Cadmus is a secure online assessment platform accessed through the University’s Central Learning Environment (Blackboard/Canvas). It facilitates the whole assessment cycle from assessment design through to release of grades and feedback, as well as providing insights into student engagement with an assignment over time.
Cadmus also provides immediate support and guidance for students on, for example, good academic practice while they are creating their submissions.
Cadmus has a range of videos to help you get started. A recording of a training session delivered by Cadmus will be available to watch soon.
Benefits:
- supports assessment for learning with scaffolded assessment
- supports authentic assessment design with templates
- provides a drafting facility to deliver feedback before the due date
- generates student activity reports for whole cohorts. 'Insights' allows tracking of an assessment in progress - providing statistics on how many students have started, finished, already been graded and so on
- supports students as they develop academic skills and provides detail where there is a concern about academic integrity
Frequently Asked Questions - Academic:
What type of assessments does Cadmus support?
Cadmus can be used for a range of written assessment formats like essays, literature reviews, lab reports, tutorials and exam alternatives. Cadmus templates will give you an idea of what some common assessment types look like in Cadmus, and you can even use them as a starting point for your own assignments.
How are assessments marked in Cadmus?
Cadmus works as a ‘wraparound’ to Turnitin so there will be no change for the marker. Marking is done through Turnitin Feedback Studio as before. Marks are entered into the Feedback Studio document viewer and pulled through to Cadmus and Blackboard Grade Centre but are not released to students until the Feedback Release Date.
For more information, watch this video on Turnitin + Cadmus.
What if submissions require multiple markers?
Marking groups can be set up to make the marking and moderation process smoother. Marking groups can be created manually, or by using a CSV file of groups exported from the Blackboard course.
Check out this guide on how to set up marking groups.
Can Cadmus be used for formative assessments too?
Cadmus provides a drafting facility so that students can receive feedback before the due date. Activity reports can also be used formatively to support conversations with students while they are developing their academic skills.
What student support is available on Cadmus?
On every page, there is a Cadmus Support icon at the bottom right corner providing help to students. The Cadmus Help Docs page has a designated section for students containing guides and FAQs.
The Humanities eLearning Team has produced a student user guidance document.
Frequently Asked Questions - Professional Services:
How does Cadmus integrate with the University’s Central Learning Environment (Blackboard/Canvas)?
Cadmus operates as a wraparound to Turnitin so there is no change for markers. Cadmus can be used in both Blackboard and Canvas.
What are the key differences between Canvas and Cadmus?
Some key points of difference between Cadmus and Canvas:
- Canvas has been designed to deliver learning experiences and content in a similar way to Blackboard, whereas Cadmus has been specifically designed to deliver assessment experiences.
- With regards to assessments, Canvas is designed for educators to post assessment instructions and for students to submit their assessments. Cadmus, however, has been designed to streamline the entire assessment process, from designing assessments to releasing grades and feedback. It also provides valuable insights into student engagement throughout the duration of an assignment.
Cadmus has worked with a number of institutions as they have transitioned to a new LMS and using Cadmus has actually smoothed the transition for students. This is because the assessment experience remains exactly the same across both systems and students feel confident and comfortable in an assessment environment that is already familiar to them.
What reports can Cadmus generate?
Assessment Reports – an overview of how the cohort has engaged with an assessment over time.
Activity Reports – a detailed report on how individual students have engaged with their assessment over time, intended to support tailored conversations and support for students and to aid academic integrity investigations.
Do Excel reports from Cadmus include Student IDs?
Student IDs are available in-app on the Cadmus class list, as well as the Excel reports.
Does Cadmus notify students when they have submitted work?
Students receive a submission receipt and PDF copy of their work sent to their student email.
How does Cadmus manage late submissions?
Cadmus enables staff to efficiently filter to see students with no submission and contact them directly on the platform.
Useful links:
Teacher stories - how are other teachers using Cadmus?
Contact:
For more information about Cadmus or if you have any questions, please contact the Teaching Excellence team: teaching.learning@manchester.ac.uk