6th Annual
Focus Users’ Conference
Teacher Uploads, Tests,
and Answer Key Only
Tests
Presented by:
Kori Watkins
Teacher Uploads, Tests, &
Answer Key Only
Agenda
Uploading Assignments
Attaching files to assignments
Allowing Student Uploads
Student Process to upload assignments
Viewing student work
Commenting on student work
Grading student work
Student view of graded assignment
Creating Tests
Creating Questions
Various types of questions
Creating the test
Testing Options
Student view for taking a test
Grading questions that cannot be auto-graded
Creating an Answer Key Only test
With Focus, teachers are able to attach handouts and resources directly
to an assignment.
Uploading a File for
Students
To do so, navigate to the gradebook and select Add an Assignment. The
assignment box will appear.
In the Files box, either drag and drop the desired file, or click on Select to
search the computer or any external memory available.
Uploading a File for
Students
Select the desired file and click on Open. The selected file now appear
in the box.
Follow the rest of the normal steps for adding an assignment and select Save.
The assignment is now added to the gradebook, and students are able to access
the attached file.
Allowing Student Uploads
With Focus LMS, teachers are able to allow student to upload
assignments directly to the gradebook.
To allow student uploads, follow the same procedure for adding an
assignment. This time, check the Allow Student Uploads box and select
Save. Also set whether students will be able to upload an assignment
late or not.
The “Requires Completion Of” allows users to say if a previous
assignment must be completed and graded before the student is able to
upload the new assignment.
The assignment now appears in the gradebook. There is a “U” that appears in the
heading to help teachers quickly identify assignments where uploads are allowed
Student Process
Once the assignment has been added the gradebook, student receive a
Portal Alert that they have an assignment due.
For assignments where uploads are permitted, the students are able to click on
the link to take them to the screen where they can upload the assignment to
the teacher
Student will click on the Edit/Upload link and either drag and drop the
desired file into the box or search their computer for the desired file.
Once they have selected and upload the file, it will appear in the
Student Files column
Students are also able to download files from teachers from this
screen.
They will do this from the Assignment Files column.
Student Process
If any files are available they will appear as a link in the column.
Students will click on the link which will produce a PDF that students
are able to view, print out, or save.
Commenting on Student
Work
Once a student has uploaded an assignment to the teacher, an NG link will
appear in the gradebook. This shows that there is an ungraded assignment
uploaded. After the assignment is graded, the link will stay, but will display
the grade awarded
To view and/or grade up upload assignment, click on the link. A box will appear
giving the user a choice of commenting on, downloading, or opening a previewing
of the uploaded document.
Selecting the pencil icon will allow teachers to comment directly on the student’s
assignment. The green arrow will allow for downloading the uploaded file.
Commenting on Student
Work
Once the pencil has been selected, the student’s assignment will open on the
screen.
Select the Comment link to open up all the commenting options available.
Commenting on Student
Work
Teachers are able to highlight, make area and point comments, strike out,
and draw on students’ assignment.
At the top of the screen, teachers are able to see the exact time the assignment
was uploaded. If late uploads were allowed, the font would be bright red notifying
teachers how late the assignment was
From the top of the screen, teachers can also assign the amount of points the
student earned on the assignment.
Students are able to see teacher comments on their work by going to the
grades screen, and clicking on the pencil icon of the uploaded assignment.
Student Process
The student’s assignment will now appear with all teacher comments.
Focus makes it easy for teachers to create tests and have the system
grade the assessments for them and put the grade directly into the
grade book.
Creating Test Questions
To begin creating questions, navigate the the Grades menu and select
Create Questions
The Create Questions screen will now appear
Creating Test Questions
On the left hand side of the screen, select the standard to align the
question to. If no standard is applicable, selected Non-Standard.
Once the desired standard has been located, click on Add Question
Creating Test Questions
A middle column will now appear. The selected is at the top, followed
by Question Text and Question Type
Clicking in the Question Text box will open up the field to allow
teachers to type in the question.
Select OK when finished typing the question.
Creating Test Questions
The question now appears in the Question Text box.
Next, select Question Type
Focus has several question type available
Multiple Choice: Standard multiple choice question (auto-graded)
Creating Test Questions
Select Multi Multiple Choice: Select all correct answers (auto-graded)
Extended Response/Short Response: Essay and Short answers
True/False: Standard true/false question (auto-graded)
Gridded Response: Similar to many standardized tests (auto-graded)
Audio Response: Students record themselves and teachers can listen.
Fill in the Blank: Students fill in the right answer (auto-graded)
Creating Test Questions
Select the question type, and then the possible correct and correct
answers. Users are able to change the order the questions appear by
dragging them into the desired order.
In the column to the far right, name the question. If desired, set the
cognitive complexity. To make sharing questions easy, create or assign
a group for the question. When satisfied, select Save Question.
Creating Test Questions
To create a group click on Add New Group.
Next, name the group and click on Save.
Creating Test Questions
The newly created group will now appear in the Question Group
dropdown.
Groups are an effective way of organizing questions for easy sharing
Creating Test Questions
The newly created question now appears in the column to the left under
the assigned standard.
Creating Test Questions
The Passage question allows users to include a reading passage, image,
chart, etc. and assign questions to it. To do so, select Passage from the
Question Type dropdown.
In the Question Text box, add the picture, chart, or reading passage.
Next, name the passage and click on Add. The passage will now appear
under the standard it was assigned.
Creating Test Questions
Next, in the Question Options box, name the question and select the
Cognitive Complexity. In the Link to Passage dropdown, select the
appropriate passage from the dropdown. Lastly, if applicable, assign the
question to a question group
When finished, select Add. The question will now appear under the
assigned passage.
