Deadlines
Quizzes will be due Wednesday evenings, 11:00 p.m. Of course, students can complete quizzes earlier than the deadline, but doing so should not interfere with other Mapping Rome assignments and coursework. Quizzes submitted after the deadline, even if the system allows them, will not be accepted.
Instructions
Each quiz will have specific instructions. You will be able to access them just prior to loading the quiz, and they will also be available on the actual quiz page. Even though many quizzes will follow similar formats, you are responsible for reading each set of instructions and understanding what you are asked to do.
Open book, open notes
Unless otherwise noted, you WILL be allowed (and will even need) to use your textbooks, notes, and other resources. That said, most quizzes will be randomized or timed (see below) or both to encourage your learning the material, rather than simply regurgitating or copying it.
This means it IS legitimate to view and even print out a quiz without entering or submitting answers, since (a) you'll likely see a reformatted quiz next time; or (b) the quiz will require some thoughtful work on your part — work facilitated by your knowing the questions in advance.
Whether or not you consult your books or notes, you must work entirely on your own.
Honor Code
Even with an open-book, open-notes policy, you will still be asked to agree to the Skidmore Honor Code statement prior to taking a quiz.
Furthermore, if the instructions forbid you to use a resource during a quiz, you will be expected to comply. Tampering with the source code of a quiz or otherwise trying to game the sytem is expressly prohibited.
Infractions of the Honor Code, whether intentional or inadvertent, will be taken very seriously.
Time limits
Most quizzes will be timed, with a set number of minutes to complete each quiz once the page is loaded. You'll know beforehand if a quiz has a time limit.
A timer will be visible during the quiz, so you'll know how much time you have left. (You can hide the timer if it makes you nervous.)
Please note that, once a quiz has been loaded, the timer cannot be paused. If the timer reaches zero, the quiz will refresh itself and the answers you have inputted will be lost. You will be prompted to start over. There is no way to save your work and return later, so be prepared to complete a quiz in one sitting.
The rationale for timed quizzes is twofold. First, they require students to be focused and organized. Second, they provide a level of challege unavailable to static, untimed quizzes.
Time limits on quizzes to be repeated over the course of the semester will be adjusted to increase the level of difficulty.
Submitting quizzes
Once you have completed your quiz, hit the SUBMIT button. If you are within the time limit, you will see a confirmation screen. A copy of the confirmation will be sent to your Skidmore email address.
You must hit the SUBMIT button in order for your quiz to be graded. If you leave the quiz page before hitting the button, the quiz will not count. If the countdown on a timed quiz reaches zero before you are able to hit the button, the quiz will not count (though in this case you can re-take it and hopefully beat the clock next time).
Do not hit the BACK or REFRESH buttons on your browser when finished. Either close the window by hand or navigate off the page using the menus provided. Otherwise you might trigger another quiz, which might invalidate the one you submitted.
If your quiz is submitted after the due date, you'll be notified and the quiz will not be counted.
Grading
Each quiz will be worth a set number of points, and the value will be posted before you access the quiz.
Whenever possible, your quiz will be graded automatically, and the results reported to your professors and to you.
The quizzes are intended to be submitted once in any given week. As noted above, a quiz cannot be graded until you hit SUBMIT. If you are unhappy with your score, you'll have to wait until (or if) a quiz is offered again.
Your total on each quiz will be added to your overall quiz total. At the end of the semester, your total will be converted into a grade, and 20% of that grade will count toward your final grade in Mapping Rome. |
