Case Study: Penn State University achieves secure, even‑handed online assessments and instant feedback with Questionmark

Penn State University - Customer Case Study

Penn State University faced the challenge of delivering secure, fair online quizzes to a geographically dispersed student body (19 satellite campuses and worldwide learners) while preventing cooperation and ensuring assessments reflected true understanding. In Dr. Paul Howell’s course—250 online and 150 in-person students—weekly 20-question quizzes are delivered via the university’s course management system, and the school turned to Questionmark’s assessment software to manage test delivery and item data.

Questionmark supplied individualized, randomized quizzes from a 250-question bank and saved response data across semesters, enabling Penn State’s measurement team to run complete item analyses, identify problematic or unusually difficult questions, and rebalance the pool so each student receives an even mix of content and difficulty. Using Questionmark’s multiple-response and drag-and-drop item types plus instant feedback, instructors improved discrimination between student ability levels and made quizzes into learning experiences, resulting in more accurate assessments and demonstrably fairer exams.

Penn State University

Ralph Locklin

Senior Measurement Specialist