Policy on quiz re-takes

My policy on quiz re-takes:

Because my moodle quizzes select from a random pool of questions, and shuffle those questions, and shuffle the possible answers, every student’s quiz is slightly different.   Typically half the questions are new -- i.e. taken from the NewQuestions pool.  Therefore, the assessment is more likely to demonstrate students’ actual knowledge of the topic rather than their ability to memorize prior sequences or even rote answers.

The structured nature of a test, along with its numeric reward system,  motivates students to prepare (study) in the first place, and then the focus required to answer the questions helps to cement those answers in memory.   Thus, repeated test sessions can actually encourage learning, as opposed to simply serving as a measurement tool -- if that were the case, we should administer a single test just prior to the reportcard.

Currently for every quiz, I offer a second re-take, with the average result transmitting to Renweb as a single value.  Fortunately, Moodle automatically calculates the average, and Renweb automatically uploads any updated result.  In order to encourage the second try, I give students the option to delete their second attempt if they write to me “immediately.”  Further, for special cases, particularly those with failing grades, I offer to delete the second attempt if they will try a third time.   

Over time, this re-take has become a standard feature of class session, taking instructional time and thus providing an obvious reward to students who had performed well -- I schedule the re-take during time otherwise allocated to independent work:  students may choose to re-take the quiz or work on other class assignments just set.   

I worry about the appropriateness of scheduling the re-take during class time, as it clearly intrudes on instructional time and hampers any group activity.   However, it also offers the low-performing student a better chance to succeed, and clearly indicates that we want students to succeed -- correspondingly, those students who perform poorly are often the same students who forget to study and who neglect asking for help.

To serve the students who missed one of the previous two quiz sessions or who failed the previous two quiz sessions,

I schedule a subsequent quizzing period during AdvisoryPeriod or after school, on a day in between the last re-take and the next quiz.   This has much lower attendance rate, because it requires more initiative and intention on the students’ part.   I usually send a renweb-email to students/parents of failing students inviting them to take the quiz again.

Time Limitation:  Re-takes cannot overlap with another quiz, because I must update the “New Questions” pool before each new quiz.