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Upcoming change to default attempt settings for questions
Upcoming change to default attempt settings for questions
Thijs Gillebaart avatar
Written by Thijs Gillebaart
Updated over a week ago

On 1 August 2023 we will change the default attempt settings for practice questions in Grasple for all exercises which do not have overwritten the default settings explicitly. The changes are as follows:

  • The maximum number of attempts will change from 3 to 2.

  • The maximum percentage of points that can be scored on the second attempt changes from 0% to 50%.

These new default attempt settings will be used for both new and existing exercises.

You have until 20 June 2023 to provide feedback or concerns on this change. We will try to take this into account if possible and if not possible support you in handling this change.

This document explains the reason for these changes, the impact of these changes and in detail what these changes entail.

IMPORTANT: this change only affects the practice part of the platform. This change does not affect the formative or summative testing parts of the platform.

Reason for change

The reason for the changes is that students have given feedback over the years that the current default does not motivate them. The third attempt is often not useful, since they did not receive different feedback on their second attempt compared to their first attempt. In addition, not being able to score any points on the second attempt also does not motivate a student to try again.

We believe student motivation to learn from their mistakes is an important factor in their learning process. These changes help in activating students more because they will receive less repetitive feedback, are rewarded more for additional effort, and can spend more time engaging with a larger sample of the educational content.

At the same time, teachers still have the option to change these settings for their own exercises such that they maintain full control over their content.

Impact

For all questions which did not have the practice settings overwritten, students will now get 2 attempts max and can score 50% of the points on that second attempt if they answer correctly. This additional reward and less repetitive feedback will most likely lead to more motivation in students, which is known to have a positive result on learning outcomes.

This only impacts practice sessions (not tests) and only if the default settings are not overwritten by you as editor. Read more about how to overwrite the default settings here.

Current situation

In Grasple each question in an exercise has practice settings, which allows you as teacher to set the following:

  • Maximum number of attempts a student has for the question

  • Max percentage of points per attempt

  • Feedback at incorrect end state

The current default values (which will be used for a question unless the creator of the question has explicitly changed those settings and overwritten the defaults) are:

  • Maximum number of attempt: 3

  • Max percentage of points per attempt

    • Attempt 1: 100%

    • Attempt 2: 0%

    • Attempt 3: 0%

  • Feedback at incorrect end state: correct answer and detailed solution.

If you open the question settings at this moment you can see the default settings (if you have not overwritten them). See an example below:

New situation

The new default values (which will be used for a question unless the creator of the question has explicitly changed those settings and overwritten the defaults) are:

  • Maximum number of attempt: 2 (previous value = 3)

  • Max percentage of points per attempt

    • Attempt 1: 100%

    • Attempt 2: 50% (previous value = 0%)

    • Attempt 3: 0% (not relevant anymore because max attempts = 2)

  • Feedback at incorrect end state: correct answer and detailed solution.

In short: the maximum number of attempts will change from 3 to 2 and the maximum percentage of points that can be scored on the second attempt changes from 0% to 50%.

From 1 August 2023 on, you will see the new default values (if you have not overwritten them) in the question settings. Below you can see how this will look like:

Feedback, concerns or questions?

If you have any feedback or concerns, please let us know before 20 June 2023. You can reach out to us via support@grasple.com.

As always, if you have any questions use our normal support channels (chat, email and/or your account manager). We are happy to help!

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