www.searchingforreason.net

Mar 29, 2020 10:25 AM

John Baldwin

Here is a link to an online logic course: https://richardzach.org/
Zach has more information on his blogs. I am not sure whether testing is included.

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John Baldwin
Professor emeritus
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-28-2020 23:07
From: Joerg Tuske
Subject: Online teaching forum

Does anybody have any suggestions about how to conduct online logic exams? My University uses Canvas/MyClasses as a teaching Platform and I am teaching a 100-level Critical Thinking class which includes some basic truth tables and Venn diagrams (for categorical logic). I would prefer not to have multiple choice exams but let the students develop truth tables and diagrams instead. Is there a good way of doing this within an online teaching platform?

Thank you for your suggestions!

Best
Joerg

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Joerg Tuske
Salisbury University
Salisbury MD

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Mar 29, 2020 10:37 AM

Craig Vasey

For Venn diagrams, I tell them to always have the minor term circle on the left, the major on the right, the middle on the bottom; to number the segments 1-7 from left to right; draw it on their own, and just report on the exam which segments are shaded or x'd. Or to draw them and send photos. Truth tables are not hard to do in Word: Use "Insert table," choose the number of rows and columns you need. Or, again, they can do them on paper and send a photo of their work.

Craig R. Vasey

Professor of Philosophy

Department of Classics, Philosophy, & Religion

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg VA 22401

540 654 1342

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------Original Message------

Does anybody have any suggestions about how to conduct online logic exams? My University uses Canvas/MyClasses as a teaching Platform and I am teaching a 100-level Critical Thinking class which includes some basic truth tables and Venn diagrams (for categorical logic). I would prefer not to have multiple choice exams but let the students develop truth tables and diagrams instead. Is there a good way of doing this within an online teaching platform?

Thank you for your suggestions!

Best
Joerg

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Joerg Tuske
Salisbury University
Salisbury MD
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Mar 29, 2020 11:12 AM

Jonathan Haber

Some LMSs have a grid-style question type that might support questions built around truth tables, although I don't think Canvas has that item type.

Canvas does allow you to create questions with multiple fill-in-the-blanks and multiple drop-downs that might be suitable for questions related to truth tables. While I know you said you weren't interested in multi-choice style questions, if you make use of exhibits (such as graphics of truth tables) or illustrated answers (which are supported in Canvas), you might be able to get pretty far measuring what you want to measure. If you want to post a sample question or two that you like to use in your written exams, I might be able to suggest some options. You might also benefit from that set of YouTube videos I mentioned previously on how to apply professional test-design principles when creating online assessments. There's a section on creating linear test items, basically the item types your LMS allows you to automate.

Best,

Jonathan

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Jonathan Haber
Chief Learner
Degree of Freedom
Lexington MA
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Mar 29, 2020 12:14 PM

Melissa Ebbers

Hi Joerg! Here's one question that might be helpful for deciding what approach to take: what would the format for this assignment be, if you were still offering the course in the physical classroom? For example, would you ask students to create and print a document with their answers, or write out their answers by hand, or allow them to choose among those options, or something else? The reason that I ask is that you might be able to do something very similar here. If you'd ask them to create and print a document, then as Craig highlights, they could create the truth-tables in Word (or similar), and create the Venn Diagrams either in Word, too, or in Paint (or similar) and copy and paste them into the same document, and then upload it. If you would ask them to write out their answers by hand, you could ask each of your students to let you know whether they have access to either a scanner or camera to create an image of their work that they could upload. (In the past, I've allowed students to do either of these, based on what works best for them.) If neither of these approaches would work well in this case, could you say a little more about what you have in mind so that we can help better in that way?

Also, if anyone is scheduled to teach online logic in the coming terms and would be interested, I would be happy to share my experience using Cengage's MindTap. Their digital platform gives students access to the eBook version of the text (which, when I asked them, most students strongly preferred over using the more expensive print version), and it allows instructors to create randomized problem sets for each section covered in the course. I've used the Hurley: youtu.be/BnqdYwvQzX4 The randomized assignment feature that is covered starting around 40 seconds into this video -- youtu.be/poW5DzHHXKI -- is really valuable: it allows you to create randomized problem sets. I used this feature to allow my students to complete as many practice problem sets as they'd like before completing a graded assignment with the same type of questions that differed in the details. My students *loved* this feature. They made good use of being able to do the problem sets, and reported that it helped them to make sure that they were ready for the homework assignments, quizzes, and chapter tests. Also, if, while doing the practice problems, they discovered that they weren't sure about something, they could identify the need to ask a question about it, which they were encouraged to do. Let me know if it would be helpful to say more about the platform, and the various ways that I've used it in my intro to logic course.

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Melissa Ebbers
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-------------------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 03-29-2020 11:11
From: Jonathan Haber
Subject: Online teaching forum

Some LMSs have a grid-style question type that might support questions built around truth tables, although I don't think Canvas has that item type.

Canvas does allow you to create questions with multiple fill-in-the-blanks and multiple drop-downs that might be suitable for questions related to truth tables. While I know you said you weren't interested in multi-choice style questions, if you make use of exhibits (such as graphics of truth tables) or illustrated answers (which are supported in Canvas), you might be able to get pretty far measuring what you want to measure. If you want to post a sample question or two that you like to use in your written exams, I might be able to suggest some options. You might also benefit from that set of YouTube videos I mentioned previously on how to apply professional test-design principles when creating online assessments. There's a section on creating linear test items, basically the item types your LMS allows you to automate.

Best,

Jonathan

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Jonathan Haber
Chief Learner
Degree of Freedom
Lexington MA

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