The Typed Answer question allows you to test learners with open-ended, free-text questions while still scoring their answers automatically. Authors define a list of accepted answers, and when learners submit their response, Create checks it against your rules and provides immediate feedback.
Overview
Unlike standard multiple-choice questions, the Scored Text Input gives learners the freedom to type their answer directly into a clean, single-line input field. It counts towards the course score, appears in the final score summary, and reports detailed responses to your LMS or LRS via xAPI.
Key capabilities at a glance:
- Multiple accepted answers: Define up to 10 variations to accommodate synonyms or alternate phrasing.
- Flexible matching: Choose between keyword matching or exact matching.
- Case sensitivity controls: Decide whether capitalisation matters.
- Character boundaries: Set maximum (up to 100) and optional minimum character limits.
- Built-in localization: Accepted answers and placeholder text are fully exportable and translatable.
Adding the Question to Your Page
- Open your project in Author view.
- In the page layout, select Add Section or Add Block.
- Under the Questions category, select Typed Answer.
Configuring Accepted Answers
Learners will be marked Correct if their submitted answer matches any one of your accepted answers.
- Select the text input component on your page to open its settings panel.
- In the Accepted Answers field, enter your desired answer. You can add answers by:
- Pressing Enter or Return
- Typing a comma (,) or semicolon (;)
- Clicking outside the field
- Pasting lists: You can paste a comma-separated list of terms (e.g., Paris, London, Berlin), and Create will automatically split them into individual accepted answers. Multi-word answers (e.g., New York) stay intact.
- You can add up to 10 accepted answers per question.
Setting Matching Rules
Under the question configuration, fine-tune how strictly learner responses are evaluated:
1. Match Type
- Contains keyword (Default): The learner’s response is marked correct as long as it contains one of your accepted answers anywhere within their response.
- Exact match: The learner’s response must match an accepted answer word-for-word.
2. Case Sensitivity
- Off (Default): Capitalisation is ignored. For example, entering paris will match Paris, PARIS, or pArIs.
- On: The learner must match your exact casing (e.g., Paris will not match paris).
3. Spacing and Punctuation Rules
- Spaces: Surrounding spaces (leading/trailing) and repeated double spaces are automatically ignored.
- Punctuation: Punctuation marks are not ignored and are matched as literal text. If your accepted answer includes punctuation (e.g., e-learning), make sure to include common variations without punctuation if you want both accepted.
Input Limits & Placeholder Text
- Placeholder Text: You can customise the helper text shown inside the empty text box (defaults to "Type your answer here"). If left blank, it automatically reverts to the course default.
- Maximum Characters: Capped at 100 characters (default: 100).
- Minimum Characters: Set an optional minimum character threshold to ensure learners submit a substantive answer before proceeding.
Scoring & Feedback
- All-or-Nothing Scoring: The question evaluates as either Correct or Incorrect (partial scoring is not supported).
- Feedback: Authors can configure standard Correct and Incorrect feedback banners and explanations.
- Score Summary: When learners reach the results or score summary page, their submitted text is shown alongside a green tick (✓) or red cross (✗).
- Attempts & Retries: Inherits your course's global or page-level retry and pass-mark settings.
Reporting & Analytics (xAPI)
When learners complete this question, Create emits an xAPI statement with the fill-in interaction type:
- Learner Response: The exact text string submitted by the learner.
- Result: Pass/fail status, completion.