The Learner View of a Problem

The Learner View of a Problem#

Tags: educator reference

All problems on the edX platform have these component parts, some of which can be configured. For configurable options, you can specify whether and when an option is available in problems.

A problem from a learner's point of view, with numbered callouts for elements of the problem.
  1. Problem text. The problem text can contain any standard HTML formatting.

    Within the problem text for each problem component, you must identify a question or prompt, which is, specifically, the question that learners need to answer. This question or prompt also serves as the required accessible label, and is used by screen readers, and reports. For more information about identifying the question text in your problem, see The Simple Editor.

  2. Response field. Learners enter answers in response fields. The appearance of the response field depends on the type of the problem.

  3. Rendered answer. For some problem types, the LMS uses MathJax to render plain text as “beautiful math.”

  4. Submit. When a learner selects Submit to submit a response for a problem, the LMS saves the grade and current state of the problem. The LMS immediately provides feedback about whether the response is correct or incorrect, as well as the problem score. The Submit option remains available if the learner has unused attempts remaining, so that they can try to answer the problem again.

    Note

    If you want to temporarily or permanently hide learners’ results for problems inside of a subsection, see Set Problem Results Visibility.

  5. Attempts. You can set a specific number of attempts or allow unlimited attempts for a problem. By default, the course-wide Maximum Attempts advanced setting is null, meaning that the maximum number of attempts for problems is unlimited.

    In courses where a specific number has been specified for Maximum Attempts in Advanced Settings, if you do not specify a value for Maximum Attempts for an individual problem, the number of attempts for that problem defaults to the number of attempts defined in Advanced Settings.

  6. Save. The learner can select Save to save their current response without submitting it for grading. This allows the learner to stop working on a problem and come back to it later.

  7. Reset. You can specify whether the Reset option is available for a problem. This setting at the problem level overrides the default setting for the course in Advanced Settings.

    If the Reset option is available, learners can select Reset to clear any input that has not yet been submitted, and try again to answer the question.

    • If the learner has already submitted an answer, selecting Reset clears the submission and, if the problem includes a Python script to randomize variables and the randomization setting is On Reset, changes the values the learner sees in the problem.

    • If the problem has already been answered correctly, Reset is not available.

    • If the number of Maximum Attempts that was set for this problem has been reached, Reset is not available.

  8. Show Answer. You can specify whether this option is available for a problem. If a learner selects Show Answer, the learner sees both the correct answer and the explanation, if any.

    If you specify a number in Show Answer: After Some Number of Attempts, the learner must submit at least that number of attempted answers before the Show Answer option is available for the problem.

  9. Feedback. After a learner selects Submit, an icon appears beside each response field or selection within a problem. A green check mark indicates that the response was correct, a green asterisk (*) indicates that the response was partially correct, and a red X indicates that the response was incorrect. Underneath the problem, feedback text indicates whether the problem was answered correctly, incorrectly, or partially correctly, and shows the problem score.

A problem from a learner's point of view, with callouts showing the feedback elements of an answered problem.

Note

If you want to temporarily or permanently hide learners’ results for problems inside of a subsection, see Set Problem Results Visibility.

In addition to the items above, which are shown in the example, problems also have the following elements.

  • Correct answer. Most problems require that you specify a single correct answer.

  • Explanation. You can include an explanation that appears when a learner selects Show Answer.

  • Grading. You can specify whether a group of problems is graded.

  • Due date. The date that the problem is due. Learners cannot submit answers for problems whose due dates have passed, although they can select Show Answer to show the correct answer and the explanation, if any.

Note

Problems can be open or closed. Closed problems, such as problems whose due dates are in the past, do not accept further responses and cannot be reset. Learners can still see questions, solutions, and revealed explanations, but they cannot submit responses or reset problems.

There are also some attributes of problems that are not immediately visible. You can set these attributes in Studio.

  • Accessible Label. Within the problem text, you can identify the text that is, specifically, the question that learners need to answer. The text that is labeled as the question is used by screen readers, and reports. For more information, see The Simple Editor.

  • Randomization. In certain types of problems, you can include a Python script to randomize the values that are presented to learners. You use this setting to define when values are randomized. For more information, see Randomization.