8.13. Dropdown Problem¶

8.13.3.1. Use the Simple Editor to Create a Dropdown Problem¶

To use the simple editor to create a dropdown problem, follow these steps.

1. In the unit where you want to create the problem, under Add New Component select Problem.
2. Select one of the two dropdown problem templates.

• From the list of Common Problem Types, select Dropdown.

• From the list of Common Problems with Hints and Feedback, select Dropdown with Hints and Feedback. For more information, see Use Feedback in a Dropdown Problem.

  Studio adds the problem to the unit.

1. Select Edit. The simple editor opens.
2. Replace the sample problem text with your own text.
3. Determine the text that describes the question you want learners to answer, and surround that text with two pairs of angle brackets (>>question<<). This text identifies the question for screen readers, reports, and Insights.
4. Edit your text to place all of the possible answers on the same line, separated by commas.
5. Select all of the answer options, and then select Dropdown from the toolbar. A double set of brackets ([[ ]]) appears to surround the answer options.
6. To identify the problem’s answer, locate that answer inside the brackets and surround the correct answer with parentheses.
7. To provide an explanation, select the explanation text and then select Explanation from the toolbar. [explanation] appears before and after the explanation text.
8. Select Settings and provide an identifying Display Name for the problem.
9. Define additional settings for the problem. For more information, see Problem Settings.
10. Select Save.

For the example problem illustrated above, the following text is displayed in the problem component.

>>What type of data are the following?<<

Age:
[[Nominal, Discrete, (Continuous)]]
Age, rounded to the nearest year:
[[Nominal, (Discrete), Continuous]]
Life stage - infant, child, and adult:
[[(Nominal), Discrete, Continuous]]

8.13.3.2. Use the Advanced Editor to Edit a Dropdown Problem¶

To use the advanced editor to edit a dropdown problem, follow these steps.

1. Follow the steps for creating the problem in the simple editor.
2. Select Advanced Editor, and then edit the XML to add the tags and attributes you want. An example follows.

Problem Code:

<problem>
<p>
  <em>This exercise first appeared in HarvardX's PH207x Health in Numbers:
  Quantitative Methods in Clinical &amp; Public Health Research course, fall
  2012.</em>
</p>
<p>What type of data are the following?</p>
<p>Age:</p>
<optionresponse>
  <optioninput options="('Nominal','Discrete','Continuous')"
    correct="Continuous" label="Age"/>
</optionresponse>
<p>Age, rounded to the nearest year:</p>
<optionresponse>
  <optioninput options="('Nominal','Discrete','Continuous')"
    correct="Discrete" label="Age, rounded to the nearest year"/>
</optionresponse>
<p>Life stage - infant, child, and adult:</p>
<optionresponse>
  <optioninput options="('Nominal','Discrete','Continuous')"
    correct="Nominal" label="Life stage"/>
</optionresponse>
</problem>

8.13.4.1. Configure Feedback in the Simple Editor¶

In the simple editor, you configure answer feedback with the following syntax. When you create a new dropdown problem, select the template Dropdown with Hints and Feedback. This template has example feedback syntax that you can replace.

Wrong Answer {{Feedback for learners who select this answer.}}
(Correct Answer) {{Feedback for learners who select this answer.}}

For example, the following problem has feedback for each possible answer.

>>A/an ________ is an example of a vegetable.<<

[[
  apple {{An apple is the fertilized ovary that comes from an apple tree and
    contains seeds classifying it as a fruit.}}
  pumpkin {{A pumpkin is the fertilized ovary of a squash plant and contains
    seeds classifying it as a fruit.}}
  (potato) {{A potato is an edible part of a plant in tuber form and is
    classified as a vegetable}}
  tomato {{Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a vegetable. However,
    because a tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato plant and contains
    seeds it is classified as a fruit.}}
]]

8.13.4.2. Configure Feedback in the Advanced Editor¶

In the advanced editor, you configure answer feedback with the following syntax.

<option correct="False">
  Option Label
  <optionhint>
    Feedback for when learner selects this answer.
  </optionhint>
</option>

For example, the following problem has feedback for each answer.

