QUIA http://www.quia.com/
handout: http://www.hs.iastate.edu/tipsbb/Quia/Quia-Overview.docx
OVERVIEW
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Web-based software that allows you to create a variety of learning activities, mainly for solo play.
Games can be played with or without logging in, based on how the instructor has set up the activity.
Exercises can be created for study purposes (e.g. flashcards, matching games) or for evaluation
(quizzes with multiple question styles).
Searchable database of thousands of activities that instructors have created and shared in Quia.
Each user has a profile page, which appears after logging in.
Instructor can set up “Classes” and enroll students into them. Each class has a gradebook for
tracking performance and usage times, calendar, and links to assigned exercises.
Annual license registration is $49. There is a free 30 day trail.
Activities you create while subscribed remain on Quia indefinitely, unless you delete them. Activities
you create during a 30-day trial are deleted when the trial expires.
Activity development tools don’t allow for much customization but are simple to use.
Video tutorials are a bit superficial – need to make activities, classes, etc. to discover possibilities.
Technical support via email is fairly prompt (within 24 hours – oversees?). There is phone support.
ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
There are 16 styles of learning activities that can be created, (some are very similar to each other), plus
graded Quizzes and ungraded Surveys. Some exercises allow you to incorporate images and audio files
but the process for doing so ranges from obvious to complicated. A blue plus sign indicates where
images, files, and HTML or LaTeX can be used. See FAQ list, http://www.quia.com/faq.html .
Every activity has a unique URL. You specify whether a link to your profile page should be added to the
activity you create.
Activity links can be displayed on your profile page and/or class pages. Activities displayed on your
profile page are public and can be searched for by other Quia users. Anyone with the URL of your
activity can access it, even if it’s not on your profile page. An exception to this is that access to graded
quizzes can be restricted to enrolled students (see the Class section).
For most activities, you will create one of the following:
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A list of words (may have a specific order).
A list of matched words and phrases (such as a term and its definition).
A series of questions with several answer options and a keyed correct answer.
In most learning activities (not quizzes/surveys):
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Student can repeat an activity as often as desired.
There may be multiple formats or difficulty setting options that student can select from.
Student can print out list of terms being used in the activity (this option is set by instructor).
Some form of on-screen score tracking is generally provided during the game to the student.
Activities do not generate a recorded grade but there is a record of how long each student spends on
each activity. (Note that there can be a 10-15 minute time lag before activity is reported).
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CLASSES
Instructor can set up multiple Class pages. Each Class has a:
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home page with a unique URL
message block, instructor and school contact information (optional to fill in)
roster of enrolled students
gradebook showing performance and usage times, reporting tools
calendar
links to assigned exercises, both built by instructor or available in shared database
The instructor can post messages on the Class home page. The Message space can interpret
HTML, so instructor can include links to files stored in URL, external links, lists, font
modifications, etc.
The Class can have an “end date” to prevent students from accessing it after a specific date.
The instructor selects which activities, quizzes, and surveys should be added to the class page
and can reorder them. These activities can be ones that the instructor has created as well as
activities that others have shared in Quia. Students cannot tell from the link code itself who
created the activity.
The instructor can add a list of external links to the class page.
Finally, the instructor can specify whether a calendar or hit counter should display on the class
page and whether the class page should be listed on the instructor’s profile page.
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Roster:
Instructor can enroll students by typing info directly into Quia or can upload a roster. The
required information can easily be extracted from a Blackboard gradebook download.
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Required info: first name, last name
Optional info: ID, password, email
If you do not add a password, one will automatically be generated for each student.
Students can change their passwords, but instructor can get them from the roster.
If student emails are recorded, you can send each student their login and password.
Instructions for importing a text file to enroll students:
http://www.quia.com/help/activities/manager/importstudentlistteacher.html
Student Profile Page:
The Student’s profile page contains instructor contact information, links to their course(s), a
summary of the time they have spent on each assigned activity, and quiz scores.
If an institution has a Quiz list and imports a master list of students, then students will use the
same login and password for all courses. However, if each instructor operates independently, a
student will have unique (different) login and password for each class.
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Student View of Class Page:
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Instructor View: Activity Results in Class Gradebook:
ACTIVITY OPTIONS:
Java Games: Flashcards, Matching, Concentration, and Word Search
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Instructor enters a list of paired terms to create two columns. Example: key word and definition.
If create lists that are longer than what is used in activity, game randomly selects subset.
Can incorporate images and audio files.
Can import terms from certain other activities [Columns, Hangman, Jumbled words, Flashcards,
Matching, Concentration, Word search, Ordered list, Picture perfect].
Instructor specifies which activities will be available to students (1-4) and some settings.
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Flashcard:
Matching:
(Concentration is similar but
all cards are face down – try
to find matches)
Word Search:
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Battleship
Instructor creates a series of
multiple choice questions. Student
plays against the computer. Each
opponent has an initial battleship
board set up. The goal is to find and
sink opponent’s ships.
Student can adjust game at start
by selecting difficulty level and
rearranging ships.
To play, student clicks on a cell in
the opponent’s field. If that cell
corresponds to a ship, student
must answer a question correctly
to earn a “strike”.
A miss is indicated by an open
circle.
A hit with an incorrect answer is
marked orange. The student can
repeat the question on
subsequent turns until getting it
correct.
A hit with a correct answer is
marked with a black dot.
Game ends when student finds
and sinks all of opponent’s ships
or decides to quit.
