Akindi: Getting Started. (Video and instructions that appear below.)
1. Log in to a Canvas Course
Click ‘Launch Akindi’ in the bottom of the left-hand panel. Once launched, Akindi will automatically sync your course and class roster (including section numbers and emails) and be ready for you to create your first assessment.
Choose your assessment type
Select the type of assessment you want to deliver in order to quickly jump to the most relevant part of the article:
Paper Assessment
1. Creating a Paper Assessment
To get started, click the 'Create Assessment' button on the top right hand corner.
Set up your assessment by choosing a Course, adding the Assessment Name, and selecting ‘Paper’ as the Assessment type.
Choose whether to turn on multiple versions and select a bubble sheet layout for your assessment. You'll also have the choice of allowing Akindi to pre-fill the test sheets with the student names and IDs. Click 'Save & Continue'.
2. Creating an Answer Key for Paper
Enter your answer key by selecting the correct response for each question. Turn on ‘advanced marking’ options to control the weight and grading scheme of each question. Click 'Continue'.
3. Printing Test Sheets
On the next step, click 'Print Bubble Sheets' to open a PDF of your test sheets, download the PDF test sheets and print them using any printer and regular paper.
4. Scanning and Uploading Test Sheets
After the test has been completed, scan the test sheets to a PDF using any scanner and select ‘Upload sheets’ to upload the PDF to Akindi.
5. Resolving Exceptions
When scanning the test sheets, Akindi will call exceptions if student information is missing or mis-filled, if a student bubbles-in more responses than the answer key contains, or if a page wasn't able to be graded.
Select the one of the presented suggestions to or search the student name by ID of student number in the dropdown menu.
If you will only be delivering in-person assessments with Akindi, please skip to 'Analyzing the Results'.
Online Assessments
1. Creating an Online Assessment
To get started, click the 'Create Assessment' button on the top right hand corner.
Set up your assessment by choosing a Course, entering the Assessment Name, and selecting ‘Online’ as the Assessment type.
Assessment Delivery
Students have two different ways of accessing their online assessment. Either via an email sent from Akindi or through the 'Launch Akindi' link in your LMS course. Under the 'Assessment Delivery' field, you'll have the option to choose whether you want to deliver the assessment 'via email' or 'via LMS'.
Test Question Display
Next you'll choose, if and how, your test questions are displayed. Under 'Test Question Display', choose from the following options:
2. Uploading Test Questions
Display Full PDF
If you selected 'Display Full PDF' in the previous step, Akindi will prompt you to upload your test questions in a PDF file, then click 'Continue'.
One Question at a Time
For 'One question at a time', you'll need to upload a Word Document or .docx file of your test questions and then click 'Continue'. Akindi will read the document and ask you to review that all the question and answer categorizations are correct before moving on. Take a look at our 'Review Questions & Enter Answer Key' page on how to ensure everything in your test question document has been identified and properly categorized.
3. Creating an Answer Key for Online
Enter your answer key by selecting the correct response for each question. Turn on advanced marking options to control the weight and grading scheme of each question.
If you will be showing ‘one question at a time’, you’ll have the option to enter your answer key when you are reviewing Akindi’s categorization of the questions and answers.
4. Scheduling the Online Assessment
Set the times in which the students can access the online assessment.
The 'Activation time' is when students will be granted access to view and start their assessment. The 'Deadline' is when the assessment closes, meaning students can no longer access their assessment or submit their answers.
You’ll have the option to turn the test into a timed assessment. Under 'Time limit', select the hours and minutes that your students will be given to complete their submission. If you don't want to set a time limit, select the 'Disable time limit' checkbox.
5. Providing Extra Time for Selected Students
Once you click ‘Save & Continue’ you'll be taken to the 'Online Assessment Status' page. Here you can adjust the time limit, activation time and deadline for selected students that may require accommodations.
Select the student(s) from the table, click on the 'Actions' dropdown menu and select 'Edit Assessment Timing'.
6. Preview Assessment
Once you have set up your online assessment, click 'Preview Assessment' to get a sense of what your students will experience when they access their assessment.
Your assessment preview will open in a new tab & you'll need to click 'I agree' in order to see the online assessment you created, along with any settings you enabled.
7. Publishing the Online Assessment
For students accessing the test through Canvas
If your students will be accessing their assessment through Canvas you'll see an option to 'Publish to Canvas' in order to make the assessment visible to students in your Canvas course.
Once you click 'Publish' you'll be asked if you want to 'notify students' so that your students also receive an email notification about their upcoming assessment from Akindi. The subject line and message of the notification can be edited.
Once you hit 'Publish' the assessment details will immediately become visible to students, but they won't be able to access their assessment until the 'Activation time' has passed.
For students accessing the test from their email
To email all students their Online Assessment link, click 'Email Students Online Assessment'. You'll have the option to customize the subject and message of the email that is sent to students.
Once you hit 'Send' the emails will be immediately sent to students, but they won't be able to access their assessment until the 'Activation time' has passed.
For more details on how students access & complete their online assessment, take a look at our guide on the student experience.
8. Monitoring Student Progress
To help you manage the process of delivering an Online Assessment, select 'View Online Assessment Status' from your course dashboard at any point after you've set up your Online Assessment.
Here you can keep track of and sort by:
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The delivery status of online assessment emails
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The status of the assessment (whether published or unpublished)
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The number of questions answered by each student
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The amount of time each student has spent on their assessment
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Which students have opened or submitted their assessments
Analyzing the Results
Once the sheets have been uploaded or the students have submitted their online responses, click 'View Results' on your Akindi course dashboard to access the assessment responses and analytics.
Our results analysis help you to answer two main questions: how well did the student do and how well was the test designed.
Exporting the Test Results
Sync grades back to your Canvas course gradebook, by clicking the 'Send Grades to Canvas' button on the 'Results Analysis' Page.
There are a number of other ways to export the results using the 'Actions' dropdown menu. Export the raw results into a CSV file, download the question breakdown in a CSV, download the corrected test sheets or email students their grades.
Collaborating with TAs and Instructors
Invite a TA or another instructor to collaborate on a course or section by clicking 'Collaborate', inputting their email and selecting the permission settings.
The instructor or TA will receive an email inviting them to join the course or section.
