Simple Editor overview: Edit or create items

You can make the following edits to items using the Simple Editor.

• Change the structure of an item.
  Add, delete, or reorder parts, hints, and transitions. Change the number of columns from one to two or from two to one.
• Revise and format text.
  Enter plain text or insert special characters, TeX, non-breaking spaces and more. Change the format of the font family (serif, non-serif, monospace), text size, alignment, and more.
• Edit answers, wrong answer feedback, and follow-up text.
• Insert or edit images, hyperlinks, and tables.
• Copy and paste content (text, links, or tables) between text boxes in an item or between items.
• Adjust tolerance and significant figures for numeric and symbolic answers.
  

Use the Simple Editor to edit your own copy of publisher items or to edit items you have created (see next section).

You can open multiple items for edit, whether you are signed in to a single product or are working in different products, such as MasteringBiology and MasteringMicrobiology. Each item open for edit appears in its own Edit Item (Simple Editor) window.

Click a link below for more details about creating or editing questions with the answer type.

• Chemical formula or expression: Single or multiple term chemical expression answer
• Essay: Free-form text for either short answers or longer essays
• Multiple choice: One correct answer (can also be used for True/False)
• Multiselect: More than one correct answer choice
• Numeric value or expression: Single or multiple term numeric or symbolic answer
• Numeric value with units of measurement
• Simple text input: Single or multiple term simple text (letter, number, word, or phrase) answer

Notes

Mobile ready items: You can use the Simple Editor to edit or create mobile-ready items authored with the above answer types, with the exception of essay questions. Guidelines for mobile-ready content (includes requirements and restrictions)

To create answer types not listed above you must use the Advanced Editor. See next section for more details.

When you reach the limits of the Simple Editor, you can use the Advanced Editor. The Advanced Editor is available only on Windows systems using Internet Explorer. For more information, here is a link to the Advanced Editor help system.

To open the Advanced Editor from the Simple Editor: Click the Open Advanced Editor link in the top right of the Edit Item window.

The Simple Editor does not allow you to do any of the following.

• Create question content with answer types other than the ones listed in section above.
• Add video or animation*
• Add and edit any subhints (A subhint is a hint inside of another hint.)
• Add variables for randomization*
• Add and edit links to the eText*

* You can use the Simple Editor to delete eText links and to delete variable or media tags.

You can copy and edit any item in the Item Library, including publisher items.

1. Click the Item Library tab.

2. Find the item you want to copy and edit. Choose a source, make selections from the Item Filters and Answer Types area, and then click Apply Filters.

   Note: Any My Items you may have created or imported earlier are associated with the chapter "No Chapter Specified" unless you specify a chapter association.

3. Open the item by clicking its title from the Items list.
4. From the Manage this Item menu in the top right, select Copy and Edit Item and click OK.

   The item opens in the Edit Item window and its title is followed by "- Copy".

5. Make your edits. To check your edits without saving: Click Validate to verify the XML.

   • For more about editing: See Edit item elements and Format text and more.
   • For instructions while you work: Click Help or any available Learn more links, as needed.

6. When you finish editing, click Save or the Save & Preview link.

   Your customized item is associated with the chapter of the original item and is classified as an item in My Items.

   Important: If the item you edited was already part of one or more assignments, be sure to remove the item from the assignments and then add it to the assignments again to include your changes.
   
   

You can create new items using the answer types listed in the above section, “Use the Simple Editor to create these kinds of questions (answer types)”.

1. Click the Item Library tab.
2. Click Create New Item (top right of the Items list) to open the Simple Editor in a new window.

3. Make your edits. To check your edits without saving: Click Validate to verify the XML.

   • For more about editing: See Edit item elements and Format text and more.
   • For instructions while you work: Click Help or any available Learn more links, as needed.
     

4. When you finish editing, click Save or the Save & Preview link.

   Your new item is classified as an item in My Items.

5. [Optional] Specify a chapter and section for the item to help you find it later.
   
   

You can edit any of your saved My Items.

1. Click the Item Library tab.

2. If you didn't specify a chapter for the item, select No Chapter Specified for Chapter in the Source area.

   If you did specify a chapter, choose the chapter (Source area) and select the My Items check box (Item Filters and Answer types area).

3. Open the item by clicking its title from the Items list. The item opens in a new window.
4. From the Manage this Item menu, select Edit Item.

5. Make your edits. To check your edits without saving: Click Validate to verify the XML.

   • For more about editing: See Edit item elements and Format text and more.
   • For instructions while you work: Click Help or any available Learn more links, as needed.
     

6. When you finish editing, click Save or the Save & Preview link.

   Your item is saved in its original chapter location.

   Important: If the item you edited was already part of one or more assignments, be sure to remove the item from the assignments and then add it to the assignments again to include your changes.
   
   

Filter your view of the Item Library: Choose a chapter (Source area), select the My Items check box (Item Filters and Answer Types area), and then click Apply Filters.

• Items you copy and edit are associated with the same chapter as the original item in the Item Library.
• To find a customized item not associated with a chapter: Select the chapter No Chapter Specified.
• To change the associated chapter for an item: See Specify chapter and section for items you create or edit.

Only you can access items that you copied, edited, or imported, unless you add these items to an assignment and give the Assignments privilege to section instructors.