Now that we’ve talked about how to get started, let’s talk about the study plan organization, assessment types, and strategies for being successful. Assessments are learning activities that give you an opportunity to practice what you’re learning, such as quiz questions, written assignments, and so forth.

Study Plan Organization

At the start of each study plan there is an ungraded pretest to help you understand what you already know. Your study plan will update to make clear which sections need work or are on track. After you work through each section, you’ll wrap up with the Put it Together section. This summarizes key points or perspectives to help you synthesize what you learned.

Assessment Types

Waymaker courseware uses frequent assessments as practice for learning, feedback, and measurement. Courses use multiple levels and types of assessments designed to provide prompt, useful feedback to you.

Below is a list of the types of assessments in this course and some study tips on how to be successful:

Show What You Know

Show What You Know is an ungraded pretest at the beginning of each module. It previews what you’re going to learn and it provides immediate feedback on what you may know already.

• Study Tip: Consider Show What You Know as practice opportunities to help guide your learning. This is a chance for you to see what you already know about the module’s content from either your life experience or from learning in your other classes. It also points out unfamiliar material to help you focus your attention and study new concepts you need to learn.

After completing the Show What You Know, you will see areas that are on track and need work. This can help to guide you on where to focus your time studying.

Self Checks

Self Checks are questions at the end of each tile in the study plan. The purpose of self checks is to help you see whether you are mastering key concepts. Self checks also alert your instructor that you’re working through the material. These may also make-up a graded participation component in your course. If they do, you will earn your grade by completing each of the self checks. You will see a check mark that says “Self Check Done.”

• Study Tip: You can answer self check questions as many times as you want. The questions provide immediate feedback on how well you understand the material. Use them to help you know when you’re ready to move on or whether you’re on track preparing for the graded quiz.

Graded Quizzes

Graded quizzes come at the end of each module. To take the quiz, you will need to leave the Study Plan and go back to your content module. The quiz is a separate assignment link. You can take these quizzes up to two times, and your highest grade is recorded. Your first quiz attempt should help you learn. It’s very important to give yourself time to study and review in between quiz attempts. Within a module, graded quizzes cover the same material each time you take them, but the actual questions may be different. Please note that quizzes are meant to be completed in one sitting. They are not timed, but if you navigate away from the page before submitting, it will count as an unsubmitted attempt but will not be graded.

• Study Tip: After you take a graded quiz the first time, pay attention to the feedback you receive about what you got right and wrong.
  • DO take notes on what you missed.
  • DO use the quiz feedback at the top of your attempt summary to direct which sections of the module to review before your final quiz retake.
  • Write down questions to ask your instructor or fellow students later.

What will it look like when you miss a question on a quiz? Note the red box below. This response was incorrect. On the right you see a note indicating what area to review. Before the second attempt of this quiz, give yourself more time to study and practice with each of the concepts where you have incorrect questions.

• DON’T take the quizzes back-to-back! You need time to practice.
• Study Tip: Take your quiz attempt early, so you have enough time to review material and reach out to your instructor or classmates with questions before your final retake is due.
• Study Tip: Waymaker does not show you the correct answers for questions you miss. Instead, it will show you which answer you selected and point you to where you can find the correct answer in the course material.
• The Study Plan will update again to show you which areas still need work after each quiz attempt.

Since you will have multiple attempts on assessments, let’s discuss that a bit further on our next page.