Essay type item

An essay-type item asks the respondent to answer freely or express an opinion about the given subject.

The respondent has a text input field to enter the response.

At the top and bottom of the page, you can see the Save button, to save the information you have entered, Cancel if you choose not to save the new information, and Preview to see how the item will appear when published. This last command allows you to see the item exactly as it will appear to the respondent.

Note that when you add an item to the library of a given project for which you have invited people to collaborate with you, this item will also be available for them to consult or modify as needed. What's more, if one of the people collaborating modifies an item, the modified version of the item will appear in all of the quizzes that use this item.

DEMO text and video for this item type

Three tabs are used to define the item: Content, Add-ons and Parameters.

 

CONTENT OF AN ESSAY ITEM
The Content tab is used to define what makes up the item.

Item title: Enter a meaningful name that will help you to find the item in your library. The item's title will appear in the Title column in the list of items. However, it will not appear when the item is shown to the respondent, nor when we look at a preview of an item that we are preparing.

Item type: The item type is Essay.

Text: Write the text for your question as it will be shown to the respondent. Use the editing tools as needed.

Suggested answer: Enter an answer or a comment that will be shown when the respondent Submit the answer for correction. The respondent's answer must be identical to the expected one to be correct.

 

ADD-ONS FOR THE ESSAY ITEM
The Add-ons tab allows you to add complementary information to the item.

Add-ons 1 and 2: Enter the complementary information related to the question. Use the editing tools as needed. For example, you could give clues to help the respondent understand.

Media in the header: The header of an item can contain a descriptive text, a second line with descriptive text or one or more media files.

Add a descriptive text and a second line of descriptive text. Use the editing tools as needed.

Use the commands Add an image, Add an audio file or Add a video, to choose the media file or files for the header. You can use a file that is already saved in your library (see how) or you can import a new file from another source (see how).

 

PARAMETERS FOR AN ESSAY ITEM
The Parameters tab allows you to define the specific attributes for this item type.

  • Category: An item can belong, or not, to a category. To learn more about categories, see the page

    To associate an item with an existing category, choose a category from the drop-down menu.

    To associate an item with a new category, write a name for the category in the input field Add a new category as needed. The new category will be created at the same time as the new item and will be added to the library under My categories.
     
  • Setting parameters for the item
    - Weighting: Indicate the number of points given to the question.
    - Automatically start media: Choose the appropriate option whether or not you want the selected media to start automatically in the Media in the header section, under the Add-ons tab. Your options are:
       - Do not start the media: In this case, the respondent must start the media.
       - Start the audio file and Start the video: The media file will start automatically as soon as the item appears to the respondent.
    - Display correct answer: Choose whether or not to show the correct answer to the respondent. It might be pedagogically desirable to show the respondent the correct answer. Viewing the correct answer does not require the respondant to put in an answer.

Note: The content of this field is not visible in the published quiz. This is used to write notes to help you manage the content or for collaboration with a colleague. It can help identify an item that you wish to note (such as something to check, complete, check copyrights for, etc.).