What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Greg Hundermark -
Number of replies: 11

Hello,

I am working with teachers who run the latest versions of Hot Potatoes and ExamView and wish to import multiple choice questions into the Moodle 2.0 question bank.  When you open the import feature in Moodle, it appears as if there should be a way to import questions. 

I've done some reading and I realize that supporting the hot potatoes extension directly is a work in progress, but is there any other "recipe" for exporting multiple choice questions in HP and importing in Moodle (i.e. Export as ________ in HP, import as _________ in Moodle)?

I would like some insight for how to accomplish the same thing with Examview.   

Thank you,

Greg

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In reply to Greg Hundermark

Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Joseph Rézeau -
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Hello Greg,

As regards Examview, you might like to browse the 65 pages of results that one gets when searching this forum for that keyword. You might find the answer there.wink

Joseph

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Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Tim Hunt -
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Joseph, that is a pointless answer. Telling someone "your needle may be burried in this haystack" is no help at all. If you don't know the answer, and if you cannot find it yourself, just don't answer.

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Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Joseph Rézeau -
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Tim, point taken. Well, at least I pointed to the haystack.blush

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Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Jean-Michel Védrine -

And in Joseph's haystack there is not one, but 2 needleswink wich quite increase the probability to find one !

Because with Moodle 2.1 there is not one but 2 versions of an import plugin you can try to import your examview files
my own version posted July 19th 2011 (examview_bb6plus.zip).
the other version posted by Gerry Jenkins on July 22th 2011 (examview_blackboard_6.zip)
And as they have different names you can even install both ! (mine should be in a folder named question/format/examvies_bb6plus Gerry's one will live in a folder named question/format/exam_view_blackboard_6

And if a zip file you try doesn't work, post it or send it to me (vedrine __at__ vedrine __ dot__ net) and I will look at the problem to improve the plugin (as I don't use Examview or Blackboard my only chance to improve my code is to try it on the gratest number of files).

I know it seems strange that I work on plugins I don't usewide eyes, well it's because I used this one to understand how images were managed in the editor, it seems the best way i have found to learn a new concept in programming is to read the doc and at the same time apply what I read on a project.

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Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Greg Hundermark -

Thanks Tim, I appreciate it. 

I know you guys probably get a large volume of people who just blindly post questions without first doing their homework, but I thought I communicated that I had in fact done some reading first. 

It can be frustrating when you build in Hot Potatotes under the assumption that Moodle will be able to interpret at least one of the export options (like it used to), only to find out that it doesn't (or at least not that I can find).  

On a similar note, the help tooltip for newer versions of Examview suggests the Blackboard tickbox, but I've had no success there either.

Again, if anyone knows any method of importing/exporting for either HP or newer versions of ExamView it would be appreciated.

I am infact using 2.1, and not 2.0 (not sure if it makes a difference), as I originally stated in my post.   

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Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Joseph Rézeau -
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Hi Greg,

Re Hot Potatoes and Moodle 2.1.

A. Installation

Hot Potatoes is no longer part of the regular Moodle distribution. You have to download it and install it to your Moodle 2.1 site.

1.- get it from Gordon Bateson's site here.

2.- unzip and install on your moodle 2.1 site (copy the hotpot folder to your moodle/mod/ folder).

3.- Visit the Notifications page for the install to take place

4.-view and possibly make changes to the settings on the New settings - HotPot page

B.- Using a HP file as an Activity in a Moodle course

Now you can add a HP activity to your moodle course.

Once you have installed HP on your moodle site, go to a course, get into Edit mode, and click the Add an activity dropdown list, HotPot.

Then, follow the instructions.

C.- Importing questions from HP

In the zip file that you have downloaded from Gordon Bateson's site, copy the question\format\hotpot\ folder to your moodle/question/format/ folder. This will add an "import from HotPot" choice in your Import questions from filedialog. See attached screenshot.

Unfortunately, it seems that this Import from HP feature only works in Moodle 2.0 at the moment, not Moodle 2.1.

For further information about the Hot Pot module in Moodle you might like to visit the dedicated HotPot forum.

I hope that helps,

Joseph

PS.- @Tim, do I get my "Particularly Helpful Moodlers badge back on this one?wink

Attachment 12-08-2011 14-52-41.jpg
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In reply to Joseph Rézeau

Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Jean-Michel Védrine -

Hello,

I looked at the import format and I think it will also work with Moodle 2.1. Unfortunately I can't do a test because I don't have a hot potatoes file to test import. But just looking at the code I would say it will work.

But re-reading your message as you say "only works in Moodle 2.0 at the moment, not Moodle 2.1" maybe you did a test and it didn't work. Any case if somebody has a test file it shouldn't be too hard to make it working (little changes in question import formats for Moodle 2.1.

Joseph, you know very well you already have one badge and you can't have 2 big grin !

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Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Joseph Rézeau -
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Jean-Michel, I posted my bug report on the HotPot forum here, hoping that our friend Gordon will fix it.

If you are interested in testing, I am attaching a very simple jQuiz file, with one multiple choice question in it.

Joseph

PS.- Yes, one badge only, I know, I was only teasing.

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In reply to Joseph Rézeau

Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Jean-Michel Védrine -

Oh yes you are right this is because multichoice answers now support images so each multichoice answer should be an array('text' => ..., 'format' => FORMAT_HTML, 'files' => array())

second thing to change would be to change some defaultgrade to defaulmark :

line 188 $gap->defaultmark = $defaultgrade;

line 272 $question->defaultmark = $gap_count * $defaultgrade;

line 396 $question->defaultmark = $match_count * $defaultgrade;

line 451 $question->defaultmark = $segment_count * $defaultgrade;

line 478 $question->defaultmark = $defaultgrade;

third thing the multianswer questiontext value should be also an array with 'text', 'format' and 'files' as above this is why you get Notice: Undefined property: stdClass::$questiontextformat when you try an import

So my first inspection was not very good because now I see at least 3 problems.

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Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Joseph Rézeau -
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Gordon Bateson, the HP plugin manager, has now fixed HP import for Moodle 2.1.

See this HotPot forum discusion.

Joseph

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Re: What's "the secret formula" for importing quiz questions from other software?

by Jean-Michel Védrine -

Unfortunately the defaultgrade / defaultmark is not fixed.

I should have posted in the hotpot forum.

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