Example: Use a short answer in an economics question

Updated 16 Jun 2023

The following example shows you how to create a simple short-answer question for an economics course:

  1. When you open the Create Custom Question wizard, choose to start with an empty template.
  2. Select the format Top/Bottom and click Next.
  3. In the Custom Question Builder, enter the following in the problem statement section of the question-and-answer area:

    Consider this 1862 listing for bartered goods:

    1 yard of cloth for 1 pound of bacon

    2 yards of cloth for 1 pound of butter

    4 yards of cloth for 1 pound of wool

    8 yards of cloth for 1 bushel of salt

  4. Enter the following in the answer section:

    5. The price of 1 pound of bacon is pounds of butter.

  5. Position the cursor just before the word "pounds" in your answer and click Short Answer under Student Interactions in the menu on the left. This step inserts a type-in box and lets you set answer options.
  6. In the Edit Answer Definition window, click Step 1 in the menu on the left.
  7. Keep the default selection Accept any unsimplified or simplified equivalent answers. This option allows the student to enter the correct answer in any form, such as .5 or 1/2.
  8. Click Next to go to Step 2.
  9. Under Value in the table, enter .5:

  10. Click Next to go to Step 3.
  11. Keep the default selections and click Next to go to Step 4.
  12. In the Incorrect Answer Feedback box, enter:

    1 yard of cloth trades for 1 pound of bacon, and 2 yards of cloth trades for 1 pound of butter. The price of 1 pound of bacon in terms of butter is equal to the ratio of the price of bacon in terms of cloth divided by the price of butter in terms of cloth.

    Students see this message when they enter an incorrect answer.

  13. Click Save to return to the Custom Question Builder.

  14. Adjust the spacing around the type-in box. Your question now looks like this:

  15. Click Preview Exercise to see how your question looks for your students. Enter different forms of the correct answer and enter an incorrect answer to check the behavior.
  16. When you are satisfied with your question, click Save and Exit to enter question settings.