Simple text answer type

You can use this answer type to create mobile-ready Mastering questions which can be completed on a smartphone, tablet, or on a computer. Guidelines for mobile-ready items

You can make the following edits to simple text input answers:

• Change the number of correct answer terms
• Change whether answers need to be case sensitive
• Edit the content of correct answers and any pre-text or post-text

To edit simple text input answers:

1. Open the Simple Editor so that the item you want to edit appears in the Edit Item window.
2. Navigate to the Answer box for the simple text input question you want to edit.
   (The simple text input answer type can be assigned to a part or a Socratic hint question.)
3. Change the number of correct answer terms. (Optional)
   Select or clear the check box for Correct answer has. For more than one term in the answer, choose the number of required terms. (The question instructions should tell students to use commas to separate multiple answer terms.)
4. Change whether case sensitivity is required. (Optional)
   Select or clear the Case Sensitive check box.
5. Edit the content of correct answers. (Optional)
   Place your cursor in the text box for the correct term(s) and make your edits using simple text (editing toolbar and menus are unavailable). To remove any additional answers, choose delete additional answer.
6. To check your edits without saving, select  Validate (from the top toolbar) to verify the XML.
7. To save your edits, select  Save (from the top toolbar) or the Save & Preview link (top right). Do NOT press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command-S (Mac OS).

For the question above, this image shows that it has four answers that need to be input by the student (separated by commas). This is a "multiple term" answer.

The image below shows an additional correct answer set, with alternate acceptable answers for terms 2-4.

You can use the simple text input answer type to create:

• An item that contains one or more parts that have simple text input answers.
• An item that contains a mix of answer types, including simple text input. Answer types you can create in the Simple Editor
• A simple text input answer for a Socratic hint question.

Create a simple text input answer:

1. From the course menu, select Instructor Tools then Item Library.
   

   Otherwise, select Item Library from the course menu.

2. Select Create New Item (page bottom) next to "Can't find what you need?" The Simple Editor opens in a new window.
3. Specify the answer type.
   Scroll down to the Answer box for the part. Select the dropdown menu next to Answer Type (on the right) and choose simple text.
4. In the Answer box, enter the following information. The correct answer is the only required element.
   • Specify the number of correct terms
   • Specify whether answer is case sensitive
   • Add the correct answer
   • Add pre-text and post-text
   • Add wrong-answer feedback to help students
   • Add follow-up text in response to completed part questions

   For detailed instructions, see the next sections.

5. To save your edits, select  Save (from the top toolbar) or the Save & Preview link (top right). Do NOT press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Command-S (Mac OS

Specify the number of correct terms (Optional)

One term for the correct answer

• By default, the number of terms that the student needs to solve for is 1.
• Leave the check box blank for Correct answer set has.

Two or more terms for correct answer

• Select the check box for Correct answer set has and then choose the number of terms required, from 2 to 15.
  The Answer box changes to display the correct answer boxes for the number of terms you set, labeled Correct Answer Term 1, Correct Answer Term 2, and so on.
• In the question instructions, be sure to tell students to use commas to separate answer terms. (The “Student view” section above shows an example of this kind of instruction.)

Specify whether the answer is case sensitive (Optional)

Only check Case Sensitive when it is incorrect for students to enter either uppercase or lowercase characters.

For example, make sure this option is NOT checked for element names. However, for answers such as element symbols or proper names, check Case Sensitive.

Add the correct answer

1. Enter the correct value in the Correct Answer box. Because the correct answer that students enter is simple text, the editing toolbar and menus are not available.
2. Select either add an additional correct answer or add an additional correct answer set and enter the additional correct answer(s). Enter the same number of terms for each additional answer, including any terms that might be the same. (You cannot have an alternate answer with a different number of terms.)

Add pre-text and post-text (Optional)

• Select the add pre-text link to enter text, like a sentence or sentence fragment, to appear before the answer.
• Select the add post-text link to enter text to appear after the answer.

Wrong-answer feedback: Add/delete (Optional)

Although optional, it is recommended that you provide wrong-answer feedback. Wrong-answer feedback can help students learn from their mistakes or incorrect choices.

• Mastering provides the initial feedback "Incorrect; Try Again", followed by the follow-up text.
  Example of wrong answer feedback in student view (Standard View)

  

• If the correct answer has more than one term — Create a single wrong answer response for each incorrect answer combination and enter it into the Show this response box. Select add response as needed. The editing toolbar and menus are available to format the feedback, but not the wrong answer.
• Add a link to a hint in a wrong-answer response. (Optional)
• Enter more specific answers first, followed by less specific ones. Select the Move Up or Move Down arrows to reorder the wrong answers and associated feedback.
• To delete wrong answer responses — Select Delete choice in the row for the response.

Follow-up text: Add/edit (Optional)

See add and edit follow-up text.