<optionresponse>
  <optioninput label="A/an ________ is an example of a vegetable.">
    <option correct="False">
      apple
      <optionhint>
        An apple is the fertilized ovary that comes from an apple tree and
        contains seeds classifying it as a fruit.
      </optionhint>
    </option>
    <option correct="False">
      pumpkin
      <optionhint>
        A pumpkin is the fertilized ovary of a squash plant and contains
        seeds classifying it as a fruit.
      </optionhint>
    </option>
    <option correct="True">
      potato
      <optionhint>
        A potato is an edible part of a plant in tuber form and is
        classified as a vegetable.
      </optionhint>
    </option>
    <option correct="False">
      tomato
      <optionhint>
        Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a vegetable. However,
        because a tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato plant and
        contains seeds it is classified as a fruit.
      </optionhint>
    </option>
  </optioninput>
</optionresponse>

8.13.4.3. Customize Feedback Labels¶

By default, the feedback labels shown to learners are Correct and Incorrect. If you do not define feedback labels, learners see these terms when they submit an answer, as in the following example.

You can configure the problem to override the default labels. For example, you can configure a custom label for a specific wrong answer.

( ) Answer {{Label:: Feedback for learners who select this answer.}}

( ) tomato {{Not Quite:: Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a
vegetable. However, because a tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato
plant and contains seeds, it is a fruit.}}

<option correct="False">
  Answer
  <optionhint label="Custom Label">
    Feedback for learners who select this answer.
  </optionhint>
</option>

<option correct="False">
  tomato
  <optionhint label="Not Quite">
    Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a vegetable. However, because a
    tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato plant and contains seeds it
    is classified as a fruit.
  </optionhint>
</option>

8.13.5.1. Configure Hints in the Simple Editor¶

In the simple editor, you configure hints with the following syntax.

||Hint 1||
||Hint 2||
||Hint n||

For example, the following problem has two hints.

||A fruit is the fertilized ovary from a flower.||
||A fruit contains seeds of the plant.||

8.13.5.2. Configure Hints in the Advanced Editor¶

In the advanced editor, you configure each hint in the <hint> element within the <demandhint> element.

<demandhint>
  <hint>Hint 1</hint>
  <hint>Hint 2</hint>
  <hint>Hint 3</hint>
</demandhint>

For example, the following XML shows two hints.

<demandhint>
  <hint>A fruit is the fertilized ovary from a flower.</hint>
  <hint>A fruit contains seeds of the plant.</hint>
</demandhint>

8.13.6.1. Template¶

<problem>
<legend>Question text</legend>
<optionresponse>
  <option correct="False">
    Option Label
    <optionhint>
      Feedback for when learner selects this answer.
    </optionhint>
  </option>
  <option correct="True">
    Option Label
    <optionhint>
      Feedback for when learner selects this answer.
    </optionhint>
  </option>
</optionresponse>
<demandhint>
  <hint>Hint 1</hint>
  <hint>Hint 2</hint>
  <hint>Hint 3</hint>
</demandhint>
<solution>
  <div class="detailed-solution">
    <p>Explanation or Solution Header</p>
    <p>Explanation or solution text</p>
  </div>
</solution>
</problem>

8.13.6.2. Tags¶

• <optionresponse> (required): Indicates that the problem is a dropdown problem.
• <option> (required): Lists an answer option.
• <demandhint> (optional): Specifies hints for the learner.

Tag: <optionresponse>

Indicates that the problem is a dropdown problem.

Attributes

(none)

Children

<option>

Tag: <option>

Lists the answer options.

Attributes

Attribute	Description
correct (required)	Indicates whether an answer is correct. Possible values are “true” and “false”. Only one correct attribute can be set to “true”.

Children

<optionhint>

Tag: <optionhint>

Specifies a hint for the answer.

Tag: <demandhint>

Specifies hints available to the learner.

Children

<hint>

Tag: <hint>

Specifies a hint available to the learner.

Children

(none)