For the last N months, we have been having the most remarkable on-going discussions about the word 'quiz' here at the OU. Some people don't like it, because they think it does not sound serious enough for a university, so we customised our language strings to change it to iCMA (which is stands for 'interactive computer marked assessment'), which is what our formal assessments are called (along with TMA - tutor marked assignment). But that annoyed other people, because not all quizzes are assessed. Some of them are formative.
Finally, we seem to have come up with a sensible solution, which is to avoid using any word at all, at least in strings that students see. So we have made changes like
Attempt quiz now -> Start attempt
This quiz closed on $a -> Closed on $a
Your final grade for this quiz is $a -> Your final grade is $a
This allows people to use whatever word they like for their quizzes/tests/iCMAs in the surrounding text and quiz names.
This seems like a good idea to me, so I was wondering if we want to make some of these changes for Moodle 2.0. What do people think?
I am not sure that your anonymous solution "Start attempt" is the good one.
Could we have a global (or course) setting similar to the one used to identify teacher and student etc. following local ( or language) practice.
In the french version, the word used is Test which has a more general and less controversial meaning than quiz.
Pierre
Could we have a global (or course) setting similar to the one used to identify teacher and student etc. following local ( or language) practice.
In the french version, the word used is Test which has a more general and less controversial meaning than quiz.
Pierre
I always disliked this 'quiz' word. It's sound as smth. short and unimportant (for kids only). Test/exam would be better (as of my 'very 2nd' English) as it's widely/commonly/internationally used and understandable. Pls, have a look on this (Answers.com):
"WORD HISTORY: The origins of the word quiz are as difficult to pin down as the answers to some quizzes. We can say that its first recorded sense has to do with people, not tests. The term, first recorded in 1782, meant “an odd or eccentric person.” From the noun in this sense came a verb meaning “to make sport or fun of” and “to regard mockingly.” In English dialects and probably in American English the verb quiz acquired senses relating to interrogation and questioning. This presumably occurred because quiz was associated with question, inquisitive, or perhaps the English dialect verb quiset, “to question” (probably itself short for obsolete inquisite, “to investigate”). From this new area of meaning came the noun and verb senses all too familiar to students. The second recorded instance of the noun sense occurs in the writings of no less an educator than William James, who in a December 26, 1867, letter proffers the hope that “perhaps giving ‘quizzes’ in anatomy and physiology . . . may help along.”
The Japanese translation uses "short test" rather that quiz. "Quiz is too trivial and unbecoming, surely," they said. But that was I think the designer's intention, to trivialise, or de-emphasise tests as a method of evaluation and to suggest instead something self-applied, mnemonic and fun, in line with the social constructivist pedagogy. Even so, despite my efforts, the Japanese translation went with the use rather than the original intention. And the module has come a long way since then.
I think that nomenclature has come up more than once before but, here is one of them. That was 6 years ago.
+1 for an admin setting.
In my organisation we use "Assessment" whether it is a self-assessment or a formal assessment. Was a major pain in the proverbial tracking down all the strings with "quiz" in them to change it.
H
In my organisation we use "Assessment" whether it is a self-assessment or a formal assessment. Was a major pain in the proverbial tracking down all the strings with "quiz" in them to change it.
H
In German translation we used Test as wording for Quiz. Both words are possible in German but Quiz sounds not as serious as Test. A global/course setting is not so helpfull for us because its possible that it isn't correct in combination with articles and structure of a term or sentence.
I agree with Tim's idea to eliminate the word "quiz" at all places where it is not really neede.
I agree with Tim's idea to eliminate the word "quiz" at all places where it is not really neede.
Dog kennel?
Oh no, no you have to say dog kennel to Mr Lambert because if you say 'quiz' he puts a bag over his head. I should have explained. Apart from that he's really all right.
I know this is a serious discussion, but I couldn't resist (apologies to Monty Python).
Oh no, no you have to say dog kennel to Mr Lambert because if you say 'quiz' he puts a bag over his head. I should have explained. Apart from that he's really all right.
I know this is a serious discussion, but I couldn't resist (apologies to Monty Python).