Essay question type (Moodle Quiz)

Note: This article is part of the Moodle Quiz questions collection.

The Essay question type is primarily used for providing students the option to answer a prompt with a written response using the text editor or submitting a file. However, it is also possible, using the Atto editor, to record short videos or audio files.

Note: When designing quiz questions of any type, accessibility must be considered. For example, using appropriate alt text when adding images, or ensuring formatting is correct when representing data visually.

Why?

The Essay question type is useful for questions that require students to provide detailed text answers, which require more than just a single word or phrase to convey their comprehension.

With the Essay question type, you can create a template to structure the student’s answer. The scaffolding text will appear in the answer input field when the question is presented to students.

An important consideration when using the Essay question type is that answers must be marked manually. Students will not receive a final grade until the entire quiz, including the essay question, has been evaluated.

Note: While it is possible to allow for file submissions in the Essay question type, for longer essays or text/file uploads, consider using an Assignment or Turnitin activity instead, as these provide functionality which is unavailable to the Quiz activity.

How?

For step-by-step instructions on how to set up essay questions, please refer to the Question Type: Essay IMTS Knowledge Base article.

Related information

Moodle Documentation - Essay question type | External resource

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