11.11. Dropdown Problem¶

11.11.1.1. Example Dropdown Problem¶

In the LMS, learners select a single answer option to complete a dropdown problem. An example of a completed dropdown problem follows.

In this example, a single problem component contains multiple questions, all of them using the dropdown problem type. To add the example illustrated above, you enter the following text and Markdown formatting in the simple editor in Studio. Then, select Settings for the problem to define settings. To specify that each question is worth one point, leave the Problem Weight field empty.

>>What type of data is age?<<
[[Nominal, Discrete, (Continuous)]]
---
>>What type of data is age, when rounded to the nearest year?<<
[[
Nominal
(Discrete)
Continuous
]]
---
>>What type of data is life stage, such as infant, child, or adult?<<
[[(Nominal), Discrete, Continuous]]

The OLX markup for this example problem follows.

<problem>
  <optionresponse>
    <label>What type of data is age?</label>
    <optioninput options="('Nominal','Discrete','Continuous')"
     correct="Continuous"></optioninput>
  </optionresponse>
  <optionresponse>
    <label>What type of data is age, when rounded to the nearest year?</label>
    <optioninput options="('Nominal','Discrete','Continuous')"
     correct="Discrete"></optioninput>
    </optionresponse>
  <optionresponse>
    <label>What type of data is life stage, such as infant, child, or adult?</label>
    <optioninput options="('Nominal','Discrete','Continuous')"
     correct="Nominal"></optioninput>
  </optionresponse>
</problem>

11.11.1.2. Analyzing Performance on Dropdown Problems¶

For the dropdown problems in your course, you can use edX Insights to review aggregated learner performance data and examine submitted answers. For more information, see Using edX Insights.

11.11.2.1. Use the Simple Editor to Add a Dropdown Problem¶

When you add a dropdown problem, you can choose one of these templates.

• Dropdown
• Dropdown with Hints and Feedback

These templates include the Markdown formatting that you use in the simple editor to add a problem without, or with, hints and feedback.

To use the simple editor to add a problem, follow these steps.

1. In the unit where you want to create the problem, under Add New Component select Problem.

2. From the list of Common Problem Types, select the type of problem you want to add. Studio adds a template for the problem to the unit.

3. Select Edit. The simple editor opens to a template that shows the Markdown formatting that you use for this problem type.

4. Replace the guidance provided by the template to add your own text for the question or prompt, answer options, explanation, and so on.

   To format equations, you can use MathJax. For more information, see Using MathJax for Mathematics.

5. Select Settings to provide an identifying Display Name and define settings for the problem. For more information, see Defining Settings for Problem Components.

6. Select Save.

11.11.2.2. Use the Advanced Editor to Add a Dropdown Problem¶

You can use the advanced editor to identify the elements of a dropdown problem with OLX. For more information, see Dropdown Problem OLX Reference.

To use the advanced editor to add a problem, follow these steps.

1. Follow steps 1-3 for creating the problem in the simple editor.

2. Select Advanced Editor. The advanced editor opens the template and shows the OLX markup that you can use for this problem type.

3. Replace the guidance provided by the template to add your own text. For example, replace the question or prompt, answer options, and explanation.

   To format equations, you can use MathJax. For more information, see Using MathJax for Mathematics.

4. Update the OLX to add optional elements and attributes required for your problem.

5. Select Settings to provide an identifying Display Name and define settings for the problem. For more information, see Defining Settings for Problem Components.

6. Select Save.

11.11.3.1. Configuring Feedback in the Simple Editor¶

You can configure feedback in the simple editor. When you add a dropdown problem, select the template Dropdown with Hints and Feedback. This template has example feedback syntax that you can replace.

[[
Wrong Answer {{Feedback for learners who select this answer.}}
Wrong Answer {{Feedback for learners who select this answer.}}
(Correct Answer) {{Feedback for learners who select this answer.}}
]]

For example, the following problem has feedback for each possible answer.

>>A/an ________ is an example of a vegetable.<<

[[
  apple {{An apple is the fertilized ovary that comes from an apple tree and
    contains seeds classifying it as a fruit.}}
  pumpkin {{A pumpkin is the fertilized ovary of a squash plant and contains
    seeds classifying it as a fruit.}}
  (potato) {{A potato is an edible part of a plant in tuber form and is
    classified as a vegetable}}
  tomato {{Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a vegetable. However,
    because a tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato plant and contains
    seeds it is classified as a fruit.}}
]]

11.11.3.2. Configuring Feedback in the Advanced Editor¶

In the advanced editor, you configure answer feedback with the following syntax.

