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Create a Survey
Step 1: Click [Site Info] in the site you wish to add the Forums tool.
Step 2: Click [Edit Tools].
Step 3: Place a checkbox next to the Assessments tool.
Step 4: Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click [Continue] and then [Finish].
The process for creating a Survey is very similar to creating an assessment. You do not have to use only the survey question type. All question types can be used when creating a survey; just do not assign the question a point value.
Surveys are completely anonymous and are not worth any points; therefore they will not be sent to the gradebook. TRACS generates a random number for participant submissions assuring complete anonymity. You will not be able to see which student said what or even if a particular participant took the survey, but you will be able to see what the students have said.
Step 1: In the menu bar of the site, click [Assessments].
Step 2: Select Survey as your assessment type.
Step 3: In the New Assessment area, enter a title in the Title field, and click [Create]. This takes you to the editing screen.
Step 4: In the question screen, from the Add Question: drop-down menu, select Survey. This takes you to the editing screen.
Step 5: Enter the text of your survey question in the Question Text area.
Step 6: Select the type of answer the survey requires from the following choices.
Yes, No
Disagree, Agree
Disagree, Undecided, Agree
Below Average -> Above Average
Strongly Disagree -> Strongly Agree
Unacceptable -> Excellent
1 -> 5
1 -> 10
Step 7: If desired, assign the survey question to the correct part of your quiz in the Assign to part section.
Step 8: (Optional) Assign the survey to a question pool in the Assign to Question Pool section.
NOTE: You must have a question pool already created. For more information on how to set up a question pool, please see the document called “Question Pools”.
Step 9: (Optional) Type in feedback for the survey question.
Step 10: Click [Save] to save the question.
You can create a survey using the same process as you would to create an assessment, since the “Survey” question type allows you to choose from a predefined set of scales commonly used for survey reporting.
Short Answer Questions:
Short answer questions can be used to gather information from participants that they must type in a text box such as their major or department.
Step 1: In the Questions screen, from the Add Question: drop-down menu, select Short Answer/Essay.
Step 2: In the Answer Point Value: field; enter 0 for the point value.
NOTE: Make sure to NOT send the graded to the gradebook when the assessment is published. Doing so will result in an error.
Step 3: In the Question Text field, enter the text for the question.
Step 4: From the Assign to Part: drop-down menu, choose the part (i.e., section) to which you want to assign this question. Leave this as the default value if you haven’t created any parts.
Step 5: To assign this question to a question pool, from the Assign to question pool: drop-down menu, select the desired pool name.
NOTE: You must have a question pool already created. For more information on how to set up a question pool, please see the document called “Question Pools”.
Step 6: In the Answer: section, you can opt to provide a model short answer or question-level feedback by entering it in the provided fields.
Step 7: When you’re finished, click [Save] to return to the assessment editing screen. You’ll see that your new question has been added to the assessment.
Multiple Choice Questions:
Multiple choice questions can be used to gather information from participants from a specific list, such as classification.
Step 1: In the Questions screen, from the Add Question: drop-down menu, select Multiple Choice.
Step 2: In the Answer Point Value: field enters 0 for the point value.
NOTE: Make sure to NOT send the graded to the gradebook when the assessment is published. Doing so will result in an error.
Step 3: In the Question Text field, enter the text for the question.
Step 4: Make sure and choose Multiple Correct Answers.
Step 5: From the Assign to Part: drop-down menu, choose the part (i.e., section) to which you want to assign this question. Leave this as the default value if you haven’t created any parts.
Step 6: To assign this question to a question pool, from the Assign to question pool: drop-down menu, select the desired pool name.
NOTE: You must have a question pool already created. For more information on how to set up a question pool, please see the document called “Question Pools”.
Step 7: Make sure to designate each answer choice as a correct answer.
Step 8: When you’re finished, click [Save] to return to the assessment editing screen. You’ll see that your new question has been added to the assessment.
Step 1: In the menu bar of the site, click [Assessments].
Step 2: On the Assessments page, click the title of the assessment you wish to work on. You’ll see a list of questions for that assessment.
Step 3: For each question, from the Question drop-down list, select the numerical order in which you’d like that question to appear. For example, if you’d like a particular question to be the third question, select [3]. Your questions will be automatically sorted.
To access the Settings page for an assessment:
Step 1: From the menu bar of the appropriate site, click [Assessments].
Step 2: On the Assessments page, click [Settings] beneath the title of the assessment.
Step 3: Click the black arrow for a type of setting to see the options. The settings available depend on whether or not your assessment is published. They also depend on what template you have created for use with an assessment. The default template does not include all possible settings.
Assessment Introduction: Specify the title and author(s) of an assessment, as well as add a description of, or introduction to, the assessment. The assessment’s creator (i.e., the user who was logged in when the assessment was created) is also listed, but you cannot modify this information.
Delivery Dates: Specify when (date and time) an assessment will be made available, when it will be due, and when it will be retracted. To set the dates and times, click the calendar icon next to each field.
Assessment Released to: Specify if you survey should be released to your class only or to anonymous users.
Step 4: To save the settings for an assessment, click [Save Settings] at the bottom of the page. Click [Cancel] to cancel any unsaved changes.
NOTE: An assessment must contain at least one question in order to be published.
To preview an assessment as it will be seen by those taking it:
Step 1: In the menu bar of the site, click [Assessments].
Step 2: From the Assessments page, under Core Assessments, locate the desired test and click its title.
Step 3: Click [Preview Assessment]. Then click [Begin Assessment].
Step 4: Click [Done] to return to the Questions page.
For survey results and statistics view the document called “Assessment/Survey Scores and Statistics”.
For questions, contact ETC Support at 245.5566. You can also email us at tracs@txstate.edu.
For the TRACS website home page, go to: http://tracs.txstate.edu/portal/login
If your login fails and you need help with your Net ID or password, contact ITAC at 245.4822.