In this lesson, you will learn how to get started creating a Math Equation Response Item within the Legacy Item Bank. This item type allows students to respond to a math item using a built in equation tool.
Adding Standards and Publishing the Item are required to use the item in an assessment.
Where to Start

- Click on Assessments.
- Under Itembank, click Visit Itembank.
Create a New Item

- Click Create.
- Next click New Item.
- Select Next.
You may also start from the Items tab. Then click Create Item.
Question
- Select Math Equation Response from the dropdown menu.
- Click Teacher Instructions to type Teacher Instructions (e.g., Read the question aloud to your students) if applicable.
- Use the tool palette for special formatting. To learn more check out the Item Toolbar Overview.
- Enter the Stem. The stem is the beginning part of an item that presents a problem to be solved, a direct question, or an incomplete statement to be completed, as well as any other relevant information. .
- Click Save and Continue.
Teacher Instructions are only viewable on the Itembank Teacher Booklet.
Enter Answers

- Enter the answer choices in the space provided. These are the answers that you have determined are acceptable and should be scored as correct. All possible variations of the correct answer that you would accept so that the system can auto-score responses for you.
- Utilize the toolbar options to aid in creating the equations.
- The answer key for Math Equation Response Items assumes all inputted values are possible correct answer choices. Distractors are not inputted.
- You may add an additional answer choice by clicking Add Choice.
- Click the red minus (-) icon next to an answer choice that you would like to remove. Use the arrow keys to move the answer choice up or down.
- You may enter a rationale for each distractor to explain why a student may have chosen a particular answer option. For example, if a student selects "B. 10" for the question "What is 8 + 12?" he might have forgotten to carry the "1". Entering a rationale could help other teachers who have access to the item in reteaching concepts missed. Click the Up Arrow next to Rationale to enter the rationale.
- Click Save.
The Answer Choice Scoring options do not apply to this item type.
Rubric (Optional)

A rubric allows for partial credit scoring on an item. To add a rubric click Create Rubric.
- Enter a Rubric description in the space provided (optional).
- Click Add Rubric Level to add additional point values.
- Click the minus to remove Rubric Levels.
- Enter which response corresponds to the desired point value.
- When done, click Save.
If you add a Rubric to a Math Equation Response item, you must enter at least one response into the spaces provided. Failure to do so will cause an error in Online Testing.
Next Steps
Now that you've set up the question portion of your Multiple Choice item, learn about the next step: Item Details.
The next required step is Adding Standards to an Item.
Comments
1 comment
I followed these instruction to the letter and every student is getting a zero. I went back, duplicated every question and created a new test since I couldn't edit an existing published assessment and assigned that and still every student is getting a 0. Not a low score but a 0. Every question is wrong. I have no way to check to see if it will work before I push it out to students. I really think you need to just market this product as a multiple choice test creator only. It is not user friendly enough to create anything but a multiple choice test and your help articles are anything but helpful. It's nice that your product has all these options but if they don't work then what's the use. If I have to look at every students answer to enter a score why wouldn't I just give it to them on paper and not waste 5 hours trying to create a 10 question quiz. I really think your product is not living up to what was promised.
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