Choices, Sequence, Short Answer) and a much larger set for assessment modules.
This section specifies which types are available, including where and how.
Columns (where relevant):
- For Tests — available in assessment tests.
- For Surveys — available in assessment surveys.
- For Composite Questions — available inside a Composite question type (which must itself be enabled).
- Explain answer — adds a box in the test player for learners to explain their answer.
- File upload — allows files to be attached to the question.
Available test section types¶
There's a row for each type of test section and a column where you check which ones are available. See Test panels in learning modules for descriptions.
Document flagging¶
Document flagging draws attention to assessment entities that need reviewing — especially useful with workflows.
Five entities can be flagged:
- Questions
- Resources
- Stimuli
- Test Sections
- Tests
Users with appropriate permissions select Flag This to flag the entity.
To set up flagging, expand the Document Flagging section.
If you check Flags cleared by default on state transition, a Clear flags checkbox appears during workflow state transitions.
Paper based test print settings¶
Two dropdowns let you select the print template for printable tests. Unlikely you'll need these — contact the Client Service Team.
Settings¶
This page is itself the Settings documentation for the test designer. All options are configured at Settings > Test Designer Settings.
Related settings:
Custom Attributes (Settings > Custom Attributes) — required for the Custom Attribute Set on Discipline options across questions / tests / test sections.
Roles (Settings > Roles) — controls who can edit flags and progress workflow transitions.