[New Quizzes] Multiple Numerical Blanks

It would be a wonderful addition to allow multiple numerical blank questions.  Essentially take the numerical answer question and cross it with the fill in multiple blanks type of question.  Many instructors have questions that contain multiple parts. 

35 Comments
cutkosky
Community Novice

In engineering we often have multi-part questions with numerical answers. I want to keep the parts together so that if I put the question into a Group or a Question Bank the interconnected parts stay with each other. 

bbrennan2
Community Novice

It absolutely blows my mind that this is not a feature yet.  This would make my life SO MUCH EASIER.  How wasn't this a feature from day one? 

It's easier to communicate to students that they're continuing from the same set-up if all the parts are in the same question.  But multiple fill in the blank leads to a nightmare of students finding new and creative ways to give correct answers not in the format you thought of, requiring a never ending series of e-mails from students asking you to fix their grade.

It makes zero sense that this is not a feature.  How hard could it be?

ammartinez
Community Novice

Definately would be helpful.  Since there is no way to insist on a particular line of questions (if you want to have different questions for different students) without sticking them into the same multipart problem.  For statistics I usually give one set of data and then have multiple questions based on that one set of data to save time for students on the exam.  However, with canvas that means I have to make the questions fill in the blank, which gives no room for rounding errors.  Hence I end up makeing 4 to 10 different versions that would be acceptable so I don't have to go find those errors.

blakeg
Community Novice

Please, please, please add a numerical format that accepts a range of values for the "fill in multiple blanks" option!

sheikh1
Community Novice

This would be a great addition for teachers who teach mathematical or quantitative courses. Currently the multiple blanks type questions would read numbers as "text characters", and cannot differentiate between numeric values; for example, if I enter 2.01 as an answer then a student entering 2.010 as an answer will get it market wrong. So, automatic grading loses all advantage for us teachers as we have to go in and regrade every quiz or exam that our students submit. We absolutely need provisions for multiple numeric-response type questions, where each response can be numbered and is a "required" response and not just another "alternative" answer.

cvarney
Community Explorer

In terms of implementation, the fastest way to add increased functionality would be to add a new option for the "Open Entry" option in the Fill in the Blank question type. The "Text Match" option is too limited and cannot be easily applied to a numerical answer. For example, an answer of "0.12" would be graded as incorrect if the user entered ".12". Numerically, these are the same answer, but the auto-grader will grade this as incorrect.

The simplest solution is to add a new answer type for "Open Entry" called "Numerical". The coding effort would be absolutely minimal. The logical structure from the Numeric question type grading can be used for this option. It should take no more than 1-2 days of coding to add this option in. It could even be something as simple as a 30 minute patch job.

porth
Community Member

Would like this feature as well. Teaching a physics class and often students should give multiple numerical answers (like a three dimensional numerical vector) in the same question. Right now I am limited to either ask for only one component (kind of arbitrary) or ask the same question multiple times. Generally, numerical cloze questions would also be a great feature!

CraigOgden
Community Participant

This would be very useful as a math teacher.

jdenny2
Community Member

So has this request been developed yet? This request has been repeatedly made over the past 6 years if you consider other threads, and still continues to be requested. It is clearly a need. In my classes I have labs that have tables with MANY numerical answers that students need to fill. Currently I have to create a separate question for every spot in the table. ITS HORRIBLE. I don't use Canvas quizzes a lot of times because it is just too taxing on everyone.

fhernan
Community Participant

In Engineering and Science courses, we really need this feature! It's not a fancy thing, it's a necessity. Is there any plan to implement this? I agree with other users that it's horrible to use "workarounds". These workarounds do not address the real issues:

- We need a kind of question that accepts multiple numerical answers

- Numerical answers must be treated as numbers, not text.

- Proper support for scientific notation is a must.