Question Metadata and Efficient Quiz Creation

For the most efficient use of quiz questions if you want to make sure that students are asked certain types of questions (those that measure the achievement of a particular learning outcome, those that are classified by level of difficulty, etc.), group them into separate sections in the Question Library that have the appropriate metadata as part of the name. For example, instead of one section for all 160 multiple choice questions for chapter 1, create a section containing the 20 multiple choice questions associated with outcome 1.1, another 20 for those associated with outcome 1.2, etc. Doing so will make it easy to create random sections in a quiz where there are three questions that focus on outcome 1.1, four on outcome 1.2, etc.

Names for Content Topics

For the content in my online class, I typically have a module per week or lecture subject. The first content topic within that module is an overview of the subject, with a list of associated assignments and other resources I have available within that module. I like to give that topic the title "Overview," but this can cause a problem when I want to link to that topic from some other place or use it as part of a release condition. In a full-term class I might have a dozen or more topics named "Overview" and therefore might pick the wrong one. To help me with this I include the name of the module in the name of the overview content topic (e.g., "Reconstruction Overview"), but still call it "Overview" in the Short Title field.

Simultaneously edit content items

On the Manage Content page, the multi-edit icon can be used to make changes to several topics and/or modules simultaneously. [VIDEO DEMO]

Recover Dropbox Files for Dropped Students

If a student submitted files to a dropbox folder and then dropped the course, the date and time of the student's submissions appear on the dropbox User Progress page (user progress for dropped students is accessible from the Reports page of the Classlist). However, any files submitted are not accessible unless the student is enrolled in a course offering. So you have to re-enroll a dropped student's user account to access any dropbox files submitted while that student was enrolled in the class.