To create tests, navigated to the teacher gradebook and select Add a
Test.
Creating Tests
The test creation screen will now appear.
Creating Tests
Locate the desired questions from the left hand side of the screen
and then click on Add to Test.
As questions are added to the test, they will appear in the center
column on the screen.
The Add a Section button in the center column will allow teachers to have
multiple sections of their test.
Creating Tests
The Page Break feature will allow teachers to specify where page breaks will
appear should they elect to print out the created tests. To add a page break,
simply drag and drop the box wherever a page break is desired.
In the right column, name the test. This name will appear in the
gradebook, as well as, on the student’s Portal screen.
Creating Tests
Next, select the assigned and due date for the test. To ensure that
students cannot access the test before or after the testing window,
select Restrict to Between Times
Next, select the point value and, if categories have been set up, the
desired gradebook category.
If desired, set a log-in pin that students are required to enter in order to
access the test.
Creating Tests
Teachers have the option of including a description of the test.
There is also an option of adding an assign prerequisite so that students
cannot access the test until a prior assignment has been completed and
the grade has been recorded in the gradebook.
Creating Tests
To maintain test security, checking the Individual Times checkbox will
only allow students to access the test is they have been marked present
in the class. This checkbox also allows teachers to create a custom pin
for each class period.
There are further customization options available, including allowing
retakes, opening the test in a new window, and displaying the test in large
print font.
Creating Tests
Open to students online allows students to take the test online
Open in New Window will open the test in a new window
Large Print Font will have the test print in a large print font.
Allow retakes will allow the students to retake the test after the
designated time has elapsed. When this is selected, teachers are able to
tell Focus whether to average the grades or insert the highest grade in
the grade book.
Auto-grade test will have the system grade all questions that it is able to.
Login Pin allows users to crate a PIN that the students must enter before
they are able to access the test.
Creating Tests
Lastly, teachers can choose to have questions/answers shuffled or to
provide the students with resources such as a scratchpad or calculator.
If more than one section has been set-up, then teachers are able to
customize the resources and options on the section level.
Once satisfied, select the Save button from the top of the screen.
The test will now appear in the gradebook with a T allow the teacher to
easily identify what entries are tests.
Student Process
A link to the assigned test will now appear on the student’s Portal screen
Students click on the click to take them to the test.
One question at a time will display on the screen
Student Process
When students get to the end of the test, a stop sign will display on the
screen. They are able to go back and review or select Submit and Exit
to turn in their test.
If students submit their test, a popup appears letting them know that
they are unable to change their answers once the test has been
submitted.
Student Process
Students are then informed of how many of the auto-graded
questions they got correct. If there are any questions that need
to be manually graded, they are notified that as well.
Viewing Students’ Tests
As students submit their tests, a link appears in the teacher’s gradebook.
From there, teachers are able to click on the link to see the student’s
answers and the auto-graded results. If necessary, teachers are able to
override the points that were assigned by the system.
Viewing Students’ Tests
Questions that need to be manually graded by the teachers can be
handled from this screen. Any tests that have questions that must be
hand graded will appear as a link once the test has been submitted, but
will display as NG
Clicking on the link will open up the test and allow teachers to manually
grade the questions.
Once a grade as been assigned, clicking on Save will automatically put
the grade in the grade book and calculate the final score on the test.
Teachers can also comment on student test answers. Students are also
able to comment back to the teachers.
Commenting back and
forth
As students comment to teachers, teachers receive an alert via Focus
Messenger. They are able to see the student who commented and what
they commented on.
This alert section will also notify teachers of assignment uploads,
discussion forum posts, and tests that need to be graded.
Commenting back and
forth
Clicking on the alert will take the teacher directly to the commented test.
In addition to being able to create tests from scratch, there is also an
Answer Key Only feature.
For this, teachers are able to use already created multiple choice tests
and have the system auto-grade it.
Answer Key Only Tests
To create this test, navigate to the gradebook and select Add a Test.
From there, click on Answer Key Only test in the upper right hand
corner of the screen.
Next, selected the standard category, the number of questions, and the
answer range.
If a PDF or doc version of the test is available either drag and drop the
file or click on select to attach it the test.
Answer Key Only Tests
Lastly, select the correct answers from the dropdown and the desired
aligned standards.
Answer Key Only Tests
Complete the same process as before when creating a test from
scratch: naming the test, setting the testing window, assign a pin, etc.
Once finished, click on Save.
The system will completely auto-grade the test and put the final score
in the gradebook.
Teachers are able to override the test scores as needed.
Answer Key Only Test
Student View
A link to the test will appear on the student’s portal allowing them to
take the test directly on the computer.
Focus LMS allows users to import tests that have been created using
ExamView.
Importing from ExamView
To start, navigate to the Create Test screen. Next, select Exam View
Test.
The upload screen provides directions for exporting the test from Exam
View.
Importing from ExamView
After exporting the file, drag and drop the file into the gray box box on
the screen.
The imported questions will now appear on the screen.
The name of the test will automatically populate based upon the name
the assessment was assigned during the creation in Exam View.
Importing from ExamView
Select desired options and click on Save.
The test now appear as a link on the student Portal page.
Teacher Uploads, Tests, &
Answer Key Only
Focus makes creating and grading tests a quick and easy process
Through the complete integration of a testing platform with gradebook
and attendance, the process is streamlined for maximum efficiency.
Questions??
Kori Watkins
Software Trainer, Focus School Software
koriw@focusschoolsoftware.com
ph: (727) 388-6049 fax: (727) 213-6999
http://www.focus-sis.org
Thank You
Please be sure to complete the comment card for this session and
enjoy the rest of the Users’ Conference!