Understanding how Learner responses—both short and long—get evaluated on Edovo

Whether you're building a self-paced course or uploading existing materials, it’s important to understand how your questions will be scored—and how those scores impact a learner’s overall progress. This article explains how quiz and open-response questions are evaluated, how scores contribute to a course completion status, and how Edovo’s system uses smart tools to ensure fairness, feedback, and learner engagement.

Your cheat sheet for this article

1. Quiz questions are automatically graded if configured with a correct answer in the Edovo Editor.
   
   

2. Essay and short answer questions are scored using real-time validations and optional machine learning tools.
   
   

3. Learners receive immediate feedback and multiple chances to revise their answers.
   
   

4. Course scores are based on three metrics: quiz score, open response score, and time spent.
   

How are quiz questions scored?

Multiple choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank quiz questions are automatically graded—as long as you set the “Check Answer Correctness” toggle to “Yes” in the Edovo Editor. When that’s done, the system knows which answer is correct and will immediately score the Learner’s response.

These scores are factored into the Quiz Score portion of the Learner’s overall course score.

What is an open response score?

The Open Response Score is a new metric that captures how thoughtfully a learner engages with essay or short answer questions. Rather than expecting perfection, the score reflects effort and relevance—helping reward learners who reflect, apply key ideas, and write clearly.

This score is automatically calculated and contributes to the learner’s overall course score if you’ve set the question’s “Score Question” field to “Yes, this question directly relates to the course learning objectives.”

How are open response questions evaluated?

Open responses are scored algorithmically in real time. The system checks for:

• Minimum character count (set in the Edovo Editor when you create the course)
  
  

• Real words (not gibberish)
  
  

• Originality
  
  

• Relevance (if machine learning scoring is enabled at the facility)
  
  

Based on those validations, the system assigns a score:

• 100% = full credit
  
  

• 25–75% = partial credit
  
  

• 0% = no credit (low effort or skipped)
  
  

Learners receive immediate feedback and have up to 3 attempts per question to revise and improve their answers. Skipping a required question locks it in at 0%.

How do learners know if their answer needs work?

If a learner submits a low-effort or irrelevant response, they’ll see feedback asking them to revise. For example:

“This answer is too short. Try to write at least 50 characters and use complete thoughts.”

This encourages learners to try again—boosting both engagement and understanding.

What happens if a learner thinks their answer was scored unfairly?

Learners can flag a scoring issue by clicking the flag icon next to their feedback. These reports go to Edovo’s content team, who review them to improve our algorithms and question quality over time.

What contributes to a learner’s overall course score?

As of January 2024, Edovo uses three criteria to determine a learner’s course completion score:

1. Quiz score – Must be 70% or higher (or a custom facility threshold)
   
   

2. Open response score – Must be 80% or higher
   
   

3. Time spent – Must meet lesson-specific minimums
   
   

A learner must meet the minimum threshold in each category to pass and earn a certificate. Learn more in Understanding Course Scores: Passed vs Needs Improvement.

Who can see learners answer responses?

While Edovo prioritizes learner privacy, we also provide tools that help content providers and facility staff understand engagement and progress—when appropriate.

Here’s how access to responses works:

1. Content partners with a Premium Analytics Dashboard

1. If your organization has upgraded to the Premium Analytics Dashboard, you can view de-identified learner responses to open-response, reflection, and survey questions.

2. You’ll see responses tagged with unique learner-generated IDs (not names or personal info).
   
   

2. Facility staff with assigned permissions

1. Correctional staff can be granted access to learner-level data through the Edovo Insight portal, depending on their role and permissions.

2. These permissions are controlled at the agency level and may vary by facility or department.

TL;DR: Want your content to count? Set it up for smart scoring

Scored questions are a powerful tool for both engagement and evaluation.

• Quiz questions need correct answers marked.
  
  

• Open responses reward relevance, reflection, and real effort.
  
  

• Learners can revise answers and even flag feedback if something feels off.
  
  

• All scores roll into a final course score—so build questions that matter, and make them count.