<option correct="False">Option Label
  <optionhint>Feedback for when a learner selects this incorrect answer.</optionhint>
</option>

For example, the following problem has feedback for each answer.

<problem>
  <optionresponse>
    <label>A/an ________ is an example of a vegetable.</label>
    <optioninput>
      <option correct="False">apple
        <optionhint>An apple is the fertilized ovary that comes from an
         apple tree and contains seeds classifying it as a fruit.</optionhint>
      </option>
      <option correct="False">pumpkin
        <optionhint>A pumpkin is the fertilized ovary of a squash plant and
         contains seeds classifying it as a fruit.</optionhint>
      </option>
      <option correct="True">potato
        <optionhint>A potato is an edible part of a plant in tuber form and
         is classified as a vegetable.</optionhint>
      </option>
      <option correct="False">tomato
        <optionhint>Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a vegetable.
         However, because a tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato plant
         and contains seeds it is classified as a fruit.</optionhint>
      </option>
    </optioninput>
  </optionresponse>
</problem>

11.11.3.3. Customizing Feedback Labels¶

By default, the feedback labels shown to learners are Correct and Incorrect. If you do not define feedback labels, learners see these terms when they submit an answer, as in the following example.

Incorrect:
An apple is the fertilized ovary that comes from an apple tree and contains
seeds classifying it as a fruit.

You can configure the problem to override the default labels. For example, you can configure a custom label for a specific wrong answer.

Not Quite:
Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a vegetable. However, because a
tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato plant and contains seeds it is
classified as a fruit.

[[
Incorrect Answer {{Label:: Feedback for learners who select this answer.}}
.
.
.
]]

[[
tomato {{Not Quite:: Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a
vegetable. However, because a tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato
plant and contains seeds, it is a fruit.}}
.
.
.
]]

<option correct="False">Answer
  <optionhint label="Custom Label">Feedback for learners who select this answer.</optionhint>
</option>

<option correct="False">tomato
  <optionhint label="Not Quite">Many people mistakenly think a tomato is a
   vegetable. However, because a tomato is the fertilized ovary of a tomato
   plant and contains seeds it is classified as a fruit.</optionhint>
</option>

11.11.4.1. Configure Hints in the Simple Editor¶

In the simple editor, you configure hints with the following syntax.

||Hint 1||
||Hint 2||
||Hint n||

For example, the following problem has two hints.

||A fruit is the fertilized ovary from a flower.||
||A fruit contains seeds of the plant.||

11.11.4.2. Configure Hints in the Advanced Editor¶

In the advanced editor, you add the <demandhint> element immediately before the closing </problem> tag, and then configure each hint using the <hint> element.

.
.
.
<demandhint>
  <hint>Hint 1</hint>
  <hint>Hint 2</hint>
  <hint>Hint 3</hint>
</demandhint>
</problem>

For example, the following OLX for a multiple choice problem shows two hints.

.
.
.
</multiplechoiceresponse>
<demandhint>
  <hint>A fruit is the fertilized ovary from a flower.</hint>
  <hint>A fruit contains seeds of the plant.</hint>
</demandhint>
</problem>

11.11.5.1. Template¶

<problem>
  <optionresponse>
    <label>Question or prompt text</label>
    <description>Optional information about how to answer the question</description>
    <option correct="False">Option Label
      <optionhint>Feedback for when learner selects this answer.</optionhint>
    </option>
    <option correct="True">Option Label
      <optionhint>Feedback for when learner selects this answer.</optionhint>
    </option>
    <solution>
      <div class="detailed-solution">
        <p>Explanation or Solution Header</p>
        <p>Explanation or solution text</p>
      </div>
    </solution>
  </optionresponse>
  <demandhint>
    <hint>Hint 1</hint>
    <hint>Hint 2</hint>
    <hint>Hint 3</hint>
  </demandhint>
</problem>

11.11.5.2. Elements¶

For dropdown problems, the <problem> element can include this hierarchy of child elements.

<optionresponse>
    <label>
    <description>
    <optioninput>
          <option>
              <optionhint>
    <solution>
<demandhint>
    <hint>

In addition, standard HTML tags can be used to format text.