Crowdmark: Lost Manual for Students (Assigned Assessments)

All our class assignments (Exam, Tests and Quizzes) are graded using Crowdmark. What you should know to make grading as smooth as possible ¹ Here is a brief desription how CrowdMark (Assigned Assessments= online) works:

General

1. Students get emails with their assignments. If it is Quiz, it usually contains just one Question. Tests and Exams contain more than one Question.

2. Students either write solutions on the paper and scan them or write on tablets. Resulting pdf they upload to CrowdMark Server. Please read https://crowdmark.com/help/completing-and-submitting-an-assignment/

Writing Instructions

1. Please use plain white paper (letter, or A4 overseas). Do not use color paper, or lined paper, or paper teared from the notebook.
2. Write on one side of the paper only. Any writings on the other side can bleed, creating artefacts. Do not use markers or any colours except black or dark blue.
3. Provide a good vertical and horizontal spacings and do not write in small letters. Leave at least .5 cm margins on each side and at least 1 cm on the top and bottom: the text on margins could be lost during the scan.
4. Remember, that if something is poorly readable due to bad handwriting, dull pencil, too bright colours, the grader can simply refuse to grade it and there will be no remedy available. Graders have a lot of papers to grade and they cannot spend too much time trying to decipher your handwriting or go through pages which hurt their eyes.
5. As long as it does not contradict to Rule 4, do not use too much pages (it takes longer to upload) but use extra pages if needed.

Scanning instructions:

1. One can use a real scanner. Settings are important: you want to produce the smallest possible and the easiest to read files. Scan as a black and white text. Each page should be no more than 300 KB then.
2. If you do not have a scanner, you can use your smartphone. However, you need to scan, not to take snapshots (photos). Colour photos produce too large files (takes time to upload!) of inferior quality. You want to produce black-and-white scan of the smallest possible size.
3. Make sure that the page is put on flat surface and aligned properly. Put your smartphone horizontally at the center. You can do it by hand or to use something like gooseneck phone holder (search Amazon):

4. There is a free or low-cost s/w for smartphones for scanning.

   • Cam Scanner for iOS and Android (the most popular among students s/w).

   • Scannable for iOS (my favourite).

   • My scans for iOS and Android

   • Scanner Pro for iOS.

   • Scanner Mini for iOS

5. No matter what you use, play in advance with settings.

Upload and Submit Instructions

1. You may upload, submit and resubmit before a deadline.
2. You may upload and submit after a deadline--and the Warning will be issued.
3. You cannot resubmit after a deadline. Because of this don't be "submit happy". Check everything carefully. I always look at log file for students who submitted after a deadline and I look when files were uploaded. If all files were uploaded before a deadline--I remove the late penalty, and if after--I adjust it.
4. Also, do not be "remove happy". If you uploaded a wrong file do not remove it before you uploaded the correct one and then check if you really want to remove it. Again: if you remove the wrong file and submitted after a deadline--I will look at log.
5. After you uploaded your files please preview them. Are they correct files? Are they in the right question? Are they are in the right order? If you are out of time, do not rearrange them!
6. Do not forget to click "Submit". In the very end, check if your work has been submitted. If you do not submit, we cannot access your work. Further, after a while your work may be gone.
7. Please retain original files. I may request them for inspection if you complain on Internet connection (including VPN).
8. You should email about your problems to me, not to anyone else. In the end your email may be resent to me, but with a delay, and you waste the time of the instructor you sent it.

Responsibility

1. Your Internet connection (including VPN) is your responsibility. If possible, select the most reliable providrer and the best VPN service.
2. You scanning s/w and your home WiFi is your and only your responsibility.
3. And if the dog ate your homework, you may discuss it with the dog or the dog owner, but not with me!

Aftermath

1. Next, graders grade your papers on computer screens. They provide marks ✔, ✖, ? (correct, wrong, questionable), sometimes underline or encircle, and text comments (which can contain mathematical snippets). If Grader cannot read a part of your solution, this part is neither graded, nor credited and appeals "Oh, its illegible but I meant ... " are rejected out of hand.

2. After grading is complete, we export marks to Quercus and ask Server to send you email with the access link to your paper, so you can see marks for each Question and all Grader's marks and comments. We also make an announcement via Quercus "Assesment ... has been graded. See your marks on Crowdmark and Quercus. Deadline for appeals ...".

3. When you receive your email from Crowdmark, please look at your paper. Even if you got a full mark, comments may point out minor errors and some ways to improve your work.

4. If you decide to appeal the mark please send email to the Class Coordinator,

   • Subject like "MAT244, Test 1, Variant A, appeal".
   • Your name should be exactly as in Quercus and Crowdmar

   • Use email associated with your Quercus and Crowdmark accounts

   • Start each question you appeal from the new line and explain the reasons ("I worked so hard...", "I made a small error but demonstrated a clear understanding of the ideas" are not valid reasons).

   • Remember to read all comments before appealing. Please respect deadlines; appeals submitted after deafdline are accepted only in exceptional cases.

   • Also remember that according to the University rules, regrading Question may not only increase but also decrease the mark. Please, do not attach any screenshots. Class Coordinator considers you appeal, changes you mark (or does not change it) and leaves his own marks (usually of the different color) and comments directly on Crowdmark.

5. Please check then you mark on Quercus. Sometimes (usually at the very beginning of Semester if you enrolled in class lately, export does not work as intended. In this case just send email to the Class Coordinator:

   • Subject "MAT244, Test 1, mark not on Quercus" (in case it is on Crowdmark). Again, no screenshots. Then your mark will be put on Quercus manually. You need to respect a deadline.
   • Your name should be exactly as in Quercus and Crowdmark.
   • Use email associated with your Quercus and Crowdmark accounts.