Create a Graphing Item

1. Select Assessments, and select Browse Item Bank.

2. Select Create Item.
3. Use the dropdown menu to select Graphing as the item type.

4. Enter the Item Stem. The stem typically tells the student what to plot on the graph (e.g., the line corresponding to a particular equation).
   • To insert a line break in the Stem, use shift-return (or shift-enter, depending on the keyboard).

5. Grid Configuration: The first chart, under Define Graph Attributes, displays what the question will look like initially to the student when they view the item in an assessment. Select the desired chart layout from the Grid Configuration dropdown. The chart will update in real time.
   • 4-quadrant coordinate grid, -10 to 10: Default layout. Displays all four quadrants, with x- and y-axis values ranging from -10 to 10, and an interval of 1.
   • 0 to 10 on both axes: Displays the first quadrant, with x- and y-axis values ranging from 0 to 10, and an interval of 1.
   • 0 to 20 on both axes: Displays the first quadrant, with x- and y-axis values ranging from 0 to 20, and an interval of 1.
   • Sample Data Graph: Displays the first quadrant, with a Time axis ranging from 0 to 30 with a label interval of 2, and a Distance axis ranging from 0 to 80 with a label interval of 10.
   • No Visible Axes: Displays a grid with no axes and no interval labels.

6. Customize Grid Setup: Select Customize Grid Setup to expand the customization settings. The menu will display differently depending on the selected Grid Configuration. The Define Graph Attributes chart will update in real time in response to customization changes.
7. Include axes and labels?: Toggle on to include axis lines and accompanying interval labels. Toggle off for an unlabeled grid.
8. Constrain to standard coordinate grid?: Toggle on to synchronize the grid axes; changes made to the Min and Max Values and the Grid and Label Intervals for either axis will automatically apply to the other axis. Toggle off to desynchronize the axes, allowing different Min and Max Values and Intervals for each axis.
9. Axis Min and Max Values: Enter the desired minimum and maximum values for the grid axes by using the plus and minus symbols, or by typing in the field.
   • For the axes to be visible, the Min Value must be set to zero or a negative number, and the Max Value must be set to a positive number.
   • Min and Max Values allow for decimals, but are functionally constrained by the Interval limitations, which include divisors of 1 up to three decimal places, e.g., 0.1, 0.125, 0.2, 0.25, 0.5.
   • The Grid and Label Intervals will automatically change to match the scale of the axis values, but can still be manually altered.
   • The Min Value is capped at -10,000, and the Max Value is capped at 10,000.
10. Axis Labels: Type the desired axis labels. The axes are default labeled as x and y.
11. Grid and Label Intervals: Enter the desired Grid and Label Intervals by using the plus and minus symbols, or by typing in the field.
    • The Label Intervals will automatically update to match the Grid Intervals, but can still be manually altered.
    • The plus and minus symbols will add or subtract to the Intervals differently depending on the set Min and Max Values.
    • The allowed Intervals are dependent on the set Min and Max Values. Given a Min and Max Value of -10,000 and 10,000, respectively, the maximum Grid Interval is 1,000, and the maximum Label Interval is 5,000. Given a Min and Max Value of -0.1 and 0.1, respectively, the minimum Grid Interval is 0.01.
    • The minimum allowed Label Interval is equal to the set Grid Interval. The maximum allowed Label Interval is dependent on the set Min and Max Values and the Grid Interval. It is generally a multiple of the Grid Interval, and not so large that it exceeds the bounds of the set graph.
    • For unnumbered gridlines, set the Label Intervals to 0.
12. Dimensions(px): Enter the desired width and height of the graph in pixels by using the plus and minus symbols, or by typing in the field. The minimum allowed size is 150 pixels, and the maximum is 800 pixels.

13. Include Arrows: Select the desired checkboxes to include or exclude arrows on axes.
14. Graph Title: Toggle on or off to include or exclude an overall graph title.
15. Graph Labels: Toggle on or off to include or exclude top, right, left, and bottom graph labels.
16. Coordinates on Hover: Toggle on to enable the display of coordinates to students when hovering over a plotted point.

