Can the Hotpot Quizzes be edited without the original source files?

Can the Hotpot Quizzes be edited without the original source files?

by Samuli Karevaara -
Number of replies: 2

We have some legacy courses with hot pot quizzes for teachers that are no longer working with us. Can the quizzes be edited inside Moodle? Or just in the external application? Can the quizzes that are eported to Moodle be loaded back into Hotpot or have they been modified in the export too much to have any editability anymore?

Also, the teachers would like to see what the answers are, does this require the original files also?

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Samuli Karevaara

Re: Can the Hotpot Quizzes be edited without the original source files?

by Gordon Bateson -
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Hi Samuli,
As you may know, the questions in a Moodle HotPot activity come from a Hot Potatoes file that is stored within the activity.
If you go to the settings page for any Moodle HotPot activity, you will see the Hot Potatoes file in "Source file" for that activity.

If the Hot Potatoes file is an HTML file, then you can download it, edit it in a text editor and upload it back to the activity.
This method works well for small tweaks, but not for major changes, such as adding new questions.

If the Hot Potatoes file is not an HTML file, then it is probably an XML file. In this case, the file name ends with one of the following extensions:
  • a JCloze file ends with ".jcl"
  • a JCross file ends with ".jcw
  • a JMix file ends with ".jmx"
  • a JMatch file ends with ".jmt"
  • a JQuiz file ends with ".jqz"
For any of the above file types, you can download the file, edit it in the one of the Hot Potatoes editors (JCloze, JQuiz, etc) and upload it back to Moodle.
Once you have opened the file in on the Hot Potatoes editors, you can see the answers.

If you are somewhat familiar with Javascript, you may also be able to determine the answers to questions by looking at the source code of the HTML.

Hope that helps,
Gordon
Average of ratings: Useful (2)
In reply to Gordon Bateson

Re: Can the Hotpot Quizzes be edited without the original source files?

by Samuli Karevaara -
Thanks a bunch Gordon, that helps a lot! It was new to me that the original hotpot file can also be used, I was under the impression that the activities always need to be exported first, as our teachers had done. I was able to both tweak the html a bit plus get the original hotpot files, so we are good to go. Thanks again.