Note
EdX offers full support for this problem type.
Dropdown problems allow learners to choose from a collection of answer options that are presented in a dropdown list. Unlike multiple choice problems, which have answers that are always visible directly below the question, dropdown problems do not show answer choices until the learner clicks the dropdown arrow.
For the dropdown problems in your course, you can use edX Insights to review aggregated learner performance data and examine submitted answers. For more information, see Using edX Insights.
You can create dropdown problems in the simple editor or in the advanced editor. You can set up a problem in the simple editor, and then switch to the advanced editor to add more configuration options in XML. However, you cannot switch back to the simple editor from the advanced editor. Therefore, you might want to format the problem as completely as possible before you begin to use the advanced editor.
To use the simple editor to create a dropdown problem, follow these steps.
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.
>>question<<
).
This text identifies the question for screen readers, reports, and Insights.[explanation]
appears before
and after the explanation text.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]]
To use the advanced editor to edit a dropdown problem, follow these steps.
Problem Code:
<problem>
<p>
<em>This exercise first appeared in HarvardX's PH207x Health in Numbers:
Quantitative Methods in Clinical & 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>
You can add feedback in a dropdown problem using the simple editor or the advanced editor. For an overview of feedback in problems, see Adding Feedback and Hints to a Problem.
In dropdown problems, you can provide feedback for each option that a learner can select. Use the following guidelines when providing feedback.
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.}}
]]
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>
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.
Note
The default labels Correct and Incorrect are displayed in the learner’s requested language. If you provide custom labels, they are displayed to all users as you configure them and are not translated into different languages.
In the simple editor, you configure custom feedback labels with the following syntax.
( ) Answer {{Label:: Feedback for learners who select this answer.}}
For example, the following feedback is configured to use a custom label.
( ) 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.}}
In the advanced editor, you configure custom feedback labels with the following syntax.
<option correct="False">
Answer
<optionhint label="Custom Label">
Feedback for learners who select this answer.
</optionhint>
</option>
For example, the following feedback is configured to use a custom label.
<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>
You can use hints in a dropdown problem, using the simple editor or the advanced editor. For an overview of hints in problems, see Adding Feedback and Hints to a Problem.
In the simple editor, you configure hints with the following syntax.
||Hint 1||
||Hint 2||
||Hint n||
Note
You can configure any number of hints. The learner views one hint at a time and views the next one by selecting Hint again.
For example, the following problem has two hints.
||A fruit is the fertilized ovary from a flower.||
||A fruit contains seeds of the plant.||
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>
<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>
<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)