What is
Quiz
A quiz is a quick and informal assessment of student knowledge. Quizzes are often used in North American higher education environments to briefly test a student’s level of comprehension regarding course material, providing teachers with insights into student progress and any existing knowledge gaps. Quizzes play a pivotal role in higher education by enhancing student engagement, promoting active learning, and reinforcing retention of key concepts. Regular low-stakes quizzes encourage consistent study habits, reducing procrastination and fostering a deeper understanding of the material. Research supports the value of quizzes on student performance. A study from the journal Psychological Science found that students who took frequent quizzes improved their performance by an average of 10 percent on subsequent exams compared to those who did not. Additionally, quizzes provide essential feedback to both students and instructors, identifying areas of strength and topics that require further clarification, thereby tailoring the educational experience to meet learning needs.
A quiz refers to a short test of knowledge, typically around 10 questions in length, with question formats often including multiple choice, fill in the blanks, true or false and short answer. A quiz is much shorter than a traditional test or exam and is rarely impactful on a final course grade. Professors who employ quizzes in their courses—a practice which is increasingly viable thanks to the broader use of technology in higher ed—may schedule them in each class to ensure students have retained knowledge from the previous lesson. Others may hold pop quizzes, which are surprise tests geared towards making sure students have read course materials and are understanding broader course learnings.
Live quizzes and polls are valuable tools for assessing student understanding during and outside of class. They provide real-time feedback and help instructors measure comprehension over time. With platforms like Top Hat, instructors can design quizzes using a variety of question types, such as multiple choice, matching, click-on-target, and long-form responses. These tools can be used for live polling during lectures to check for understanding or as interactive homework assignments that incorporate multimedia elements.