Example: Graph an economics question

Updated 16 Jun 2023

The following example shows how to create a question with a supplemental graph.

1. Open the Custom Question Builder and click Create New Question.
2. Select Start with an empty template and click Next.
3. Select the format Left/Right and click Next.
4. In the Custom Question Builder, enter the following in the problem statement area:

   The following table shows the distribution of income in France:

5. Press Enter twice to move to a new line.
6. Select Table > Insert Table from the top menu, and select 2 columns and 6 rows from the dropdown menus in the Edit Table window.
7. Click OK to insert a table with those dimensions in your question.
8. Enter the following information in the table. You can format the table later.

   

9. On a new line, enter the following text to begin the student interaction:

   What percentage of national income is earned by the poorest 40% of households?

10. Add one space after the text you entered and then click Short Answer in the left menu to insert an answer box in your question.
11. Click Step 2: Define Answers in the Edit Answer Definition window.
12. In the value table, enter 8 as shown below:

    

13. Click Next until you reach the last step, then click Save. The left side of your question now looks like this:

    

14. Delete the placeholder text in the interaction area on the right and select Freehand Graph (economics courses) or Grapher (accounting, finance, OM, and engineering courses) in the left menu.
15. Click Graph Settings in the window to open the graph properties window.
16. On the Graph tab, set options as shown in the figure below:

    

17. On the X-Axis tab, set options as shown in the figure below:

    

18. On the Y-Axis tab, set options as shown in the figure below:

    

19. On the Alt Text tab page, enter a brief description of the graph for students using screenreaders.
20. Click OK to close the graph properties window. The graph grid now shows the settings you specified.
21. Use the drawing tools on the palette, shown below, to draw a graph that plots the household income data:
    1. Use the line tool to draw a line from 0,0 to 100,100
    2. Select the line, and use the color selection tool to change its color to black.

       Click anywhere off the line to see the color change.

    3. Starting at 0,0, plot the first 3 income percentages using the 4-point curve tool.

       As you drag the curve and plot points, notice that the coordinates are tracked in the upper right corner of the grapher window.

    4. Starting at the last point you just plotted, continue drawing the curve, using the 3-point curve tool to plot the remaining 2 income percentages.
    5. Select each curve and use the color selection tool to change their color to green. Click anywhere off the curve to see the color change.

       

22. Click OK to close the window. The graph that appears on the right side of your question looks like this:

    

23. Click Preview Exercise in the formatting toolbar to see how the question displays to your students.
24. When you are satisfied with your question, dismiss the Preview window and click Save.