10.28. Numerical Input Problem¶

10.28.1.1. Example Numerical Input Problem¶

In the LMS, learners enter a value into a response field to complete a numerical input problem. An example of a completed numerical input problem follows.

To add the example problem illustrated above, in Studio you use the simple editor to enter the following text and Markdown formatting.

>>In what base is the decimal numeral system?<<

=10 {{The decimal numeral system is in base ten.}}

The open learning XML (OLX) markup for this example numerical input problem follows.

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="10">
    <label>In what base is the decimal numeral system?</label>
    <formulaequationinput/>
    <solution>
      <div class="detailed-solution">
        <p>Explanation</p>
        <p>The decimal numeral system is base ten.</p>
      </div>
    </solution>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

10.28.1.2. Analyzing Performance on Numerical Input Problems¶

For the numerical input 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.

10.28.2.1. Use the Simple Editor to Add a Numerical Input Problem¶

When you add a numerical input problem, you can choose one of these templates.

• Numerical Input
• Numerical Input with Hints and Feedback

These templates include the Markdown formatting that you use in the simple editor to add a problem without, or with, hints and feedback.

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

1. In the unit where you want to create the problem, under Add New Component select Problem.

2. From the list of Common Problem Types, select the type of problem you want to add. Studio adds a template for the problem to the unit.

3. Select Edit. The simple editor opens to a template that shows the Markdown formatting that you use for this problem type.

4. Replace the guidance provided by the template to add your own text for the question or prompt, answer options, explanation, and so on.

   To format equations, you can use MathJax. For more information, see Using MathJax for Mathematics.

5. Select Settings to provide an identifying Display Name and define settings for the problem. For more information, see Defining Settings for Problem Components.

6. Select Save.

10.28.2.2. Use the Advanced Editor to Add a Numerical Input Problem¶

You can use the advanced editor to identify the elements of a numerical input problem with OLX. For more information, see Numerical Input Problem OLX Reference.

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

1. Follow steps 1-3 for creating the problem in the simple editor.

2. Select Advanced Editor. The advanced editor opens the template and shows the OLX markup that you can use for this problem type.

3. Replace the guidance provided by the template to add your own text. For example, replace the question or prompt, answer options, and explanation.

   To format equations, you can use MathJax. For more information, see Using MathJax for Mathematics.

4. Update the OLX to add optional elements and attributes required for your problem.

5. Select Settings to provide an identifying Display Name and define settings for the problem. For more information, see Defining Settings for Problem Components.

6. Select Save.

10.28.3.1. Adding a Tolerance¶

You can specify a margin of error or tolerance for learner responses. You can specify a percentage, number, or range.

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="ANSWER (NUMBER)">
    <label>Question text</label>
    <responseparam type="tolerance" default=".02" />
    <formulaequationinput />
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="ANSWER (NUMBER)">
    <label>Question text</label>
    <responseparam type="tolerance" default="3%" />
    <formulaequationinput />
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

10.28.3.2. Adding Multiple Correct Responses¶

You can specify more than one specific, correct response for numerical input problems. To do this, you can use the simple editor or the advanced editor.

If you specify multiple correct responses, you cannot also specify a tolerance, a range, or a text string as correct answers. For example, when you define multiple correct responses, you can specify a numeric value for each correct answer but not a tolerance, range, or text string.

>>How many miles away from Earth is the sun?||Use scientific notation to answer.<<

= 9.3*10^7
or= 9.296*10^7

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="9.3*10^7">
    <label>How many miles away from Earth is the sun?</label>
    <description>Use scientific notation to answer.</description>
    <additional_answer answer="9.296*10^7"/>
    <formulaequationinput/>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

10.28.3.3. Specifying an Answer Range¶

You can specify an answer range so that any learner response within that range is marked correct. To format an answer range, you provide the starting and ending values and then separate them with a comma character (,). You then surround the range with bracket ([ ]) or parentheses characters (( )), or a combination of one bracket and one parenthesis.

• Use a bracket to include the number next to it in the range, as in a less than or equal to, or greater than or equal to, inequality.
• Use a parenthesis to exclude the number from the range, as in a less than or greater than inequality.

For example, to identify the correct answers as 5, 6, or 7, but not 8, specify [5,8). To identify the correct answers as 6, 7, and 8, but not 5, specify (5,8].

To specify a range in the simple editor, you enter the complete, formatted range after the equals sign: =[5,8) or =(5,8].

To specify a range in the advanced editor, you enter the complete, formatted range in the <numericalresponse> element as the value for the answer attribute: <numericalresponse answer="[5,8)"> or <numericalresponse answer="(5,8]">

10.28.4.1. Configure Feedback in the Simple Editor¶

You can configure feedback in the simple editor. When you add a numerical input problem, select the template Numerical Input with Hints and Feedback. This template has example formatted feedback that you can replace with your own text.

