PyCloze

Christian Ghiaus

INSA Lyon, France, 18/04/2021

PyCloze is a procedure to obtain a sort of calculated questions with embedded answers (called cloze questions) for Moodle learning management system. It needs basic knowledge of Python 3 and Moodle 3. You need to have a teacher role in Moodle to be able to turn editing on.

MoodleCloze is a Python module and a workflow for creating embedded answers (cloze) questions for Moodle in .xml format. The penalty factor is fixed to 1/3 (but you can change it in MdlClz.py file).

The workflow allows us to generate a set of questions from which one will be randomly assigned by Moodle to a student. The problem is the same for all questions, but the input data and the corresponding answeres are different from question to question. Therefore, the procedure is suited for exams and evaluations.

Moodle random questions can be used for quizzes of:

• < 10 min. during lectures to check the comprehension of concepts;
• 1 - 2 hours during seminaries to see the capacity of students to solve their own problem;
• 2 hours for final exams.

Licence

Code is released under MIT Lincence.

Docs are released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Differences between versions v.0.0.0 and v.0.1.0

To tell Python where to substitute the values of the variables in text (of type string in PyCloze__.py or PyClz__.py), the function generate_quiz:

• from module MoodleCloze.py in v.0.0.0 uses the “old style” string formatting (% operator).

• from module MdlClz.py in v.0.1.0 uses the “new style” string formating (str.format).

In v.0.0.0, there is the section # 3. Define the mapping between the variables of the problem. This mapping is no more needed (and used) in v.0.1.0. There are changes in the specification of the variables in text (string in PyCloze00.py and PyClz00.py):

text	PyCloze00.py (v.0.0.0)	PyClz00.py (v.0.1.0)
Text	mean age is $$\\mu$$	mean age is $$\\mu$$
Inputs	%(name_1)s, age %(age_1).1f	{name[0]:s}, age {age[0]:.1f}
Outputs	{1:NUMERICAL:=%(mean_age)3.1f:%(err_mean_age)3.2f} (±5 %%)	{{1:NUMERICAL:={mean_age:.1f}:0.5}} (±0.5)
	{1:MULTICHOICE:%(oldest_1)s %(name_1)s	{{1:MULTICHOICE:{oldest[0]:s} {name[0]:s}
	~%(oldest_2)s %(name_2)s	~{oldest[1]:s} {name[1]:s}
	~%(oldest_3)s %(name_3)s}	~{oldest[2]:s} {name[2]:s}}}
	{1:SHORTANSWER:~=%(longest_name)s}	{{1:SHORTANSWER:~={longest_name:s}}}

Quick start

Import one of the PyClz__.xml files in Moodle to see the cloze questions. See Tutorial_xml2moodle.md for further details on how to create a quiz with random questions.

Installation

Copy the MdlClz.py file in the folder in which you develop the cloze question. Import the module MdlClze in your Python code.

How to use it

Typical workflow:

In Moodle (see Tutorial_xml2moodle.md):

1. Create and set up a quiz.
2. Create a category for the specific question of the quiz in the question bank.

In Python (see Tutorial_py2xml.md):

3. Create or modify the questions and save them in an .xml file.

In Moodle (see Tutorial_xml2moodle.md):

4. Import the .xml file into the question bank in the category of the quiz corresponding to the type of question.

5. Preview the questions of a category in the question bank. If there are errors in the questions:

   • Delete the questions from the category.
   • Go to step 3.

   If there are no errors, go to the next step.

6. Add a random question to the test.

7. Preview the test.

Contents

Tutorials

Tutorial_py2xml.md: on how to generate cloze questions with Python and export them as .xml file. PyClz00.py is used as a walk through example.

Tutorial_xml2moodle.md: on how to set up a quiz and import .xml random questions in Moodle.

Tips&Tricks.md: on useful advices and avoidable pitfalls.

Examples

Description

Description4quizzes.md presents three quizzes:

1. PyClz00: given the names and the ages of three children, find the mean age, the eldest child and the longest name.
2. PyClz01: find the thermal resistance, the heat flux and the heat transfer rate of a flat wall.
3. PyClz02: find the coefficient of heat exchange in forced and in natural convection.

Note: Description4quizzes.md is suited for visualisation in GitHub. Description4quizzes_LaTex.md is suited for visualisation in a Markdown reader.

Python implementation

PyClz00.py a simple example with inputs of type string and numerical, and outputs of type numerical, multichoice and short answers (discussed in Tutorial_py2xml.md).

PyClz01.py a typical example with numerical inputs and outputs. It uses Unicode characters and LaTex notation in the mathematical formulas.

PyCloze02.py an example with numerical data in the form of a table and outputs in numerical, short_answer and multi_choice format.

.xml files

PyClz00.xml file generated with PyClz00.py.

PyClz01.xml file generated with PyClz01.py.

PyClz02.xml file generated with PyClz02.py.