Equations in New Quizzes Formulas Questions

[AFelten3]

Is there a way to have students simplify a formula as their response for the "Formulas" question type in new quizzes? 

[James · Accepted solution]

@AFelten3 

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking for, but I suspect the answer is no.

• If you mean "come up with a decimal answer", then yes.
• If you want to incorporate the random numbers into a math equation, then yes. For example, evaluate \(\sqrt{\frac{7}{3}}\) where the 7 and 3 are randomly generated.
• If you mean give the answer as a formula, then no. For example, simplify \(\frac{a^2b^3}{a^5b^2}\) and you want them to enter \(\frac{b}{a^3}\).
• If you mean give your answer as anything other than a decimal (including integers), the no.
• If you mean "reduce a fraction to lowest terms" or "simplify a radical", then no.
• If you want students to solve for a particular variable, then no.
• If you want to ask multiple parts (like a numerator and a denominator, a mixed number, the part outside the radical and the part inside the radical, etc.), then no.
• If you want to randomly generate numbers to use any other question type (ask a multiple choice question with random values), then no.

You probably see what I suspect the answer is no.

Now that doesn't mean that you cannot ask those types of questions, just that you cannot do them with a formula question. If you want random values for a non-numeric response, you may need to create multiple versions of the question and then put them into a bank.

I have used formula questions for some complicated questions, but it gets tricky. For example, I gave students the prompt: \(g'(3)=0,~g'(2)=-5,~g'(4)=2\) and then asked them to tell me where the critical value was and whether it was a (1) relative minimum, (2) relative maximum, (3) both, (4) neither, (5) there's not enough information, or (6) the situation is impossible. I then had them code their answer with the integer portion being the critical value and the decimal portion being the type of feature at that critical value. For example, 6.2 would mean there was a relative maximum at x=6. But I had to get it down to a single numeric response (6.2) for Canvas to take it.

I've also used things like 1=yes, 2=no to ask Boolean questions but get the random number generation capabilities of formula questions.