Options for different question types

If you create or edit a question for Learning Catalytics, most of the information you enter is standard across all types of questions. Options information, however, varies by question type.

Descriptions of Options

The following table lists each question type and provides descriptions of its options. For some question types, it is possible to set up the question for automatic scoring. Other question types are either always or never automatically scored.

Question type & automatic scoring
(, , )

Options (when you create or edit)
Tip: Click a Show options link below, or click above the side menu (if visible) to expand or collapse all options at once.

Composite sketch

Never

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  • If you have added multiple images, select the Background image from the drop-down list. This is the image that students will interact with to sketch their responses.
  • For students using a screen reader, you can add Alternate text to describe the background image.
  • Click to select the Pen color for student sketches, and the Background color for transparent images.
Confidence

Never

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  • Enter Choices one at a time; or, if you have copied a list of choices to the Clipboard, you can Paste several at once.
  • Regardless of how you enter text choices, you can use enhanced editor features to add formatting. The editor appears automatically as you enter text or click back into a text box.

  • To remove any choice, click .
  • If this question has one or more Correct choices, check the boxes next to those choices. When you preview or deliver this question, you see the selected choice(s) in bold text, and see the letter for each correct answer listed under Answer. Students do not see these indicators.
  • Optionally, in Text that should appear after the choices (if any) enter additional text that students will see with the question.
  • Select Randomize order of answer choices if you want to display the response choices to students in a random order. If you randomize options, you can also select Anchor the last answer choice. This option ensures that a choice like "All of the above" always appears as the last choice.

Data collection

Never

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  • In Only include responses between or , you can set a range of numerical responses that will be included in the results histogram. Enter a positive number with one or two decimal places to set the lower limit, upper limit, or both.

    • Students don't see this range. If they enter a value outside of the range, they see this message to let them know:

    "You responded to this question; your response was [n]. Your data is out of the range specified by the instructor. You can click Change response if you want to replace your current response with a new one."

    • Student responses that include three or more decimal places are rounded to two decimal places.
Direction

Always

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  • If you have added more than one image for the question, select the Background image to use. This is the image that students will interact with to draw their responses.
  • For students using a screen reader, you can add Alternate text to describe the background image.
  • You can select one of three options for anchoring the arrow that students draw:
    • Anchor arrow at tail means the correct position of the end of the tail is revealed as soon as a student clicks or taps the screen. The student drags the arrow to position the head.
    • Anchor arrow at head means the correct position of the head is revealed as soon as a student clicks or taps the screen. The student drags the arrow to position the tail.
    • Do not anchor arrow does not reveal anything about the arrow's position. The student draws the arrow freely.
  • You can select whether to score the response as follows:
    • Score based on direction only, and then enter a value for Tolerance for scoring angle of response, in degrees.
    • Score based on direction and magnitude, and then enter a value for bothTolerance for scoring angle of response, in degrees, and Tolerance for scoring magnitude of response, in pixels.
  • Left-click and right-click points in the image to set the tail and head of the arrow.

    Result that you see when you click Save & Preview:

    Notes:

    • These positions aren't related to whether or how you have chosen to anchor the arrow on student screens.
    • To reposition one of the end points, left-click or right-click outside the image, and then left-click or right-click in the image again to set the new position.
    • If you select Edit question to return to where you set the arrow's position, your red and green points will appear to have moved, but they are still positioned as you set them.
Expression

Always

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  • Enter the Correct response using your keyboard, or select Enable Math Palette, which gives both you and students access to the palette for entering the correct answer.
  • Select Ignore capitalization if you want X and x to be considered the same variable.
Highlighting

Never

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  • In Passage to highlight, enter the text that students will interact with on their devices. This simple text cannot be formatted.
  • Don't include instructions here. Use the Prompt editor (above) to enter instructions.
Image upload

Never

No options to set

Long answer

Never

No options to set

Many choice

Always

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  • Two methods are available for entering text choices:

    • Copy a list of choices, one per line, and then click Paste several at once to paste them into the question.
    • Enter each choice separately into the empty text box. (A new box appears as you enter each choice.)
  • Regardless of how you enter text choices, you can use enhanced editor features to add formatting. The editor appears automatically as you enter text or click back into a text box.

  • To remove any choice, click .
  • Select one or more choices as Correct, or for an opinion question, don't select any correct choice. (Students will select zero, one, or many choices.)
  • [Optional] If you want to provide a hint or other comment after the choices (visible to students before they submit their responses), Enter Text that should appear after the choices.
  • Click and drag the double-pointed arrow at the left of any choice to move its position up or down in the list students see.
  • Or select Randomize order of subquestions to display the subquestions in random order on student devices. You can also select Anchor the last answer choice. This option ensures that a choice like "All of the above" always appears as the last choice.

Matching

Always

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  • For each Subquestion (left), enter one correct matching Option (right). The options can match more than one subquestion, but each subquestion can have only one correct option, as in this question that asks students to match each island nation with the ocean where it's located:

    Subquestions must be unique, but an Option can be repeated—with exact spacing and capitalization. For example, "Atlantic" and "atlantic" are considered two separate options, so both would be listed.

    Students see Matching questions as a list of subquestions with a drop-down list that includes all available options.

