Feature Request: Dynamic Score Recalculation After Key Correction

Dear Quiz Maker Development Team,

I hope this message finds you well. First, I would like to commend your team for developing such a robust and feature-rich plugin that has made quiz creation and management an excellent experience for my website.

However, I’ve encountered a scenario where I believe the plugin could be further enhanced. Currently, once a quiz is submitted by a user, their score is saved based on the initial key. However, in some situations, teachers or quiz administrators may find errors in the answer key after submissions. When the answer key is corrected, the updated answers are not reflected in the students’ scores.

Feature Request: Dynamic Score Recalculation After Answer Key CorrectionThe Problem:

Once users submit their quizzes, their scores are calculated based on the answers provided in the initial key. However, when the key is corrected after submission, the updated answers are not applied to the users’ past attempts. This results in inaccurate scores, as users are not given credit for correct answers based on the updated key.

Proposed Solution:

1. Versioning or Timestamp for Questions:
   • Add a versioning system or a last_updated timestamp to the questions stored in the database (specifically in the wp_aysquiz_questions table). This would allow the system to track when questions have been updated and whether an answer has changed.
2. Automatic Score Recalculation:
   • When a teacher or admin updates the answer key, the plugin should trigger a recalculation of scores for users who have already attempted that question. This would ensure that their score reflects the correct answer.
   • The recalculation should compare the user’s previous answers (stored in the wp_aysquiz_reports table) with the new correct answer and adjust the score accordingly.
3. Updating Correctness Flag:
   • The plugin already stores the correctness flags in the wp_aysquiz_reports.options field (in JSON format). When an answer is corrected, the plugin should update these flags and the corresponding scores based on the new answer key.
4. User Notifications:
   • Optionally, after recalculating the score, users could be notified (via email or through a notification system) that their score has been updated due to corrections in the answer key.

Example Use Case:

1. A student takes a quiz and submits their answers.
2. Later, the teacher realizes that one of the correct answers was marked incorrectly in the key.
3. The teacher updates the correct answer.
4. The plugin identifies all users who answered the question based on the previous key and recalculates their score based on the updated key.
5. The users’ scores are updated, ensuring fairness and accuracy.

Technical Overview:

• Database Adjustments:
  • Add a last_updated column to the wp_aysquiz_questions table to track when questions have been modified.
  • Store the version of the question in each user’s quiz attempt, so it is easier to track when the question was updated after a submission.
• Score Recalculation:
  • Upon updating a question, the plugin can trigger a script that compares the new correct answer with previous user attempts.
  • The correctness flag stored in the wp_aysquiz_reports.options field (which holds the question-by-question correctness in JSON) should be recalculated, and the overall score should be adjusted accordingly.
• User-Friendly Notifications:
  • If possible, a notification system can be introduced to inform users that their quiz score has been adjusted based on updates made to the answer key.

Why This Feature Matters:

• Improved Accuracy: It ensures that users’ scores are accurate, even if mistakes are discovered and corrected later.
• Fairness: This feature ensures fairness to users who might have answered correctly based on the new key but were marked incorrect due to the initial error.
• Administrative Flexibility: It offers teachers more flexibility and control when managing quizzes and ensures that they don’t have to manually adjust users’ scores.

I believe that implementing this feature will add significant value to the Quiz Maker plugin by improving its flexibility and user experience, especially for educational institutions where answer keys may need revision after initial use.

Thank you for considering this request. I would greatly appreciate any feedback or timeline on whether this feature could be added in future releases. Please feel free to reach out if you require any further clarification or additional details.

Best regards,
Vinode Narain
Medicoengineer.com