Respondus 4
(May, 2012)
What does Respondus do?
Respondus is used to create, edit, and transfer question bank sets. You can:
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Create question data set as Respondus files
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enter text into question templates within Respondus
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import questions from specially formatted txt, RTF, DOC, or DOCX files
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can combine files within Respondus
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Save/print a Respondus question set with, or without answer key, or print just the answer key.
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Save/print a Respondus question set in jumbled order (i.e., make variations of an exam).
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Publish (export) a Respondus file into a Blackboard course as a Pool <-- Recommended
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Publish (export) a Respondus file into a Blackboard course as a Test
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Retrieve a question Pool or Test from Blackboard and save as a Respondus file
Get Respondus:
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Download the Respondus software from CELT eLearning Technologies page,
http://www.celt.iastate.edu/elearning/?page_id=273
o
You need to be on a university network / VPN
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You need to login using your netID and password
Install, then start the software. The first time you start the program, …
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You will be asked to enter the license name and installation codes provided on the download
page. Every August you will need to renew the license by entering the newest information. For
2012, enter the bolded text:
Institution Name: Iowa State University
Local Support Contact(s): CELT 294-5357
Installation Password: (see CELT elearning website for newest code)
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You will need to specify the type of course management system ISU uses.
Select: Blackboard 7.x-9.x
RESPONDUS ACTIVITY 1: Create a Question Set using Respondus Question Templates
1. Start Respondus.
2. Click the ”Start” tab.
3. Click “Create” to begin a new
Respondus file.
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Name file = Activity 01
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Description = Activity 01
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Type of File = Exam
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Click OK
4. Click the Edit button. Use the
question templates on the left
to make 4 different questions,
as shown below.
Multiple Choice:
1. Title: ISU colors
2. Question: Which of the following are ISU
colors?
3. Answer options:
cardinal & gold
black & silver
black & gold
cardinal & black
4. Correct answer: A
5. Point Value: 1.00
6. Click Add to End of List
True False:
1. Title: IA bird
2. Question: The state bird of Iowa is the
golden finch.
3. Correct answer: TRUE
4. Point Value: 1.00
5. Click Add to End of List
Matching:
1. Title: Department location
2. Question: Match the department
main office to the building.
3. Answers:
1. CI
2. HDFS
3. AESHM
4. KIN
A. Lagomarcino
B. Palmer
C. MacKay
D. Forker
4. Point Value: 4.00 (i.e., 1 pt/match)
5. Credit Given: Proportional to #
Correct
6. Click Add to End of List
Fill-In the blank: (single blank)
1. Title: Complete the saying
2. Question: People who live in ____ houses
shouldn’t throw stones. ** make it obvious
where the blank is… there is no special
character required.
3. Answers: enter all acceptable answers and
spelling variations
glass
green
4. Point Value: 1.00
5. Click Add to End of List
There are other question formats available in Respondus but these are the most commonly used. Click the ?
icon near the top of a question template to get instructions about a question format.
There are many additional questions formats available directly within Blackboard, so some questions must
be created directly within Blackboard and cannot be imported.
As you save your questions, they appear in the Question List at the bottom of the “Edit” screen. Use the
icons provided to preview a question, relocate it in the list, or pull it back into the editing window for
revision. Make sure to save any changes you make!
RESPONDUS ACTIVITY 2: Save a Question Set as a Word file
1. Continue using the 4 questions from activity 1. Click the “Preview & Publish” tab.
2. Click “Print Options”
3. Part 1: Select “Exam with Answer key”. Click the “Settings” button and specify the content and
formatting of the questions. Make sure to click “OK” to save your settings.
Part 2: Click “Edit Headers” and fill in title text and the variation (version number) of the exam. This will
appear at the top of your Word file.
Part 3: Pull down the menu and select “Random variation A”
Part 4: Indicate how many questions should be included – for this activity select all 4.