In the simple editor, you configure feedback for a numerical input problem with the following Markdown formatting.

=Correct Answer {{Feedback for the correct answer.}}

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

>>What is the arithmetic mean for the following set of numbers? (1, 5, 6, 3, 5)<<

=4 {{The mean for this set of numbers is 20 / 5 which equals 4.}}

If you define multiple correct responses, you can define feedback for each response.

10.28.4.2. Configure Feedback in the Advanced Editor¶

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

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="Correct Answer">
    <label>Question text</label>
    <formulaequationinput />
    <correcthint>Feedback for the correct answer</correcthint>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

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

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="4">
    <label>What is the arithmetic mean for the following set of numbers?
     (1, 5, 6, 3, 5)</label>
    <formulaequationinput />
    <correcthint>The mean for this set of numbers is 20 / 5 which equals 4.</correcthint>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

If you define multiple correct responses, you can define feedback for each response.

10.28.4.3. Customizing Feedback Labels¶

By default, the feedback label shown to learners is Correct . If you do not define a feedback label, learners see this term when they submit a correct answer, as in the following example.

Correct: The mean for this set of numbers is 20 / 5 which equals 4.

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

Good job: The mean for this set of numbers is 20 / 5 which equals 4.

=4 {{Label:: Feedback}}

=4 {{Good Job:: The mean for this set of numbers is 20 / 5 which equals 4.}}

<correcthint label="Custom Label">Feedback</correcthint>

<correcthint label="Good Job">The mean for this set of numbers is 20 / 5 which equals 4.</correcthint>

10.28.5.1. 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.||

10.28.5.2. Configure Hints in the Advanced Editor¶

In the advanced editor, you add the <demandhint> element immediately before the closing </problem> tag, and then configure each hint using the <hint> element.

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

For example, the following OLX for a multiple choice problem shows two hints.

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

10.28.6.1. Identifying Close Answers¶

You can configure a numerical input problem so that answers that are close to the correct answer receive partial credit.

To do so, you configure the tolerance for incorrect answers. Learners receive partial credit for close answers based on the tolerance. By default, the tolerance is multiplied by 2 and the following rules are applied.

• An answer within the tolerance receives 100% of the points for the problem.
• An answer within or equal to 2x of the tolerance receives 50%.
• An answer more than 2x the outside of the tolerance receives 0%.

You can optionally specify a different multiplier for the tolerance. For example, you could set the multiplier to 3. In this case, the following rules apply.

• An answer within the tolerance receives 100% of the points for the problem.
• An answer within or equal to 3x of the tolerance receives 50%.
• An answer more than 3x outside of the tolerance receives 0%.

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="9.3*10^7" partial_credit="close">
    <label>How many miles away from Earth is the sun?</label>
    <description>Use scientific notation to answer.</description>
    <formulaequationinput/>
    <responseparam type="tolerance" default="1%" partial_range="3"/>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

10.28.6.2. Awarding Partial Credit for Answers in a List¶

For some numerical input problems, mistakes do not help a learner arrive at the correct answer. For example, a small mistake can lead to negative instead of positive results, or to an answer that is off by a square root or numerical factor.

For these types of problems, you can configure a list of wrong answers that receive partial credit. Learners who submit answers that are on the list receive 50% of the problem’s points.

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="9.3*10^7" partial_credit="close">
    <label>How many miles away from Earth is the sun?</label>
    <description>Use scientific notation to answer.</description>
    <formulaequationinput />
    <responseparam partial_answers="150*10^6"/>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

10.28.8.1. Templates¶

The following templates represent problems without, and with, a Python script.

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="ANSWER (NUMBER)">
    <label>Question text</label>
    <description>Optional tip</description>
    <formulaequationinput />
    <correcthint>Feedback for the correct answer.</correcthint>
    <solution>
      <div class="detailed-solution">
        <p>Explanation</p>
        <p>TEXT OF SOLUTION</p>
      </div>
    </solution>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

<problem>
  <numericalresponse answer="$computed_response">
    <label>Question text</label>
    <description>Optional tip</description>
    <responseparam type="tolerance" default="0.0001" />
<script type="loncapa/python">
computed_response = math.sqrt(math.fsum([math.pow(math.pi,2), math.pow(math.e,2)]))
</script>
    <formulaequationinput />
    <correcthint>Feedback for the correct answer.</correcthint>
    <solution>
      <div class="detailed-solution">
        <p>Explanation</p>
        <p>TEXT OF SOLUTION</p>
      </div>
    </solution>
  </numericalresponse>
</problem>

10.28.8.2. Elements¶

For numerical input problems, the <problem> element can include this hierarchy of child elements.

<numericalresponse>
    <label>
    <description>
    <formulaequationinput>
    <additional_answer>
    <correcthint>
    <responseparam>
    <script>
    <solution>
<demandhint>
    <hint>

In addition, standard HTML tags can be used to format text.