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How and where can I do a bulk assessment?

Objectives and content of this instruction

As a coach, you usually evaluate individual performances and individual participants. Sometimes, however, you increase your efficiency by using the bulk assessment. This guide shows you how to do it.

Target group

[ ] Authors [x] Coaches [ ] Participants

[ ] Beginners [x] Advanced users [x] Experts

Expected previous knowledge
  • Experience with the assessment tool

What is a bulk assessment?

With a bulk assessment you may assess several participants with the assessment tool at a time of your choice at once.

Bulk assessments can be done for the assessable course elements

  • course element "Task",
  • course element "Group task",
  • course element "Assessment" and
  • course element "Video task".

For course elements "Task" and "Assessment" you may also do a bulk assessment for groups used in these elements.

Who can do a bulk assessment?

A bulk assessment can be performed by all persons who are otherwise authorized to assess. These are primarily the coaches of a course.

Note

Depending on the configuration of a course element, different options are available.

If the option "Assessment" is not activated in the course element, no bulk assessment can be carried out.

The course element must be configured so that at least one of the following options is activated:

  • Score
  • Passed
  • Comment
  • Files

Where do you start a bulk assessment?

You start the bulk assessment in the assessment tool of the course:
Course > Administration > Assessment tool

There are two ways:

  • The button "Bulk assessment" at the top right opens the overview of bulk assessments. With the button "Start new bulk assessment", the wizard begins at step 1, in which you choose the course element.
  • For the course elements "Task" and "Assessment", depending on the configuration, the tab "Participants" additionally shows the button "Start new bulk assessment". The course element is then already chosen, and the wizard begins at step 2.

Start the bulk assessment in the course element "Task"

Course > Administration > Assessment tool > "Task" > Participants
Click the button "Start new bulk assessment" or the button "Bulk assessment" at the top right.

Marked: the course element Task in the menu on the left, the button Start new bulk assessment above the participant list and the button Bulk assessment at the top right

Start the bulk assessment in the course element "Group task"

Course > Administration > Assessment tool > "Group task" > Participants
Click the button "Bulk assessment" at the top right.

Marked: the course element Group task in the menu on the left and the button Bulk assessment at the top right, there is no start button of its own above the group list

Start the bulk assessment in the course element "Assessment"

Course > Administration > Assessment tool > "Assessment" > Participants
Click the button "Start new bulk assessment" or the button "Bulk assessment" at the top right.

Marked: the course element Assessment in the menu on the left, the button Start new bulk assessment next to Reset all data and the button Bulk assessment at the top right

Bulk assessment for an entire course or a group

A bulk assessment always applies to a single course element. If you want to assess an entire course or a certain group, carry out the bulk assessment separately for each course element which this course contains or which this group works on. For each course element, one of the above procedures applies.

How do I proceed after the start?

After the start, a wizard with five steps guides you through the bulk assessment.

Step 1: Select course element

Only the assessable course elements from the selected course are displayed in a list. Select the desired course element.

List of the assessable course elements Task, Group task and Assessment, each with a link Select

Step 2: Prepare and insert assessment data

In the second step, you insert the assessment data and define how OpenOlat takes them over:

  • separated by: "Tab" or "Comma"
  • Status: Set to status "Assessed", Set to status "To review" or "Do not change status"
  • Release assessment: "Released", "Not released" or "Do not change". The field appears if you may edit the release of the assessment.
  • Submission: "Accept submission" or "Do not change", only for the course elements "Task" and "Group task"
  • Return files (ZIP Archive with subfolder per user): only if the course element provides return files

Empty data field, separator Tab or Comma, options for Status, Release assessment and Submission as well as the upload of the return files as ZIP

Note on course element task

For the course element task, you can additionally select whether the submission was accepted and upload zipped return files. If no such course element is included, "Submission" and "Return files" are not applicable.

Step 2a: Prepare assessment data

For bulk assessment, you need a list that includes

  • the user identification (username, registered email address or institution number/matriculation number),
  • the number of points,
  • status
  • and, if desired, the comment.

The individual fields are separated by tab or comma.

Note

  • Subpoints can be entered with comma or period (Attention: comma cannot be used if comma is used as separator).

  • You can use the following inputs for the passed status: Passed: y, yes, passed, true, 1, bestanden
    Failed: n, no, failed, false, 0, nicht bestanden

The easiest way is to use a table from Excel or OpenOffice and fill it with values.

Table with the columns User name, Score, Passed with y or n and Comment for six persons

Step 2b: Insert Assessment data

Upload here the assessment data created outside OpenOlat by "copy+paste" into the free field. If you have exported the empty table before, there should be no syntax problems. For "separated by", select the option "Tab" if you are transferring data from an Excel file.

Alternatively, you can enter the data manually.

Example, copied from Excel:

Rows pasted from Excel with first name, last name, email address and numerical values, separated by tab

Example, manual input:

micki,5,y,excellent The person with the username "micki" gets a score of 5, a "passed" status and a comment added.
micki,,y,excellent If the score is not needed, leave the field blank. However, the placeholder must still be inserted.
micki,4,y,"" To reset comments, you can use "", as this example shows.

Note on manual data entry

If you enter the data manually, you must select the option "Comma" for "separated by" to take over the data correctly.

Note on bulk assessment of course element task

Create a folder for each participant who receives a return file. Place the individual feedback for each person there. Zip the folders and upload the ZIP file in this step under "Return files".

Step 3: Column mapping

In step Column mapping you can assign which columns of your externally created assessment (of your inserted data from Excel) stand for which field. Only the fields that the course element assesses appear: "Identifier" always, "Score", "Passed" and "Comment" depending on the configuration. Set a column that is not to be taken over to "Ignore".
For example:

  • Identifier => Column 3
  • Score => Column 7
  • Passed => Column 8
  • Comment => Ignore

Identifier set to Column 3, Passed to Column 8 and Comment to Column 9, below the preview of the inserted columns

Tip

The easiest way is to first activate the desired table columns in the assessment overview and then download the empty or only partially filled table. This way you get an optimal table template, which you only have to fill in accordingly.

Step 4: Validation

This step is used to check the inserted assessment data once again. You will be shown once again which information is taken over and how, and whether there are any problems.

Configured assessment features Passed and Comment, below Validation of data successful for four entries

Step 5: Schedule

Here you can define whether the bulk assessment takes place "Immediately" or "Later, scheduled by date".

Execution selectable as Immediately or Later, scheduled by date

Result

After performing the steps of the wizard, the changes made appear in the assessment table.

Further information

Mentioned on this page
Assessment tool - overview >
Types of Course Elements >

Further reading
Assessment of course modules >
Assessing tasks and group tasks >
Course Element "Assessment" >
Course Element "Video task" >

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