New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

by Marcus Green -
Number of replies: 9
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I have been working on a new version of my Gapfill question type. if you have not seen it, It is a cloze question type with a very easy syntax. I have been using it with my students to get them to create questions and I need to give them about one sentence worth of instructions.

The updated version has bug fixes, is modified to use the Moodle 2.5 collapsible forms and implements an excellent suggestion from Justin Hunt to include clearing of incorrect answers and give a colour indication in interactive mode. See the discussion here

https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=226739#p984605

You can see an animation of new feature here

http://www.examulator.com/gf/clearwrong.swf

And you can play with the question type as a teacher or student at

http://thisvthat.co.uk/gft

The source can be found here

http://github.com/marcusgreen/moodle-qtype_gapfill

And if all goes well I will submit this version for the plugins database.

Can I say thanks to whoever put in the download counter on the plugins database as it is a lovely motivator to see people are taking an interest.

 

 

 

 

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In reply to Marcus Green

Re: New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

by Joseph Rézeau -
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Hi Marcus and thanks for providing a new version of your Gapfill question type. Installed it on my local moodle 2.5 test site. Works mostly OK, but in Question Preview pop-up window, the Fill in correct responses feature has a bug with gaps having more than a single word, see screenshot.

screenshot #1

Joseph

PS.- In order for users to have a unique place to report bugs, I suggest you ask Anthony Borrow to create a "Question: Gapfill" component in the Moodle Tracker "Add-ons".

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In reply to Joseph Rézeau

Re: New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

by Marcus Green -
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Thanks for the feedback Joseph,  I never use multi word fields so I had not thought of testing that. I believe it is fixed now along with a few more quirks, and can be seen at http://thisvthat.co.uk/gft . Some linguist friends have helped me and I have added language strings for Spanish, Portuguese and French so anyone who wants to have a play can switch to those languages (switching option at the top of the screen)

However I seem to have overlooked the French string for what says in English

Dragdrop shows a list of words that can be dragged into the gaps, gapfill shows gaps with no word options, dropdown shows the same list of correct (and possibly incorrect) answers for each field.

Google Translate is so stilted and I noticed you are based in France Joseph.....

 

 

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In reply to Marcus Green

Re: New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

by Joseph Rézeau -
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Hi Marcus,

1.- I have downloaded your latest version and confirm that the multi-word blanks now work OK. Thanks.

2.- Regarding the translation of language strings, as you know, the Moodle languages policy has changed, and now a plugin lang folder should only contain an en folder with the English strings. Once your plugin has been uploaded to the Moodle plugins Directory, its English language strings become available on the AMOS translator site for anyone to translate them into any language.

I suggest you

  • a) remove all lang folders except English from your Gapfill plugin distribution,
  • b) make the current translations (es Spanish and pt Portuguese) available on AMOS.

I will shortly translate the strings into French on AMOS. Re the descriptive help you mention, I notice it is slightly different from the string currently available on AMOS, probably because you changed it recently.

The French translations currently available in your fr folder are horrible. I expect they've been made automatically, which is not a very good idea.sad

I also notice that the Gapfill version available in the Moodle Plugins directory has more translations available than the version on your Github. Normally, it should be the reverse.

All the best,

Joseph

 

 

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In reply to Joseph Rézeau

Re: New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

by Marcus Green -
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Thanks for the feedback Joseph. My master plan was to keep all language strings in the github distribution and only the en strings in the Moodle plugin database so people can bring in Amos translations. Does that make sense?

The Portuguese and Spanish translations were by native speakers but the Fr started off as a Google translate and then got "corrected", a mistake in retrospect. It was fun to see how translation can be so difficult, e.g. how the word field has an agricultural and computer meaning in English but might be an entirely different in a different language.

According to the Moodle stats Es and Pt are the second most commonly used languages after English so I am keen to get that available.  Google Analytics suggested I had a visitor from Brazil, hello Brazil! (as they would say if it were in Eurovision).

My next release will be set for Moodle 2.5 only as I don't have time to test against earlier versions, though I have no reason to believe it will be broken in those versions.

 

 

 

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In reply to Marcus Green

Re: New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

by Mary Cooch -
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(quote) It was fun to see how translation can be so difficult, e.g. how the word field has an agricultural and computer meaning in English but might be an entirely different in a different language.

Welcome to our world, Marcusbig grin

(actually, in French "champ" is both but it's not always the case)

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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

by Marcus Green -
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Replying to Mary: I think this question type is potentially useful for language teaching so i18n is quite important. 

I have a long term goal of adding per field feedback without needing to add to the syntax. 

The idea is that when editing a question a button detects the gaps and then offers a series of fields to enter feedback for correct and multiple incorrect answers. But I might lie down for a bit once this release is finished.

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In reply to Marcus Green

Re: New version (1.1) of Gapfill question type

by Joseph Rézeau -
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Marcus "My master plan was to keep all language strings in the github distribution and only the en strings in the Moodle plugin database so people can bring in Amos translations. Does that make sense?"

Well, I get the idea, but it depends how moodlers will install your plugin on their moodle site. Personally I tend to install on my local test site as much as I can using GIT, rather than from the Moodle plugins directory, so that I keep testing with the latest version available on contributors' githubs.

This is the plan I have followed for the plugins I contribute when Moodle HQ made the move to AMOS.

1.- Using current version with lang folders, e.g. version 1.0:

  • make sure the English lang file conforms with Moodle and AMOS current requirements (on your github repository)
  • upload that version 1.0 to the plugins directory
  • move all translated strings to AMOS, either manually if there are not too many or uploading files
  • ask the various language maintainers to accept those translations in their respective language (this may take more or less time, depending on their respective reactivity
  • When that is done...

2.- Now remove all lang folders except English from version 2.0 (or 1.1, according to your numbering habits)

  • commit version 2.0 to your github repository
  • commit version 2.0 to the Moodle plugins directory

Joseph

 

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