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Random Response Selection in Questions

1 Initial Problem

By now, (v5.3.x) it is not possible in tests questions to randomly choose from a predefined set of response options.
Thus, a question is always the same (besides a possible random sort order of response options). When running questions several times, this way users can simply choose the correct answer by recall (instead of thinking through the question).
This reduces the effectiveness of exam preparation and similar processes.

2 Conceptual Summary

Basic Mechanism
In relevant question types (s. below), after activating an option „Random Selection of Response Options“ an author may state a number of correct and incorrect response options to be drawn randomly.
In this context, a response option is defined as correct, as long as choosing it yields a score higher than 0.
ILIAS then creates a random selection from each subset by permutation.
In case the required selection cannot be drawn (e.g., because the number of required correct response options is higher than the number of existing ones), ILIAS displays a warning indicating that fact and doesn’t save any information.

Additional Streamlining Mechanism
Correct response options may reward different score, so, permutation may create variants of a question with different score sums.
Therefore, an additional option may restrict the permutation of response option in a way that a question always offers the same score sum. When activating this option, an author may state the required score sum.
This functionality, too, indicates impossible drawing requirements, without saving anything. An impossible drawing requirement is here defined as one which couldn‘t create more than one permutation variant.

Relevant Question Types
In our opinion, implementing this feature request does only make sense in question types fulfilling the following requirements:

• The question exclusively presents predefined response options (excluding the text variant of cloze quesions, text subset questions, formula questions, numerical questions, essay questions, file upload questions and the text variant of „Long Menu“ questions).
• Questions are fulfilling the following requirements:
  • Response options are displayed in the questions page prior to actual response (excluding the select variant of „Long Menu“ questions).
  • Response options can be seleted by simple selection (excluding ordering questions, matching questions).
  • When creating a question, it doesn’t require a carrier item like an image or text (excluding imagemap questions, cloze quesions, error text questions and Java/Flash applet questions).
  • The question type doesn't restrict the number of response options (excluding KPrim questions)

So, relevant question types are only „Single Choice“ and „Multiple Choice“.

3 User Interface Modifications

3.1 List of Affected Views

{Please list all views (screens) of ILIAS that should be modified, newly introduced or removed.}

3.2 User Interface Details

• checkbox „Random Selection of Response Options“
• when checked, text fields appear for a number each of correct and incorrect response options to be drawn randomly
• warning message indicating cases in which the required selection cannot be drawn (general warning on top of the form and specific one below the affected setting

3.3 New User Interface Concepts

(none)

4 Technical Information

{The maintainer has to provide necessary technical information, e.g. dependencies on other ILIAS components, necessary modifications in general services/architecture, potential security or performance issues.}

5 Contact

• Author of the Request: Suittenpointner, Florian [suittenpointner]
• Maintainer: {Please add your name before applying for an initial workshop or a Jour Fixe meeting.}
• Implementation of the feature is done by: {The maintainer must add the name of the implementing developer.}

6 Funding

If you are interest in funding this feature, please add your name and institution to this list.

• …

7 Discussion

Suittenpointner, Florian [suittenpointner], 24 Sep 2018: Alternative Ways of Implementation?
Instead of integrating this feature into the ILIAS trunk, the requirements presented here might also be implemented as plug-in. However, in this case different approaches might be recommendable:

• Separate question type drawing responses from a „response pool“ and allowing to define drawing rules.
• Separate type of question pool extracting relevant questions from usual question pools and and allowing to define their response options as „correct“ or „incorect“, as well as drawing rules.

Kergomard, Stephan [skergomard], 2022 Mar 9: We close this as part of the cleaning up effort undertaken in the Splitting-Up Test & Assessment Workinggroup.

8 Implementation

{The maintainer has to give a description of the final implementation and add screenshots if possible.}

Test Cases

Test cases completed at {date} by {user}

• {Test case number linked to Testrail} : {test case title}

Approval

Approved at {date} by {user}.