How Ximera assigns progress to students as they complete an assignment.

For each distinct URL assigned, including an entire xourse file, Ximera reports a number between \(0\) and \(1\), with \(1\) representing “complete.”

1 Progress within a Ximera file

The total progress of a given Ximera file is broken up evenly with top level environment and any YouTube videos, which could be in environments. For example, let’s say you have the following Ximera document: 

\documentclass{ximera}
\title{An Example Document}
\author{Jane Doe}
\begin{document}
\begin{abstract}
An example to help understand progress.
\end{abstract}
\maketitle

\begin{theorem}
If $x$ is a real number with $x=1$, then $x+x = 2$.
\end{theorem}

\begin{question}
In order to apply the theorem, $x$ must be
(select all that apply):
\begin{selectAll}
    \choice{A variable.}
    \choice[correct]{A real number.}
    \choice{An arbitrary constant.}
    \choice[correct]{Equal to $1$.}
    \choice{Trick question, $x$ is a letter.}
    \end{selectAll}
    \begin{problem}
    What does the theorem conclude that $x+x$ equals?
    \[
    x + x = \answer{2}
    \]
    \end{problem}
\end{question}

\begin{remark}
We have the theorem given to us, and it has two parts,
the ‘‘if’’ statement that sets the necessary hypotheses
to apply the theorem, and the ‘‘then’’ statement which
tells us the result.
\end{remark}

\begin{problem}
Compute $1+2$.
                                                                  

                                                                  
\[
1+2=\answer{3}
\]
\end{problem}
\end{document}

Above there are four top level theorem environments above: A theorem, question, remark, and a problem. Each of these is worth \(25\%\) of the total credit. The breakdown of points is described below:

Theorem environment

Worth 25% contingent on completion.

No answerables

Automatically flagged as complete.

Question environment

Worth 25% contingent on completion.

selectAll

Sub-environment worth 50% of the enclosing environment contingent on completion.

Problem environment

Sub-environment Worth 50% of the enclosing environment contingent on completion.

Remark environment

Worth 25% contingent on completion.

No answerables

Automatically flagged as complete.

Problem environment

Worth 25% contingent on completion.

In table form:

\[ \begin{array}{lcc} \text {Environment} & \text {Problem Level Credit} & \text {Total Credit} \\\hline \text {Theorem} & & 25\%\\ \text {Question} & & \\ \text {\textbullet ~Select all} & 50\% & 12.5\%\\ \text {\textbullet ~Sub-problem} & & \\ \text {\phantom {\textbullet }~--~Answer box} & 50\% & 12.5\%\\ \text {Remark} & & 25\%\\ \text {Problem} & & \\ \text {\textbullet ~Answer box} & 100\% & 25\%\\ \end{array} \]

There are things to notice here.

(a)
Environments that don’t have answerables automatically give credit as soon as the page is loaded. This also means that a large portion of the tile’s credit could (theoretically) be given just for loading the page, without doing anything. Getting some credit for loading the page doesn’t seem to result in less effort spent on the page.
(b)
Only environments and YouTube give credit. All answerables must be in an environment.
(c)
Since credit is split evenly at the top-level environment count only, problems with lots of parts, nested or not, can end up with nested problems that are worth significantly less compared to a problem that has no nested problems.

2 Progress within a xourse

Credit for a xourse is split evenly between all Ximera activities listed in the xourse.

2024-12-23 16:28:56