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Creating Top Hat Numeric Answer Questions
Numeric Answer questions are designed perfectly for math and science courses or scenarios where students are required to perform calculations. Answers for this question type can be created with several options including Answer Tolerances, Response Timers, and Anonymous Participation to create a course that is unique and dynamic. Some specific options and settings can affect the outcome of the interaction in the classroom. This document will present the options and clarify the outcomes that they may facilitate.
Example
Correct Answers
Correct Answers
If the question is free-response without a correct answer, leave the correct answer field blank. Alternatively, enter the desired answer in the field provided. If you wish to enter your answer in scientific notation, use "e" to represent 10^. For example, the number 1000 would be entered in as 1e3. Students can also respond in scientific notation. This is especially useful when working with very large or very small numbers.
To require students to answer with significant figures, select Require answers to a given number of significant figures. Doing so will provide a field in which to specify how many significant figures are required in the student's submission.
Answer Tolerances
Set a tolerance, with a + / - range surrounding the defined correct answer which is accepted as a correct answer. This can be set as either a percentage or a number, with percentage being the default for newly created questions.
In the example below, a student's response within 2% of the correct answer will be awarded correctness points. To require an exact answer only, set the tolerance to zero.
Response Options
Group question
This option will prompt students to respond to the question as a group instead of individually. To use this option, you will need to set up groups in Top Hat before class for this feature to work. When presented, one student in the group responds on behalf of all the students in their group.
Anonymous answers
This option will fully anonymize the question by only recording aggregate response totals. No response data from the question will be tracked to the course Gradebook, meaning students' responses to the question will never be on record. This option is recommended for questions dealing with potentially sensitive or polarizing subject matter. Selecting this option will also mean that no participation points can be assigned either.
Note: When selected, the word "Anonymous" will be displayed in the top right corner to let students know that the results are, indeed, anonymous.
Grading Options
Grading options allow you to assign points for both getting a correct answer and/or for participating in the question. Note: grading is not possible when a question is designated as anonymous.
Correctness: There may be times when you want to assign points for correctness alone. If you are presenting a large number of questions, you might need to assign participation points to all questions.
Participation: There may also be times when you want to assign participation points alone. If you want to measure the level of understanding among all students and don't care whether they get the correct answer but want to know that each person responded, participation points can do just that.
Both: There may be times when you want to provide points for correctness and participation. If you want to encourage students to try and/or ensure that each student is participating, you can split points between both. The default value is .5 points for getting the answer correct and .5 points for participating in answering the question.
Response Timer
This option will attach a timer of a designated length to the question, which will begin counting down when the question is presented. Students must submit their responses before the time elapses and the question closes. Note: Be aware this option may create inequity for those requiring more time than is allowed.
Review Options
This feature is intended for situations in which you want to have students access your content outside of the class. You can assign a question to students AFTER you present a question to students in class if you want them to be able to review the results of the question. You can provide an explanation for the correct answer to students after they respond to the question. Hints and explanations will not be displayed to students in the class presentation of the question.