  • To remove any pairing, click .
  • Click and drag the double-pointed arrow at the left of any subquestion to move its position up or down in the list students see.
  • Or select Randomize order of subquestions to display the subquestions in random order on student devices. (Options in the dropdown list are always randomized, regardless of whether this box is selected.)
  • For this question to be scored, it must have correct responses (as opposed to a question that surveys for opinions or preferences, for example), and you must select This question has a correct response.
Multiple choice

See options

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  • Two methods are available for entering text choices:

    • Copy a list of choices, one per line, and then click Paste several at once to paste them into the question.
    • Enter each choice separately into the empty text box. (A new box appears as you enter each choice.)
  • Regardless of how you enter text choices, you can use enhanced editor features to add formatting. The editor appears automatically as you enter text or click back into a text box.

  • To add an image as a choice, first use Add Images (above) to upload the image, and then click (to image).

    The text box for adding a choice is replaced by a drop-down box, where you can select an uploaded image. (A new drop-down box appears as you select an image.)

    To switch the next empty choice back to text entry, click (to text).

  • To remove any choice, click .
  • [Optional] Select one or more choices as Correct. For an opinion question, don't select any correct choice. (Students will select only one choice, regardless of whether you select zero, one, or multiple correct choices.)
  • [Optional] If you want to provide a hint or other comment after the choices (visible to students before they submit their responses), Enter Text that should appear after the choices.
  • Click and drag the double-pointed arrow at the left of any choice to move its position up or down in the list students see.
  • Or select Randomize order of subquestions to display the subquestions in random order on student devices. You can also select Anchor the last answer choice. This option ensures that a choice like "All of the above" always appears as the last choice.

Numerical

Always

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  • Enter the Correct response, with or without units.

    Include units if your want students to enter units. Learn more about units for numerical questions.

    Important: All units for numerical responses, including currency, need to be appended to the answer to be marked correct. You need to append the unit value when creating the question. Students need to append the unit value when answering. This isn't case sensitive; however, it needs to be appended to be graded correct.

  • [Optional] Specify a range of tolerance values to consider an answer correct if it falls between and inclusive. If you included units in the correct response, include them here, too.
Priority

See options

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  • Your can use this Question Type to collect preferences or opinions about choices. Or you can require students to put the choices into a correct order.
  • You can enter choices in the correct order (if any), or you can rearrange the order later. Two methods are available for entering choices:

    • Copy a list of choices, one per line, and then click Paste several at once to paste them into the question.
    • Enter each choice separately into the empty text box. (A new box appears as you enter each choice.)
  • Regardless of how you enter text choices, you can use enhanced editor features to add formatting. The editor appears automatically as you enter text or click back into a text box.

  • To remove any choice, click .
  • [Optional] If you want to require students to put the choices in a correct order, select This question has a correct response reflected by the above ordering, and be sure that the choices are ordered correctly. If necessary, click and drag the double-pointed arrow at the left of any choice to move its correct position up or down.

    If you select this option, students see the choices in randomized order.

Ranking

Always

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  • This Question Type asks students for the correct sequence of items, including specifying that two or more items in the list are equal.
  • Enter items in the order you want students to see (presumably not the correct order). Two methods are available for entering items:

    • Copy a list of items, one per line, and then click Paste several at once to paste them into the question.
    • Enter each item separately into the empty text box. (A new box appears as you enter each item.)
  • Regardless of how you enter text choices, you can use enhanced editor features to add formatting. The editor appears automatically as you enter text or click back into a text box.

  • To remove any choice, click .
  • To change the order of the items you entered, click and drag the double-pointed arrow at the left of any item to move its position up or down in the list students see.
  • Use the drop-down boxes under Correct ranking to specify the correct order, starting with the first, lowest, or smallest item first. Then select its relationship (< or =) to the second item. Continue selecting items and relationships until the order is complete.
  • [Recommended] Click Save & Preview now to make sure the items and the answer are ordered as you want.
Region

Always

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  • If you have added multiple images for the question, select the Background image from the drop-down list. This is the image that students will interact with to indicate their responses.
  • For students using a screen reader, you can add Alternate text to describe the background image.
  • In the image you selected for the background, click to set a point at one edge of the region that students need to click or tap. Students don't see the region you create. Click another point to define a line segment at the region's perimeter.

    Tip: If your region has any curved edges, this and subsequent segments might need to be fairly short. You cannot drag points or segments into different positions, but you can click Clear to remove all segments and start over.

    Your third click defines a triangle. Keep clicking in sequence around the periphery of the region until you have fully enclosed the region.

    This example uses 13 points. Don't worry if your line segments cross, as shown in the second image. Your next click will probably uncross them.

  • You can click Add another region to start a new region.

    Important: Do this before you click into the image to add the first point for the new region.

  • Select All regions required for correctness if students must click or tap to identify all of the regions you create.
Short answer

See options

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  • Enter a Correct response if the question should be scored.
  • If you enter a correct response, you can also select Scoring should be case-sensitive and Consider this a regular expression.
Sketch

Never

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  • If you have added multiple images for the question, select the Background image from the drop-down list. This is the image that students will interact with to sketch their responses.
  • For students using a screen reader, you can add Alternate text to describe the background image.
  • Click to select the Pen color for student sketches, and the Background color for transparent images.
Slide

Never

Word cloud

Never

No options to set

Click here to read the topic about creating or editing a question for Learning Catalytics.