A project to improve the usefulness of calculated questions

A project to improve the usefulness of calculated questions

by Pierre Pichet -
Number of replies: 13

For almost 10 years we are using quizzes based on calculated questions (WEBCT) to improve the learning of students in analytical and physical chemistry courses. The calculated questions are similar to those found at the end of the textbook chapters. They are submitted to the students as homeworks, each question in a separate quizz because the students are less confuse by the partial and total submit procedures. If they failed to have a good response, they can submit either once or two times where they get a new version (new values) of the question. During a course they must do from 50 to 100 different questions and a little part of the total note (10%) is related to the completion of the questions.

We have found that the groups who have those problems, have significant higher notes in the regular examinations. We will migrate to Moodle next year so we are working on the following plan to improve the handling of calculated questions in Moodle.

  1. Importing calculated questions from WEBCT. The actual module is not working.
    Moodle 1.6 importing WEBCT calculated question
  2. Importing and exporting calculated questions from moodle. This is not implemented in the various import-export modules. We are working on the  XML moodle format.
    Should we use the backuplib.php functions to export and import in XML Moodle Format?
    or  save_question_options($question), a bottleneck to import calculated questions
    A modification to be able to select the questions to export have been proposed
    New:selecting questions for exporting in 1.6 beta
  3. Improving the handling of calculated questions:
    1. Adding or deleting dataset items by 10, 20, 100
    2. A condensed table to see data items in calculated question
  4. Extending the complexity of calculated questions. The calculations for the answer is limited to a one line equation which greatly limit the usefulness of calculated questions and probably explain why so few teachers use them. We have developp an excel spreadsheet that allows to use all the calculation capacities of excel to generate the values and the anwer. The anwer is imported in moodle as an additional parameter.
    Extending calculated questions with a spreasheet

Some issues have to be resolved on the best way to code the proposed modifications in MOODLE before they can all be put in the 1,6 or 1,7 version.
As a newcomer in Moodle with a lot of somewhat elementary questions, I wish to thank the moodle group for their comprehension and their help in pursueing this project.

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In reply to Pierre Pichet

Re: A project to improve the usefulness of calculated questions

by Ray Lawrence -
Hi Pierre,

Last year I updated the en language files for this question type. Gustav needed them in a format where he could review each change rather than read the whole lot and I never got around to doing that. I'm pretty sure I still have these files on my laptop at home. If I can post them here I will, but  i suspect they might be too large. Could you message me with your email address just in case?

Cheers

Ray
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In reply to Ray Lawrence

Re: updated language files

by Pierre Pichet -

If you click on my name when you are login as a Ray Laurence, you will find my email address.
You could make your own diff files by using a program that do this comparison and let you save the results like http://www.prestosoft.com/ps.asp?page=edp_examdiff or Beyong Compare . There are other programs available.

You could then submit YOUR work to Gustav.

Cheers

Pierre

P.S. If for any reasons you want me to do these diff file, send them by email.

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In reply to Pierre Pichet

Re: updated language files

by Ray Lawrence -
Hi Pierre,

Your email address is hidden in your profile (even when I log in as Ray Lawrence).wink

Gustav has handed over the Quiz module to the OU I believe so I would need to find another place to send them.
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In reply to Ray Lawrence

Re: updated language files

by Pierre Pichet -
Sorry, there is always an option that we did not choose correctly when filling those forms.
pichet.pierre@uqam.ca
Gustav is the man in charge of this forum and to whom you should send your diff files although he is not in charge of maintaining the various translations as far as I understand correctly the moodle development structure.
Generally when you submit new code, it seems that they prefer that you report them as a bug. I imagine that there is less bug reports than forum items. Neverthless, he will indicate you what to do when you ( or I) finish you diff files and submit them to the quiz forum.
Bye
Pierre
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In reply to Pierre Pichet

Re: updated language files

by Gustav W Delius -
Ray, I am luckily no longer in charge here, Tim has taken over. Translations are maintained by Koen. And yes, Pierre is right, the bug tracker is the place to put anything that you want to get someone to act upon. Forum posts are easily lost.
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In reply to Gustav W Delius

Re: Thank you Gustav

by Ralf Hilgenstock -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
Hi Gustav,

thanks for your hard work in the last time.

The quiz module got better and better and your support was great. Thanks for all.


Ralf
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In reply to Ralf Hilgenstock

Re: Thank you Gustav

by N Hansen -
I want to thank you too Gustav. You've taken this module very far and I really appreciate that.
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In reply to Gustav W Delius

Re: updated language files

by Bryan Williams -
The community owes a great debt of gratitude to you Gustav, thanks much.
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In reply to Gustav W Delius

Thank you Gustav

by Bernard Boucher -
Hi Gustav,
               many thanks for your relentless works on enhancing the quiz module and supporting with celerity all users.

Welcome Tim in that HUNTing game wink


Bernard

p.s. These gratitude posts should merit a new thread?

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In reply to Gustav W Delius

Re: updated language files

by John Rodgers -
I will add my gratitude to the multitude.  You have done an excellent job Gustav, I'm not sure how you managed to cover so much ground.
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In reply to Pierre Pichet

Re: A project to improve the usefulness of calculated questions

by Jean-Michel Védrine -
Hello Pierre,
I find all your work on the calculated question very interesting.
While we are working on the calculated qtype we should also look to the way units are handled.
I certainly don't like the fact that if you put a default unit it is considered as optional.
For a lot of science teachers if they set the correct answer to be 12.3 cm they certainly don't want 12.3 to be accepted as a correct response.
For medical questions it is even more evident that units are required !!
You can lok at this thread or at bug 4901 where a fix is provided. I have tested the proposed changes and they seems to work quite well. Unfortunalety since the patch was submitted lines numbers have changed but I can provide current modified files.
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