A File Download/Upload Assessment Task involves providing students with a document (e.g. WORD, editable PDF) for them to download and complete. The student then uploads the completed document and submits it to an assessor to mark.
You may choose to configure an assessment this way if:
- You have a pre-existing assessment task, such as a unit workbook, that you have developed or purchased
- You are in the process of transitioning over to using aXcelerate Online Assessments, and need a stop-gap measure until you have time to redevelop your content into a more interactive format
- Students have limited internet access, and need to work on the task offline
If this methodology sounds similar to how you run some of your courses, read on to see how this can be configured in aXcelerate.
Configuring the Assessment Type
Before creating a File Download/Upload Assessment Task, you will first need to ensure that you have set up an Assessment Type.
Assessments
- Click the Add New Assessment Type button
- Enter a Name for the Assessment Type. Try to follow a standard naming convention so that the Assessment Type is easy to locate and identify
- (Optional) Enter a Description explaining the purpose of the Assessment Type
- Select the Base Type: Marking Criteria
- Select the checkboxes for Allow File Upload, Task Visible to Learner, Learner can complete, and any other settings you require
- Click Submit
For more information on how to set up an Assessment Type, please refer to our Assessment Types help article.
Warning: You cannot change the Base Type of the Assessment Type after you have created it, so we recommend checking that you have selected the correct one before you click Submit.
Creating the Download/Upload Assessment Task
Now that you have created an Assessment Type, you can build the assessment task!
It is a good idea to have the files and information you need ready before you start. This may include:
- Adding the document (you want students to download and complete) to the aXcelerate Resource Library, or to your organisation’s online filing system
- Adding any images you want to use as the thumbnail for this Assessment to the aXcelerate Images Library, or to your organisation’s online filing system
- Knowing your RTO’s Assessment Policies regarding the number of times a student can attempt (resit) an assessment task
- Have the relevant Training and Assessment Strategy available so you can name assessment tasks as listed by your RTO documentation
Assessments
After clicking the + Add New Assessment button on the Assessment Management page in aXcelerate, you’ll need to go through and address several fields:
- Enter your Assessment Task Name. Try to follow a standard naming convention so that the Assessment Task is easy to locate and identify, for example, “Unit Code Assessment Number: Assessment Name.” Your RTO may have a compliance requirement that the Assessment Task name matches the name listed in the Course Training and Assessment Strategy. Assessment task names must not exceed 100 Characters.
- Select the Assessment Type from the drop-down list. You are looking for the name you created when you configured the Assessment Type earlier.
- (Optional) Drag and drop an image to be the thumbnail for this Assessment when viewed in the Learner Portal or add a URL for the thumbnail image. (Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, GIF)
- Enter the default Max Attempts as per your RTO Assessment Policy.
- Enter your default Passing Percentage.
- (Optional) You can select Default Assessors from the drop-down list of Assessor names if you have regular assessors who mark this assessment task. Default Assessors are added to newly created instances of the selected assessment. If the Assessors change regularly you do not have to make a selection at this point. Assessors can still be managed and customised for each instance and enrolment of the assessment later on.
- Enter an Overview of the Assessment. This is information about the assessment that is typically provided to students when they start a unit via the Learner Portal. For example, you could explain to the student that the assessment requires them to download a document, complete it and then upload it by a particular date. If you want students to have access to the document immediately, add a URL link to the document in this section. The document can be stored in the aXcelerate Resource Library or externally.
- Enter information to the Assessor. This information is not visible to the student and is only shown to Assessors when they are marking the assessment. You may choose to type information for the Assessor/s, or add a link to an Assessor guide.
- (Optional) Enter additional student information if required. Student information is displayed to the student at the time you give them access to start the assessment. If you want the students to have access to the document from a particular date (for example, 2 weeks after the Unit Start date), add the URL link to the document in this section. The document can be stored in the aXcelerate Resource Library or externally.
- Click the Create Assessment button
Creating the assessment task will automatically take you through to the authoring area for that specific task.
Tip: To add a hyperlink in your assessment to allow your students to download documents, first highlight the text that you want to link to, click the Link icon in the toolbar of any text editors, and then paste the URL into the URL field.
Warning: If you use an online filing system external to aXcelerate, you will need to update links in the assessment task if you ever move the document.
Authoring the Download/Upload Assessment Task
After creating the initial assessment task, you will author in at least one item for it to be functional.
- When you select Create you will automatically be directed to the page with an + Add New Question or Content button. Any questions added here will not be shown to the student, as the Task Items Visible to Learner setting has been turned off for this Assessment Type. However, you can’t save the assessment task until you create a question, so to meet the authoring requirements you can create a Basic question with the text “N/A”.
- Click on the Save Question button
- Click on the Save Changes button
- When you have finished, click the Publish button
- After authoring your assessment task you will need to map the task to the relevant Unit/s of Competency
For further detail on how to author an assessment task, please refer to our Assessment Authoring help article. For more information on how to map an assessment task as described in Step 5 above, please refer to our Assessment Mapping help article
Note: There is a 1GB limit on each file uploaded by the student (multiple files are allowed).
Note: The Preview button will display the assessment for you, however, it is not in the format that will be displayed to the student. The student will simply see the Overview and Student information set at the assessment task level. The student will then be allowed a file upload or text response.
Enrolling Students in an Assessment Task
We recommend that you use Learning Plans to deploy assessments to your students. Learning Plans help structure content and assessments to manage the student’s progression through the materials. Even if you are not delivering content in a complex order/sequence, Learning Plans simplify the management and access for your courses, including ensuring any assessment mapping you’ve completed will automatically link activities to Units of Competency.
Rarely, you may need to issue an assessment to a student as a Standalone assessment task, for example, if a student has applied for an RPL before they enrol in a Course.
For more information about how to add an Assessment Task to a Learning Plan, please refer to our Learning Plans help article.
For more information on how to enrol a student in a Standalone Assessment Instance, please refer to our Assessment Management help article.
How Will Students View the Assessment Task?
After logging in to the Learner Portal the Student will see an Assessments button. Clicking on this button will take the students to any assessment tasks that are open for them to complete. Alternatively, if the Assessment is inside a Learning Plan, the student can also click into a relevant Module of the Plan and launch their assessment task from there.
When the Student selects the assessment task in the Learner Portal they will see the Overview information about the assessment and the link to the document to download.
When the student selects the Start Attempt 1 of X button they will be redirected to a page where they can type an (optional) comment to their assessor, and upload their document by browsing or using drag and drop. The Submit button will then become available to complete the submission process.
