Personalized Learning at Scale: Adaptive Customization in Atomic Assessments

We’re excited to announce Question-Level Adaptive Customizations. These features empower educators with greater control over assessment design. With these enhancements, instructors can adjust individual question settings, provide structured support through Help Blocks, and generate dynamic question variations using data tables.

These tools enable more personalized assessments, helping educators tailor content to different learning needs while ensuring fair and meaningful evaluation. This functionality provides the flexibility to scaffold student learning, introduce adaptive question sequencing, or create randomized variations.

Example Use Case: Personalized Feedback Paths

Imagine an instructor designing a math quiz where students must solve a multi-step algebraic equation. With Question-Level Adaptive Customization, the instructor can:

• Use a Help Block to guide struggling students through the solution with incremental hints, unlocking additional steps only if needed.
• Implement Dynamic Questions that pull from a data table, ensuring each student receives a unique set of numbers while solving the same type of problem.

By combining these features, educators can create assessments that adapt to student performance, providing support where needed while maintaining the rigor of the evaluation.

How to Create a Help Block

1. Create a Starter Question: Before saving, open the triple-dot menu and select Create Multi-Part Question.
2. Add the Custom Help Block:
   • Click the ➕ button to add a Feature.
   • Select Feature > Custom Help Block.
   • Choose whether to display all subquestion widgets at once or one at a time.
   • Save.
3. Add Subquestions as Needed:
   • Each question added beneath the Help Block will be included in the block.
   • Subquestions will be optional, include a Check Answer button, and be assigned 0 points.
4. Reviewing Student Attempts:
   • See whether a student accessed the help button.
   • Track how many questions they answered within the Help Block before submitting their response to the initial question.

Dynamic Questions and Data Table Scripting

Dynamic Questions: Atomic Assessment questions can use data table parameters to create multiple versions of a question. Instead of hardcoding values, parameters can be inserted into the question stem and scoring criteria, allowing for variation.

Data Tables: Spreadsheet-like tables define the parameter names and values used in questions. They can be created manually, using the Math Question Generator question type, or via data table scripts.

Example: Instead of asking What is 3 + 5?, a data table can define:

A, B
3, 5
7, 9
10, 7

The question would then use parameters such as: What is [A] + [B]?

Creating and Using Data Tables:

1. Create or edit an item.
2. Use the three-dot menu to select Data Tables.
3. Enter a header row specifying parameter names.
4. Add rows with parameter values.
5. Select Add Script.
6. If no errors exist, apply the table.
7. Insert parameters into the question using the Data drop-down in the rich content editor.

Item Data Table Scripts

Atomic Assessment data table scripts support JavaScript in defining column names (setColumns) and adding rows (addRow). Random value generation (getRandom, seed) is also supported.

Example API Functions:

• setColumns(["A", "B"]) defines column names.
• addRow([3, 5]) adds a row.
• getRandom() generates a random number.
• seed(42) ensures repeatable results.

Custom Initialization Scripts: Instructors can request Atomic Jolt to add custom scripts for retrieving external data or defining helper functions.

Why It Matters

Every class is unique, and every student learns differently. With question-level customization, educators have the tools to craft assessments that better support differentiated learning and more accurately measure student progress.

Get Started Today

This feature is available for all users. Try it out and experience the next level of assessment customization! If you have any questions, check out our knowledge base or reach out to our support team.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to enhance your assessment experience!

New to Atomic Assessments? Sign up for a demo and learn more!