Moodle has never been good at enabling formatting in question or response boxes. It is proposed that my hosting site will be upgraded from 2.4 to 2.6 in coming months. Will 2.6 be any better at enabling students to input chemical formulae? See the box below for a recent answer provided by a student, showing that the (incorrect) formula she input has not been properly rendered by Moodle. It is of course important that Moodle enables mistakes which means that self correcting chemical drafting programmes are not appropriate.
Did you intend to attach a screen-grab?
For inputting expressions with superscripts and subscripts, have a look at the OU question types like 'Pattern-Match' https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=qtype_pmatch or 'Variable numeric' https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=qtype_varnumericset, in combination with this editor add-on https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=editor_supsub
Sorry, I have now put the screen capture as an attachment (what is the best way to do this?). I am not sure what the student will have entered, but it would have made more sence than what appeared on my marking screen.
I can get the students to input chemical molecular formulae using subscripts and superscripts cut and pasted from the question test, using the standard Moodle text editing window.
However, I cannot find a way to input chemical structural formulae. When using tabs and multiple spaces, Moodle's editing screen completely changes the formatting.
I can get the students to input chemical molecular formulae using subscripts and superscripts cut and pasted from the question test, using the standard Moodle text editing window.
However, I cannot find a way to input chemical structural formulae. When using tabs and multiple spaces, Moodle's editing screen completely changes the formatting.
So you want them to draw structures like:
And you're saying that things like JME https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=qtype_jme wont work because they'll fix student mistakes?
What about using PoodLL?
https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=qtype_poodllrecording
Thank you
Yes. I want them to be able to input incorrect formulae. I have been in touch with the authors of JME, ChemSketch etc about dumbed down drawing packages, but none is available.
It looks as though Poodll will allow only free hand drawing. It would not be easy to draw acetic acid by hand with a mouse. In addition unfortunately, my hosting site will not allow plug-ins. The solution needs to use Moodle straight out of the box. Any additional software packages would have to be installed on the student's computer, not always possible if they are working from internet cafes etc.
Is it yet possible to cut and paste an image into a Moodle dialog box? It would be cack handed, but possible, to get the student to prepare the structural formula in Word (etc), do a screen grab, then paste the image into the box.
Have you looked at Carl LeBlond's EasyOChem / Scimersion Moodle question types ? One of those might work for you.