IES Vidreres boosts math assessment with WirisQuizzes

Turning daily math practice into meaningful insight

At IES Vidreres, a public secondary school in Catalonia, math lessons are built around thinking, reasoning, and problem solving rather than endless repetition on the blackboard. Raül Fernández, a secondary school math teacher and school representative, has spent years refining a teaching approach that puts conceptual understanding first. To make that possible, he needed a reliable way to move mechanical practice outside the classroom without losing control or visibility.

That is where WirisQuizzes comes in. WirisQuizzes is WIRIS’s advanced math assessment tool for learning platforms such as Moodle, designed to create randomized math questions and automatically assess answers using mathematical equivalence rather than simple text matching. For Raül and the team at IES Vidreres, it has become a key piece in balancing practice, feedback, and classroom time.

From a classroom need to smarter math assessment

Raül’s use of WirisQuizzes did not begin with a broad digital transformation plan. It started with very concrete classroom needs that existing quiz tools could not solve. Over time, those small limitations revealed much larger opportunities to rethink how math assessment could work on a daily basis.

When standard quizzes are not enough

Raül’s use of WirisQuizzes started with a very concrete limitation of traditional quiz systems. Standard Moodle questions allowed random values, but they did not guarantee mathematically meaningful relationships. For example, generating random triangle side lengths did not ensure that the result was a valid right triangle.

WirisQuizzes solved this problem by allowing math structures to be defined correctly from the start. What began as a small technical improvement quickly became a new way of designing math assessment, opening the door to richer questions involving equations, functions, and algebraic reasoning.

How WirisQuizzes creates meaningful randomization

One of the first visible changes in Raül’s classes was student behavior. When every learner receives a different version of the same math problem, copying stops being an effective strategy.

As Raül explains, “You manage to make every student have different problems, so there isn’t massive copying.” Randomization is not just about numbers changing; it reshapes how students engage with practice. Each attempt requires real work, and each retry becomes a new learning opportunity rather than repetition. 

This approach fits naturally with Raül’s view of math as a discipline that requires repetition and confidence-building, especially in algebra and equation solving. 

Algebraic equivalence that expands what teachers can ask

Beyond randomization, WirisQuizzes evaluates answers based on mathematical meaning. Equivalent expressions are recognized even when written differently, and teachers can require specific forms, such as expanded, factorized, or simplified results.

This capability has significantly expanded the range of questions Raül can confidently include in his assessments. “It opened up many questions for me that I couldn’t ask before [with WirisQuizzes],” he says. Tasks that were previously too complex or ambiguous to grade automatically are now part of everyday math assessment at IES Vidreres.

How WirisQuizzes transforms daily math assessment at IES Vidreres

Once WirisQuizzes became part of Raül’s routine, its impact extended far beyond individual quizzes. It began to shape how practice, feedback, and classroom time were organized throughout the school year, creating a more sustainable and transparent approach to math assessment.

Delegating practice without losing control

Raül is clear that procedural fluency still matters in math. Students need to practice equations and algebraic manipulation. What he questions is whether that practice belongs in class.

Instead of spending lesson time on repetitive exercises, he assigns that work through WirisQuizzes. “I’ve delegated the more mechanical part to the digital platforms”, he explains. Students work independently, repeat quizzes as needed, and aim for a minimum required score, while classroom time is reserved for reasoning and problem-solving.

Seeing what paper homework never shows

Traditional homework often leaves teachers guessing. Did the student really try? Where did they struggle? Was the issue conceptual or procedural?

With WirisQuizzes integrated into Moodle, Raül no longer has to rely on assumptions. “I know exactly what time you logged in, how many minutes you spent on it, and what you’re getting wrong,” he says. This level of insight allows him to detect patterns quickly, identify students who need support, and even review his own questions when many students struggle with the same concept.

Intensive use without extra workload

At IES Vidreres, WirisQuizzes is used intensively. Raül assigns weekly quizzes, and students often repeat them several times until they reach the required score. This results in a high number of attempts, but also in a deeper understanding and stronger confidence.

Despite this intensity, the workload remains manageable. Moodle analytics allow Raül to focus on meaningful indicators, such as first attempts or recurring errors, without having to review every submission manually.

Support that fits real classrooms

When a tool becomes central to everyday teaching, reliable support is essential. Raül values how quickly issues are addressed by Wiris and how concrete the responses are. “The next day I write Wiris Support Team, I already have an answer, and after two days I already have the solution… It’s awesome” he says.

This responsiveness makes WirisQuizzes a dependable part of daily practice rather than an added source of friction.

How IES Vidreres reinvented math assessment without losing class time

The biggest impact of WirisQuizzes at IES Vidreres is not technological, but pedagogical. By moving mechanical practice into the platform, Raül has reclaimed classroom time for what matters most: thinking, reasoning, and problem solving.

Students practice more, teachers understand more, and lessons focus on learning instead of repetition. For IES Vidreres, WirisQuizzes has become a key ally in building effective, transparent, and scalable math assessment.