Using Numbas As a Revision Tool For Mathematics Students

Abstract

Summary of Teaching Context For the continuous assessment element of my courses, I use Moodle quizzes but to help students revise and practise the mathematical methodologies I have created Numbas quizzes. Overview of the Strategy ‘Numbas’ is a free to use online assessment system developed by mathematicians at Newcastle University. In Moodle the “calculated question” allows you to generate a bank of questions testing the same methodology by inserting variables within the question design. This allows for randomised questions being offered to the students. The only drawback is that it can only accept a single response for each question. Numbas allows you to design questions using variables within the question text but can also allow for several questions/answers to be posed within the one question. The answers can be numerical or algebraic. Furthermore, it allows you to code in the general solution to the problem using variables which automatically change as the numbers change with each randomly generated version. This allows students to compare their worked solution to the “model solution” and pinpoint where they are going wrong. In this way it becomes a teaching and learning tool.