Creating Calculated Questions
A calculated question requires students to apply a mathematical formula to answer the question. Calculated questions are designed using variables. Random values, based on a specified range, are automatically generated for each variable in the question. Calculated questions are unique for each student.
Question: If a car is traveling [x] miles per hour for [y] hours, how far does it travel, in miles?
Answer: Depending on the range you specify, values are inserted for [x] and [y]. Students calculate the answer and enter it in the Answer text box.
From either the Question Database, or the Assessment itself,
- Click Create Questions.
- Give the question a title so that you can distinguish it once it is in your question database. This Title will be visible to students unless you change the default in Assessment Settings.
- Enter your Question text. To indicate a variable, enter the variable name as specified in the formula in square brackets.
Example: What is the sum of [x] and [y]? - You may insert an image for this question by clicking Browse.
- Enter the formula. Enclose variables in square brackets.
Example: [x] + [y].
Values for variables will be inserted when the answer set is generated. You can also use constants in place of variables.
In the Units text box, enter the units for the answer value. Specify the settings for the units:
- To make entering the units a requirement, select Required.
- To recognize multi-word units as one word, select Ignore spaces.
Example: Kilowatt hours and kilowatthours are both correct. - To recognize units in both upper and lower case, select Ignore case.
Example: Mile and mile are both correct. - From the Percentage of the question value dropdown list, select the percentage that you want to assign to the units. The combined percentage value of the units and the answer will equal 100% of the question value.
Example: When 30 is selected from the Percentage of the question value dropdown list, Students who enter the correct answer, but the wrong units, will only receive 70% of the question value.
- Click Analyze Variables. The screen updates and the Variables text boxes appear, in addition to the Answers section.
For each variable that you entered in the question text, do the following:
- In the Minimum and Maximum text boxes, enter the minimum and maximum values for that variable. Vista generates values for the variable between these two numbers.
- From the Calculate to dropdown lists, select the number of decimal places to which you want the answer to be calculated.
Complete the Answers section.
- From the Specify the number of answers per set dropdown list, select the number of answers you want per answer set.
- From the Calculate the answer sets to dropdown lists, select the number of either decimal places or significant figures to which you want the answer sets to be calculated.
You can create a tolerance for the answer, so that students' answers in the plus or minus range between the tolerance and the calculated answer will still be considered correct.
- In the Answer Tolerance (+/-) text box, enter the tolerance value. Select whether the answer tolerance value is in Units or Percent.
- Click Generate Answer Set. The screen updates and the answer set appears.