Achievement Items
Achievement items are an optional WeBWorK feature in which students are rewarded with an "item" every time they get an achievement level. Each level gives a different item and each item can be used once. The items allow students to do things like get 100% on a problem or homework set, extend the due date for a set, reset the number of incorrect attempts, and so on. Students can see what items they currently have, and use those times, by visiting the Achievements page.
Enabling Achievement Items
Note: Achievement Items allow students to directly affect their WeBWorK grade. Do not use this feature if you would like the achievement system to remain separate from the grading system.
Using achievement items is a two step process.
1. Go to the Course Configuration page and select "True" for 'Enable Achievement Items'.
2. Go to the Achievement Editor page and import achievements using the file default_achievements_items.axp.
If you don't do both of these steps then the achievement items will not work.
If you want to change which items are given at which levels you need to do two things. 1) You should change the line $globalData->{SuperExtendDueDate} = 1; to have a different achievement item id. 2) Using the editor, you should change the name of the achievement in the description of the level.
When a student earns an item they will be told as much on the level notification. If they want to use the item they should go to the Achievements page and click the "Use Item" button. A popup will appear which will all them to use the appropriate item, as shown below.
By default the students will earn items with the given effects at the following levels.
- Level 1 - Earn 50% on a single homework problem.
- Level 2 - Reset the number of incorrect attempts on a single homework problem.
- Level 3 - Extends the due date of a homework by 24 hours.
- Level 4 - Changes the weight of a single problem in a homework set to 2. (This effectively gives 1 point of extra credit.)
- Level 5 - Changes the source file of one problem in the homework set to that of a different problem from the same set (with a different seed).
- Level 6 - Earn 100% on a single homework problem.
- Level 7 - Extends the due date of a homework by 48 hours.
- Level 8 - Changes the weight of a all problems in a single homework set to 2. (This effectively gives extra credit.)
- Level 9 - Reopen a closed homework set for 24 hours.
- Level 10 - Earn 100% on every problem in a single homework set.
Modifying Achievement Items
Because achievement items interact with core WeBWorK tables, including those for problems and sets, the items themselves cannot be created or modified using the web interface. However, you can change which items are assigned at which level, and there are a couple of items that are available for use, but not currently given at any level. Changing the item given at a certain level is straightforward. Open the evaluator for the level in question. It will look very much like this:
#Threshold for level 6
my $newLevelThreshold = 750;
if ($achievementPoints >= $nextLevelPoints) {
#set new threshold and return 1
$globalData->{DuplicateProb} = 1;
$nextLevelPoints = $newLevelThreshold;
return 1;
} else {
return 0;
}
To change the item awarded replace the existing item ID with a new one, e.g. replace DuplicateProb by ReducedCred. The available items, with their id's, visible names, and a description, are:
id : ExtendDueDate
name : Tunic of Extension
description : Adds 24 hours to the due date of a homework.
id : SuperExtendDueDate
name : Robe of Longevity
description : Adds 48 hours to the due date of a homework.
id : ReducedCred
name : Ring of Reduction
description : Enable reduced credit for a homework set. This will allow you to submit answers for partial credit for limited time after the due date.
Reduced credit needs to be set up in course configuration for this
item to work,
id : DoubleSet
name : Cake of Enlargment
description : Cause the selected homework set to count for twice as many points as it normally would.
id : ResetIncorrectAttempts
name : Potion of Forgetfullness
description : Resets the number of incorrect attempts on a single homework problem.
id : DoubleProb
name : Cupcake of Enlargement
description : Causes a single homework problem to be worth twice as much..
id : HalfCreditProb
name : Lesser Rod of Revelation
description : Gives half credit on a single homework problem.
id : HalfCreditSet
name : Lesser Tome of Enlightenment
description : Gives half credit on every problem in a set.
id : FullCreditProb
name : Greater Rod of Revelation
description : Gives full credit on a single homework problem.
id : FullCreditSet
name : Greater Tome of Enlightenment
description : Gives full credit on every problem in a set.
id : DuplicateProb
name : Box of Transmogrification
description : Causes a homework problem to become a clone of another problem from the same set.
id : Surprise
name : Mysterious Package (with Ribbons)
description : What could be inside?
this opens the file suprise_message.txt in the achievements
folder and then prints the contetnts of the file.
Gotchas and Unintended Features
This is a list of things which are a result of how the achievement system is set up and may be counter-intuitive.
- The achievement items allow students to affect their WeBWorK grade. For example, in a class with approximatelly 200 problems across 30 sets, very good students were able to earn about 10% extra credit. If your class has only a few homework sets or a small number of problems then this effect will be magnified.
- The achievement items do not always mix well with certain achievements. For example, if a student has completed 4 problems without any incorrect attempts and then has an incorrect submission the achievement item that resets the number of incorrect attempts does not restore their "streak" of completed problems.
