3 Instructor Environment - 3.9 Homework

3.9 Homework

3.9.1 Assignments

The optional Homework Assignments area allows questions to be scheduled which participants answer within their environment.

Questions

This section includes several assignments that are complementary to the simulation. The system also allows instructors to create their own, custom Question Bank, which can be used in any Industry they create. Participants enter answers via the Homework section in their environment.

Schedule

Instructors can schedule more than one assignment for each round. Once an assignment is scheduled, instructors have the option of rescheduling or deleting the assignment. If instructors have entered round dates and times using the Manage Course | Schedule Rounds form, those dates will be carried into the Homework schedule. If dates have not been entered, instructors have the option of entering dates. Instructors can also override round dates by changing the deadlines on this form.

Grade

Instructors click the Grade link to review responses. A list with all assignments will display. Clicking any assignment produces a list of the participants, sorted by company.

If instructors take no action, the default percentage entered on the schedule form will be awarded to each participant who responds (but not revealed until instructors check the Reveal box - either individually, or as a group - and then select Save).

To review and grade, instructors click on a participant's name. The participant's answer will appear, or if the answer was included in an uploaded document instructors have an opportunity to download and review that document.

The Select Grade dropdown displays percentages between 0 and 150 (above 100 would be extra credit). For example, if the assignment has a Point Value of 100, and if instructors select 80%, the resulting grade of 80 points would be recorded for that participant; entering 150% would produce a grade of 150 points.

Clicking the Save button completes the grading process.

Reports

Responses and grades are available from the Reports link. Reports can be generated via four methods:

• Summary of replies and points earned
• Listing of all replies (Use this method to print responses.)
• Question/participant summary with individual detail
• Question/participant summary with complete detail (That is, all questions for all participants.)

3.9.2 Peer Evaluations

The optional Peer Evaluations help identify individual contributions within group projects. The Peer Evaluations are a non-confrontational method for participants to help teammates establish their strong and weak points. Instructors may also use this feature to survey participants.

Questions

The Questions link allows instructors to create and review questions. To create a question, click the Add Question button. When the new page opens, type or paste a question into the text box. Click the Add Question button.

Clicking any existing question allows it be edited.

Instructors can review the Eval questions by clicking Create and scrolling down the page.

Create

Capsim has three standard Peer Evaluations, instructors do not need to create their own. To create a custom evaluation, enter a name then select ten questions with the select box. Next, click the Create button. The new evaluation is exclusive to the instructor who created it, and will be added to the standard evaluations and any other custom evaluations.

Schedule

Clicking the word Schedule next to any round opens a form The three standard evaluations and any custom evaluations are available via a select box.

Choose an evaluation. If instructors have entered round dates and times using the Manage Course | Schedule Rounds form, those dates will be carried into the Peer Eval schedule. If dates have not been entered, instructors have the option of entering dates. Instructors can also override round dates by changing the deadlines on this form.

Reports

For each evaluation, the Student Peer Evaluation Summary table shows the evaluation response for each participant including the overall score.

3.9.3 Entering Success Measures

This area controls the settings for the optional Success Measurements. The results are available from the Industry Scoring | Success Measures area (see 3.8.2 Success Measures).

In the real world, companies have different goals. Some firms want higher profits; others want higher share of market, etc. The Success Measurement feature shows how well each team succeeds in reaching any combination of eight goals:

• Profits
• Market Share
• ROS
• Asset Turnover
• ROA
• ROE
• Stock Price
• Market Capitalization.

Instructors may allow each company to decide which measurements it wishes to be judged upon. Companies can select values between 0% and 50%. Therefore, companies must select at least two measures. Instructors may enter weights for each company. Instructors can select any value between 0% to 100%.

Methods

The Methods link allows instructors to:

• Choose between Average, Ending, or (in the case of profit) a Cumulative criterion. Selecting NA will prohibit participants from using that measure.

Capsim recommends Cumulative for Profit, Ending for Stock Price, and Average for all other measurements.

• For measures selected as Avg, instructors may decide whether to weigh each round's results evenly or prorated to allow for greater emphasis on later rounds.

Schedule

The Schedule link allows instructors to choose the round by which teams will be allowed to input their measures. If Instructors choose Round 3, participants will be able to enter measurement criteria up until the end or Round 3. Instructors can enter/change weights at any time. Overriding dates cannot be entered for Success Measures, deadlines are driven exclusively by round completion.

The schedule deadline applies to both Practice and Competition rounds. If the deadline is Round 1, and three Practice Rounds are played, the Success Measures will become available again when the simulation is reset to Competition Round 1.

Weights

This area allows instructors to view the weights participants have selected, or enter or change them after the deadline has passed.

Availability

The Industry Results | Reports | Report Availability link lets instructors determine by which round participants can view the results of their selections, which display for participants as Final Score Relative and/or Final Score Ranking results (see 4.7.2 Debrief Reports).

Keeping the reports hidden until later rounds will prevent companies from seeing their competitors' selections, which could reveal strategies.