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Challenge Board
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Jeopardy style game with at least one category, containing at least one question.
(Typically have multiple categories with multiple questions in each).
Questions can be coded with up to 6 valid answers.
Can include HTML and LaTeX code to format text – but no images.
Instructor assigns a point value per question from 100 to 1000 pts, in 100 pt increments.
Student can play solo or against an opponent (this is the only real opponent activity).
Correct answer(s) are displayed after student submits an answer.
Can be played in HTML or Flash mode.
HTML game view:
Flash game view:
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Cloze & Pop-Ups
A Cloze activity contains one or more
paragraphs where key words have been
removed. The learner fills in the missing
words, either by selecting values from a
menu (a "pop-up" paragraph) or by
typing words into a text field (a "fill-in"
paragraph). The sentences and text
surrounding the missing terms provides
review and context.
A paragraph can have only one type of
response box (pop-up OR fill-in).
However, a Cloze activity can be
composed of several individually created paragraphs that appear in a defined or random order, one
after the other. It is also possible to set up the activity to randomly draw a subset of stored paragraphs.
A Pop-up Activity is similar but consists of a series of sentences, each with a missing term or phrase.
Sentences only use the drop-down response option. Each drop down menu can contain up to 6 options.
Columns
The instructor creates two lists.
Each item in List 1 (left) must
match an item in List 2 (right).
However, not all items in List 2
must have a match. Unmatched
List 2 items make the game
more challenging.
Text only: cannot incorporate
images or HTML.
After creating the lists, the
instructor identifies matches
and specifies the number of List
1 terms to display. If more terms
have been defined than are
used, the game displays a
random subset of terms.
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Hangman
Instructor creates a list of words or phrases. Each can have an associated hint. Instructor specifies
whether game will display as traditional hangman figure, balloons, stars, or a randomly selected game
board. HTML can be incorporated to change text appearance but images cannot be included.
Jumbled Words
Instructor creates a list of terms then specifies how many will be shown in the activity.
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Ordered List
Instructor creates an ordered list of terms or sentences, specifies number of attempts students have to
order the terms correctly and whether hints are available. Can also specify whether all terms should be
shown or a subset. This activity must include a description, which appears under the game name.
Patterns
This activity requires students to either place things into categories, or sort things according to a rule or
pattern. Instructor creates a series of categories, each containing answer choices. There is no
connection between terms on the same row – only within columns.
When students play the game, they see the
categories and a list of terms from one row.
They must select one term for each category.
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Picture Perfect
Instructor enters a list of items that
students must order, specifies order,
number of attempts allowed, and
whether hints will be supplied.
Student plays by entering numbers to
indicate correct order, then checking
answers. If a response is correct, the
game piece is removed to reveal an
underlying picture.
The picture used is chosen by Quia – a
different image is randomly used every
time the game is played.
Rags to Riches
The Instructor creates a series of
questions and marks each as least
difficult, medium, or most difficult. Each
question must have exactly 4 answer
options with one keyed as the correct
response.
Student begins game with no score and
earns points (moves up the score chart)
by correctly answering questions.
The game ends when a wrong answer is
submitted.
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Scavenger Hunt
Instructor creates a web quest by supplying a list of URLs and questions to be answered based on the
information that can be discovered at the URLs. Questions must be formatted with short answer format,
i.e. student types in a response which then gets compared to a list of up to 6 acceptable responses
entered by the instructor. Students simultaneously learn the material, become familiar with important
websites, and develop research skills. This activity is easily adapted to any topic and promotes both
reading and analytic skills.
Quizzes & Surveys
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Images, audio clips, and HTML can be added to all quiz and survey question types (refer to the
FAQ list, http://www.quia.com/faq.html )
Instructor can restrict quizzes to enrolled students (require username and password to access).
Instructor can add a password to a quiz.
Quia records grades and time spent on quiz.
Can generate reports based on question performance, student, and class.
Can delete scores.
Graded Question format options for Quizzes:
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Multiple choice (Student picks one answer)
Multiple correct (Student can pick multiple answers)
True-false
Pop-up. (Like multiple choice. Student chooses answer from 2+ choices in a drop-down list that
you can place I question by marking the spot with an asterisk.)
5. Matching
6. Ordering
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7. Fill-in. (Student enters an answer – suited for one or two word answers with precise spelling
requirements. You determine where Quia displays the fill-in answer field by entering an asterisk
at that location. Quia can grade the student's answer or you can.)
8. Initial answer (Similar to Fill-in type, except that you provide text in the answer field that
students must modify. Quia grades the student's answer for you.)
9. Short answer (Best for questions requiring sentence-length answers. Quia cannot grade short
answer questions automatically.)
10. Essay
Non-Graded Question format options for surveys:
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Multiple select (Set whether student can select more than one answer.)
Yes-no
Pop-up
Free response
You have a Question Bank in which you can create and store quiz questions. Be sure to attach one or
more labels to each question because these labels will control how you add questions to quizzes!
Questions can be imported into the question bank from specially formatted text files, or made
individually using the built-in templates.
Sample Question:
Once the questions are added to a Quiz, the Instructor specifies various quiz delivery options, including
which classes will see the quiz, when, number of attempts, score recorded, and password.
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If used in more than one class, unique quiz delivery instructions can be specified for each class.
Delivery instructions can also be modified for individual students (accommodations).
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Performance on quizzes can be tracked by individual and by question. Several different reports can be
generated from the Class Gradebook > Reports link.
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Quiz Summary Report:
Question Details
Report:
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