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NHSAS Training: ELA Tools

Main Tool Bar

ELA Main Toolbar:

Use the Main Tool Bar to access:

  • Question Drop Down List: Choose question #
  • ​Back/ Next Arrows: Scroll between questions
  • Save Button: Optional feature that lets you save technology-enhanced questions
  • Pause: When test paused, students will be logged out. They have 20 minutes to log back in. If they log back in within 20 minutes, all work completed will be saved for review and edits. If a student logs back in AFTER 20 minutes, all answered questions will be submitted as complete (final) and student will not be able to review those questions. Student will only be able to continue with unanswered questions
  • End Test: Click this button after all test questions are answered and reviewed to start the test submission process
  • Masking: The Masking tool temporarily covers a distracting area of the test page
  • Dictionary: Search the Merriam-Webster dictionary or thesaurus, select Dictionary in the global menu
  • Notepad: Open on-screen notepad  Per NHSAS: Any notes on the digital notepad will not be saved when a test is paused regardless of how long the test was paused
  • Zoom: Page In and Out
  • Click on the ?: Access Test Information and Help Guide. This does not help with content, but only how to navigate the test

  • Adjust Volume: Widget symbol (top right)

Context Menu: Question Options

For each question, students can access different Options found in the Context Tool Menu. 

  1. Access Options by clicking on the icon above the question. 
  2. Options include:

         

Tutorial: A video tutorial on how to manipulate the tools in the test. This is not for content. Click here for demonstrations of the item (question) type tutorials
Mark for Review: A student can flag any question to come back to it
Strikethrough: For multiple choice questions, a student can cross out answers that are NOT correct
Speak Option:  If Text-to-Speech enabled, choose Speak Option
Highlight: Place mouse in front of text to be highlighted. Left Click and drag to select text. Right click Options in Context Tool Menu. Highlight function will now appear

Item type tutorials show users how to navigate the items and tools available while taking an online assessment. While testing, item type tutorials are accessible to students throughout the assessment. Students can review the tutorials here to become familiar with the different item types that may appear on an assessment.

Click here to preview the Item Type Tutorials. Tutorials include how to use specific tools to answer the following question types:

  • Equation Response Editor (Math Only)
  • Evidence Based Selected Response (Read and Respond): Students read a passage and navigate through a multi-part question
  • Grid Item: Drag and Drop answers into the Answer Space (may include an object bank, number bank, etc.)
  • Hot Text: Drag and drop sentences/text on the screen
  • Matching Item: Select boxes in a table
  • Multiple Choice
  • Table Item: Complete a table by entering text into the text box(es) displayed
  • Extended Response and Short Answer: Students will have access to an editing tool bar
  • Editing Task with Choice: Highlighted text may need to be corrected. Students select the highlighted text and chooses their answer from the drop down menu
  • Simulation Item:  Read a question and follow the prompts to interact with this question type

Reading Text: Scroll and Expand Text

  1. Scroll through text using the separate scroll bar mid-screen. 
  2. Expand the passage/ question by clicking the double arrow. 
  3. Questions for the passage are on the right. Scroll through and answer ALL parts of the question. 

 

Written Response

Written Response Editing Tools

  • Assessments include written responses. For each written response, students will have access to the following editing tools:
    • Bold
    • Italics
    • Underline
    • Subtitles
    • Lists: Numbered and Bullets
    • Indent
    • Cut, Copy and Paste
    • Undo/ Redo
    • Spell Check

 

Highlighting Text

Text in a passage CAN be highlighted.

To use Highlight option students MUST:

  1. Move cursor to beginning of text 
  2. Left click and drag mouse over text to select
  3. Let go of left click
  4. Go to Option Menu. Choose Highlight Selection

            

Question Type: Editing

Some questions may contain words or phrases that are highlighted to indicate that they may be incorrect. To make the correction, students will need to click on each highlight to select a word or phrase from a drop down list. 

1. Highlighted word
2. Click for list of words/phrases