4. Click “Print Preview” . If necessary, adjust the Settings on the document (Part 2) then preview again.
5. Click “Save to file” and call the file “activity2_A_key.doc”
6. Change the setting in Part 1 to “Exam” then click “Save to File” and save it as “activity2_A.doc”
You now have 2 Word files: the Exam file, and the Exam with Answers.
To make a second variation of the same quiz, go to Part 3 and set the pull down menu to “Random variation
B”. Change the Header text in Part 2 to “Version B” and save the file twice, once as an “Exam” and once as
“Exam with Answer Key”.
Double check all the saved Word files to ensure that you have labeled them properly and that the content is
as expected.
It may be necessary to do some tweaks in Word to make pages break properly or otherwise improve the
exam appearance.
RESPONDUS ACTIVITY 3: Import Questions from Word File
You can find additional information by clicking the ? symbol in the top menu bar in Respondus.
See:: Start Menu > Importing Questions to Respondus > The Standard Format for Importing Documents.
Required formatting in Word file:
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Each question begins with a unique number, followed by a period or parenthesis “)”, and a space.
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Each response choice begins with a letter (A-Z, a-z), followed by a period or parenthesis and a space.
Method 1: Correct response is preceded by an asterisk (see example), OR
Method 2: Answers are listed at the end of the file with the title “Answers:” followed by the list of
question numbers and corresponding correct responses. Place one question-response pair per row, with
a period and space as shown. IMPORTANT: Correct answers must not be indicated in any other ways.
Answers:
1. B
2. C
3. A
Recommended formatting in Word:
1. Neighbors who assist each other with tasks or make material goods available for others to
borrow contribute to which neighborhood satisfaction factor?
a. personal factor
b. physical factor
c. safety factor
*d. social factor
2. According to the text, land use regulations are, for the most part, federal regulations.
a. true
*b. false
Common errors / problems:
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Omitted space between question number and first character in question.
Omitted space between response choice and first character of response.
Correct answer indicated with color or underlining instead of with an asterisk.
No answer marked as correct (no asterisk).
Original Word file has hidden or special characters that cause strange symbols to display after it has
gone through Respondus . To find these, turn on the “Show/Hide” symbol display in Word (
)
and look for degree signs, smart quotes, missed carriage returns, and other oddities. Remove
through a series of global search and replaces.
Procedure:
 Go to the “Start” tab.
 Click “Import Questions.”
Part 1
Set “Type of file” to conform to
your file.
Click “Browse” after File name,
locate your file and double click
on it.
Part 2
Select “Create a new document”
and name it, e.g., “TC 200 Exam
1”. This is your new Respondus
file.
Set “Type of file” to “Exam.”
Part 3
Click “Preview”.
Part 4
Should see a list of questions
appear in Part 4 and the message “No warnings”.
If you do not get the “No warnings” message, abandon the attempt and correct the file you are trying to
upload.
If there is no warning, click “Finish.” You will receive confirmation that the file has been saved. It will be
stored on your computer in the Respondus Projects folder (unless you have specified otherwise).
RESPONDUS ACTIVITY 4: Exporting Questions to a Blackboard Pool*
*See Respondus User Guide for exporting Test settings – we recommend building Tests in Blackboard
Click the “Preview & Publish” tab
Click “Publish to Blackboard”
Click “Publish Wizard”
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If you have not already set up a connection to the ISU Blackboard server, you may need to do so
before proceeding. Follow the online instructions
Screen 1: Select “Publish to single course”, click “Next”
Screen 2:
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Click the drop down menu and select the course you want to push the questions into (you can push
questions into any course in which you are listed as Instructor, Course Builder, or TA).
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Click the radio button next to “Create new Pool”. By default, the Pool is given the name of the
Respondus file. You may change it.
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It is not necessary to uncheck the Exam/Survey options but they are not needed when pushing
questions into a Pool.
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Click “Next”
Screen 3: A message displays when the transfer is successfully completed. Click “Finish”.