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QR-coded assessment cheat sheet

QR-coded assessments are an efficient and easy-to-organize workflow for in-person testing. We’ve compiled this simplified checklist of tips, tricks and best practices for instructors using QR-coded assessments to make sure all your settings are complete for the best possible experience. If you are unfamiliar with QR-coded assessments and need more detailed instructions on how to create one, please see the Administered Assessments section of our Help Center.

Your institution may have specific requirements for QR-coded assessment creation, scanning and uploading. For more details please contact your local administrative office.

Assessment setup

Template

  • Has a cover page that contains no information required in the grading interface and space for auto-matching, if required
  • Has adequate space or extra pages for student scratch work
  • Is set up for double-sided printing

Click here for more on Assessment templates.

Creation

  • Double-sided printing is selected to ensure QR codes on every possible page. If a student writes on a page with no QR code, that page will not be available for grading
  • Student IDs in the course are numerical only (if using auto-matching). Alphanumeric IDs cannot be read accurately by auto-match technology and significantly reduce the match rate. If this is not the case, see this help video for instructions on replacing existing student IDs
  • MCQ bubble sheet(s) are selected (if required)
  • QR codes are clear and unobscured by text on the page
  • All pages are present and accounted for

Defining questions

  • Question labels are placed on each question. Applicable annotation area will extend across page breaks to the next label
  • Question points and totals are accurate
  • MCQ questions are NOT labeled (if applicable)
Note: question labels, points and MCQ answer key can be adjusted at any time before, during and after grading

Generating booklets

  • Assessment roster is up to date. One booklet will be generated for each student in the current list
  • Required number of extra booklets are added. Booklets cannot be photocopied because each QR code on each page is unique. Generating extra booklets will make sure you have spares
  • PDF of all booklets is generated and stored in an accessible location. Note the file can be re-downloaded from your Administration panel at any time

Multiple choice answer key

  • MCQ answer key is filled out
  • MCQ settings have been adjusted. For more on default point settings, see #3 in this doc.

Printing Your institution may have specific requirements for printing. For more details please contact your local administrative office.

  • Necessary team members have been invited. See this doc for more details on inviting a printer to your team
  • Collated printing and/or subset stapling are enabled. If you’re unsure whether your printer has these settings available, we suggest checking in with your local admin office, contacting manufacturer support, or looking up your printer model number online
  • Double-sided printing is enabled
  • Printed area occupies the full boundaries of the printed page. Any reduction in size ratio will affect QR code legibility
  • Printed booklets have strong, full blacks with clearly-visible QR codes and MCQ bubbles

Congratulations, you’re ready for students to write the assessment!

Scanning, uploading, and matching

Scanning Your institution may have specific requirements for scanning. For more details please contact your local administrative office.

  • Cutting staples from booklets must not affect QR codes or MCQ bubble sheet content
  • Scanning settings are correct according to this help doc. If scan settings are not correct, QR code, MCQ and matching errors will occur
  • Pages are scanned in colour or greyscale
  • Scans have strong, full blacks with no white space. White space or ‘noise’ in an area that’s supposed to be black will cause QR code and MCQ page errors. If scans are too light, a ‘darker’ scan setting is recommended
  • Student work and auto-match details (if applicable) are clearly legible
  • Scans are limited to batches under 2000 pages
  • Scanning settings are consistent across batches
Note: booklets from different assessments or versions do not need to be sorted prior to scanning. QR codes will route booklets to the right assessment on upload

Note: if scanning errors occur, re-scanning and re-uploading will replace any existing files in Crowdmark

Uploading Your institution may have specific requirements for uploading. For more details please contact your local administrative office.

  • Necessary team members have been invited. See this doc for more details on inviting an uploader to your team
  • All scanned batches are present and accounted for
  • QR code errors have been fixed. If you have errors that are unable to be fixed, or unexpected upload results, please contact support@crowdmark.com including a link to the assessment you’re working on, email address of the account(s) having trouble, and any relevant PDF files
  • Scans from different assessments or versions have routed to the proper place. If uploads are not appearing in the relevant assessment and all uploaders are confirmed to have the correct permissions, please contact support@crowdmark.com including a link to the assessment you’re working on, email address of the account(s) having trouble, and any relevant PDF files

Matching

  • Student roster has been synced to ensure all relevant students are available to match
  • Student information is complete in the course. Students will not be able to be matched if the required information is not available. See this doc for more details on automated matching, and how to adjust student info
  • Run automated matching has been clicked (if applicable)
  • Un-matched booklets have been matched manually
  •  Extra or blank booklets have been labelled
Note: matching is fully separate from grading, and can take place before, during or after grading

Congratulations, you’re ready for grading!

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