June 22, 2006
Faculty member claims Flexcar prize in quiz
Steven Goodreau, assistant professor of anthropology, won $100 worth of Flexcar use after completing a quiz sponsored by the Facilities Services Conservation Campaign Committee. The quiz featured 10 questions about the UW’s efforts at conserving energy. Anyone who took the quiz was entered in a drawing for the Flexcar use, and Goodreau’s name was chosen.
The committee was thrilled with the response to the quiz, said member Karen Zaugg, noting that it drew 7,352 entries. It turned out that 27 percent of these were duplicates or retakes, but in this case, the committee was still pleased, because this meant that people were retaking the quiz in an attempt to improve their scores, Zaugg said.
The quiz provided immediate feedback on whether a response was correct and allowed participants to link directly to Web pages carrying more informative material. One question, for example, asked participants what happens to UW computers and other electronic equipment when they’ve reached the end of their useful lives. The multiple choice answers included crushed and sent to a landfill, shipped overseas, sent out for recycling or buried in vaults behind Balmer Hall. The correct answer, of course, was sent out for recycling. Participants could then link to the UW’s recycling Web site for more information.
When the 10-item quiz was completed and submitted, a page giving feedback on the score and links to more information was again provided.
Of those taking the quiz, 33 percent were staff, 28 percent were students, 3 percent were faculty, and the affiliation of 9 percent was unknown.
Zaugg said the committee may be planning other activities in the future.
