Create Items That You Can Add to Tests

You can create individual items in Authoring’s item builder by filling out a variety of item templates. Your original items can be added to the tests that you create in the test builder and test generator wizard.

1.To create a new item, select Create New Item from the Dashboard or the Items tab. The item builder appears.

2.In the list of templates that appears, select an item template to create an item based on that template. Templates with a pencil icon in the corner will need to be hand-scored by a user in Reporting.

• After selecting an item type, the item template appears. Item templates display sample content in each field, including the answer key. You will need to replace this content when you create the new content for the item.
• If you selected the Multi-Part item option, you will need to select the number of parts to include, the item’s scoring method, which item types to use, and then select Create Multi-Part Item before the template appears.

3.Fill out the item template. You can select Watch Tutorial in the toolbar to watch a video illustrating the steps for completing the template. More detailed instructions for filling out each item template are also provided in the section Fill Out Item Templates. Most item templates require you to fill out three main sections: the item prompt, the response area, and the answer key.

• Compose the Item Prompt: The prompt is the question or the directions that students respond to in an item. You can enter the prompt in a text box at the top of the template. You can use the text box toolbar to format the text and insert media elements, such as images, videos, and tables. Note, you should not add audio or video multimedia to any items you plan to administer in paper test booklets.
• Create the Response Area: The response area is the part of the item that students interact with in order to answer the question. The steps for creating the response area are different for each type of item template.
• Construct the Answer Keys: The answer key determines how many points an item is worth and how a student’s response will be scored. Students do not have access to this information, but it is used by the Authoring system (for machine-scored items) and educators (for hand-scored items).
  • For machine-scored items, the answer key shows a preview of the item’s response area, where you should enter a valid response and select how many points that response is worth. You can select to create more answer keys if the item has multiple correct or partially correct answers.
    • Optional: In the Explanation field, you can explain why each valid response is worth the number of points you selected. This information will also display in teacher editions of test booklets.
    • Optional: The Include Scoring Description checkbox lets you add a reader-friendly description of the rubric and an example of a valid response, which will be available in the Reporting system for this item. This information will also display in teacher editions of test booklets.
  • For hand-scored items, the answer key displays a Description field for entering a rubric and an Exemplar field for entering reader-friendly examples of valid responses for each score a student may earn. This information will be used in the Reporting system, where student responses for the item will be scored by hand. This information also displays in teacher editions of test booklets.

4. At any point when you’re building an item, you can align the item to standards and enter additional item details from the Item Properties panel in the toolbar above the template.

5.Optional: To see what the item will look like to students, select Preview in the toolbar. You can only preview an item after it has been saved.

• For machine-scored items, you can enter a sample response in the item preview and select Item Score to make sure the item is being scored accurately.

6.To save the item, select Save Item in the toolbar. Once you save an item, it is added to your items library with a Draft status. Your library items can be added to tests or shared with other users.

• You cannot save an item if its answer key has an invalid response.
• Items automatically save your changes at a regular interval. When an item is saved, this button will be grayed out.

• To undo a saved change, select Undo in the toolbar. A pop-up window appears, displaying previous drafts of the item. Select Revert for the version you wish to return to.

7. You can delete an item from the Item Editor. Within the Item Editor page, select Delete Item in the toolbar. Select OK to delete the item.