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Set Randomization and Display for Assignments

You can specify how question values are randomized, whether to show only one question at a time or the entire assignment, and whether questions are shown in the same order as in the Assignment Editor or in random order.

Randomization and display options are managed by editing the assignment or assignment template settings.

Question Randomization section expanded

The purpose of randomizing question data is to provide substantially the same question to all of your students while attempting to reduce the incidence of cheating. Depending on the questions you use on your assignment, setting the randomization options might change such things as the numeric values used in questions, the choices that are listed for multiple-choice and multiple-select questions, or nothing at all.

  • Use different values for each student discourages cheating by giving each student an individually randomized assignment.
  • Use the same values for all students encourages collaboration among your students by giving them all the same version of the assignment.

    When you use assignment randomization, different questions with the same randomization parameters are provided the same randomized values. For example, if both questions 2 and 3 included a random number between 1 and 10, the randomized number that is used would be the same for both questions.

  • Require new question randomization after every N submissions or Require new assignment randomization after every N submissions lets you set the number of chances a student has to answer a question with a particular randomization. After submitting the number of answers you set for N, students are given the option to generate a new randomization if they have additional submissions remaining for the assignment or question. The maximum number of attempts per randomization you can set is 10, and the number of submissions per new randomization should be set to a number that is at least 1 less than the number of submissions allowed.
    Important
    • Require new randomization can be set only if Submitting Answers setting is set to Questions or Assignment.
    • When Require new question or assignment randomization after every N submissions is set, you cannot use Practice Another Version. This restriction prevents students from being able to "game the system" to figure out their answers.

Usually, randomized values in questions are displayed in red to let your students know about values that might change for each submission, or might be different for their classmates, depending on your randomization settings for the assignment.

To help your students gauge their progress on the assignment, you can display all questions at once; or, you can display questions one at a time to help your students focus on each question individually. If you require submission of the entire assignment, you must display all questions at once.

For instructional assignments and homework that builds conceptually through an ordered series of questions, you can show questions in the order specified in the Assignment Editor questions list. Or, to help prevent cheating on timed in-class assignments, you can show questions in a different random order for each student.

  1. Edit the assignment or assignment template settings.
    To do this Do this
    Change the assignment template In the Assignment Templates Manager, click Edit for the template.
    Change the current assignment only

    In the Assignment Editor, click Edit Settings.

    If the assignment used a template, the settings from the selected template become editable in the Assignment Editor and the template is no longer used.

  2. If needed, expand the Question Randomization settings.
  3. Select an option for Randomized Values:
    • Use different values for each student to have each student receive different randomized values for all questions on the assignment.
    • Use the same values for all students to have all students receive the same randomized values for all questions on the assignment.
    • Require new question or assignment randomization after every N submissions to require students to try a different randomization after using the specified number of submissions.

      Select the number of submissions the student can make with the same values before requiring a new randomization.

  4. Require new randomization only: Select whether to show the answer key or worked solution when the student has no more submissions to use for the current randomization.

    If selected, the answer key and solution are shown only after the student has used all the submissions they have for the current randomization, before the student clicks New Randomization to try the question with new values.

    • Show answer key after N submissions displays the answer key for the question.
    • Show solution after N submissions displays the worked solution, if one exists, for the question. You must show the answer key in order to show the solution.
    Note The solution cannot be displayed without the answer key also being displayed.
  5. If needed, expand the Assignment Display settings.
  6. For Question Display, select either Display all questions at once or Display one at a time.
    Best Practice
    • Set the assignment to display one question at a time.
  7. For Question Order, select either As shown in Questions list or Random.
  8. Click Save.