17. Add Background Shapes to Graph (optional): Select Add Background Shapes to Graph to open the dropdown menu. Select an object to add to the graph, and plot the relevant points onto the grid.
    • Select Undo to revert the last change made.
    • Select Redo to reapply the last undone change.
    • Select Reset to clear the grid of all added objects and labels.
    • Select Label and select any point or line of an object on the grid to add accompanying text.
    • Background shapes added to the graph under Define Graph Attributes will display as static objects that students will see upon viewing the item. Added objects will also appear on the Correct Answer graph in grayscale, displaying a preview of the graph students will see. Background shapes cannot be altered by students.
18. Add Graph Title (optional): Type a graph title into the text field. If untitled, this space will be blank in the student view.
19. Add Graph Labels (optional): Type labels into the top, right, left, and/or bottom text fields. If unlabeled, these spaces will be blank in the student view.

20. Circle: Select Circle and select coordinates on the graph to plot the Center Point. Select a second pair of coordinates to plot a point (Point A) on the circumference of the circle, determining the radius.
21. Line: Select Line and select coordinates on the graph to plot the first point (Point B). Select a second pair of coordinates to plot the second point (Point C) on the line, determining the slope.
22. Parabola: Select Parabola and select coordinates on the graph to place the Vertex. Select a second pair of coordinates to plot an included point (Point D) in the Parabola function.
23. Point: Select Point and select coordinates on the graph to plot the point (Point E).
24. Polygon: Select Polygon and select coordinates on the graph to plot the first vertex of the polygon (Point F). Plot each consecutive vertex to outline the shape, finishing with the original point (Point F). Once enclosed, the polygon will shade in.
25. Ray: Select Ray and select coordinates on the graph to plot the endpoint (Point G). Select a second pair of coordinates to plot the second point (Point H) on the ray, determining the slope.
26. Segment: Select Segment and select coordinates on the graph to plot one endpoint (Point J). Select a second pair of coordinates to plot the second endpoint (Point K), determining the slope.

27. Sine: Select Sine and select coordinates on the graph to plot a point (Point L) determining where the midline of the Sine function will fall. Select a second pair of coordinates to plot a point (Point M) determining the amplitude of the Sine function.
28. Vector: Select Vector and select coordinates on the graph to plot the beginning point of the vector (Point N). Select a second pair of coordinates to plot the vector arrow, determining the magnitude and direction of the vector.
29. Absolute Value: Select Absolute Value and select coordinates on the graph to plot the Vertex. Select a second pair of coordinates to plot an included point (Point O) in the Absolute Value function.
30. Exponential: Select Exponential and select coordinates on the graph to plot one included point (Point P) in the Exponential function. Select a second pair of coordinates to plot a second included point (Point Q) in the Exponential function.

31. Default Graphing Tool: Select the desired graphing tool from the dropdown that will be default selected when students initially view the item.
32. Graphing Tools: Select the graphing tools to include as options for students to use while plotting their answer, and deselect graphing tools to hide them from view. Selected tools will be highlighted with a gray box, and deselected tools will have no highlight, and will be removed from the options on the Correct Answer graph.
33. Correct Answer: Plot the correct answer to the question on the graph under Correct Answer.
    • Select Undo to revert the last change made.
    • Select Redo to reapply the last undone change.
    • Select Reset to clear the grid of all added objects and labels.
    • Select Label and select any point or line of an object on the grid to add accompanying text.
    • Background shapes added to the graph under Define Graph Attributes will display as static objects in grayscale on the Correct Answer graph, displaying a preview of the graph students will see. Background shapes cannot be altered by students.

34. Add Alternate (optional): If there is more than one possible correct answer to the question, select Add Alternate. Another graph will populate; plot the alternate correct answer to the question. Continue to add alternate correct answers as necessary.

35. Select Item Preview.
36. Use the dropdown to preview the item from a Student or Instructor Role.
37. Interact with the graph by plotting points or other objects.
38. Use the slider to Check Answers to verify the answer key. Correct graph objects will be shown in green, incorrect graph objects will be shown in orange, and what the incorrect graph objects should have been will be shown in red.

39. When the item is completed, select Done.
40. Select Publish to make the item available to use in an assessment.
41. Select Save Draft to save the item, if it is not ready to be published.
42. Select Discard to delete the item.

Now that you have created an Graphing item, learn about Creating an Item Bank Assessment.