NAME

Multiple.pm -- sub-class of ChoiceList that implements a multiple choice question.

All items accessed by $out=$mc->item($in);

SYNOPSIS

Multiple.pm is intended to be used to create one of two types of multiple choice questions. The regular multiple choice question is one question followed by a list of answers, only one of which is correct, printed in a bulleted form with radio buttons to select the correct answer. The second type of of multiple choice question consists of one question followed by several answers bulleted with check boxes so that more than one answer can be selected if more than one answer exists. Each student will receive the same set of answers in a mostly random order (some answers can be forced to be at the end of list of answers, see makeLast() below).

DESCRIPTION

Variables and methods available to Multiple

Variables

questions                       # array of questions as entered using qa()
answers                         # array of answers as entered using qa()

selected_q                      # randomly selected subset of "questions"
selected_a                      # the answers for the selected questions

slice                           # index used to select specific questions
shuffle                         # permutation array which can be applied to slice
                                        # to shuffle the answers

inverted_shuffle        # the inverse permutation array

rf_print_q                      # reference to any subroutine which should
                                        # take ($self, @questions) as parameters and
                                        # output the questions in a formatted string.
                                        # If you want to change the way questions are
                                        # printed, write your own print method and set
                                        # this equal to a reference to to that method
                                        # (i.e. $sl->rf_print_q = ~~&printing_routine_q)

rf_print_a                      # reference to any subroutine which should
                                        # take ($self, @answers) as parameters and
                                        # output the answers in a formatted string.
                                        # If you want to change the way answers are
                                        # printed, write your own print method and set
                                        # this equal to a reference to to that method
                                        # (i.e. $sl->rf_print_a = ~~&printing_routine_a)

Methods

qa( array )                     # accepts an array of strings which can be used
                                        # for the question and answers

extra( array )          # accepts an array of strings which can be used
                                        # as extra answers

print_q                         # yields a formatted string of question to be
                                        # matched with answer blanks
print_a                         # yields a formatted string of answers

choose([3, 4], 1)       # chooses questions indexed 3 and 4 and one other
                                        # randomly
makeLast( array )       # accepts an array of strings (like qa) which will
                                        # be forced to the end of the list of answers.

correct_ans                     # outputs a reference to the array of correct answers

Usage

Regular Multiple Choice

Create a multiple choice question using the new_multiple_choice call.

	$mc = new_multiple_choice
	

Use qa() to enter the question and the correct answer. Any duplicates will be eliminated.

	 $mc->qa('\( x^2 \) is:', 'quadratic');

After calling qa you can use extra() to add in extra incorrect answers that (along with the correct answer) will be made into a random list of answers shown to the student.

	$mc->extra(
		'cubic',
		'logarithmic',
		'exponential'
	);

If you want certain answers to be at the end of the list instead of having them be randomized you can use makeLast to add specific answers to the end of the list of answers or to force already existing answers to be moved to the end of the list. This is usually done for 'None of the above', or 'All of the above' type answers. Note that if 'None of the above' is the correct answer then you must put it in qa() and then also makeLast() but the duplicate will be eliminated. If more than one extra answer is added via makeLast, they are added in the same order they are given in makeLast.

	$mc->makeLast(
		'All of the above',
		'None of the above'
	);

Now you would start your problem with a BEGIN_TEXT tag and print the questions and answers with the print_q() and print_a() commands. Within the BEGIN_TEXT/END_TEXT block, all calls to objects must be enclosed in \( \). (The $PAR start a new paragraph by printing a blank line).

	BEGIN_TEXT
		$PAR
		\{ $mc->print_q() \}
		$PAR
		\{ $mc->print_a() \}
	END_TEXT

Now all that''s left is sending the students answers to the answer evaluator along with the correct answers so that the students answers can be checked and a score can be given. This is done using ANS, an answer evaluator and the correct_ans variable.

	ANS(radio_cmp($mc->correct_ans))

Checkbox Multiple Choice

A checkbox multiple choice problem is identical to a regular multiple choice problem with only a few exceptions.

First, you create the checkbox multiple choice object using the command:

	$cmc = new_checkbox_multiple_choice

Then you would call qa() just as in a regular multiple choice object except that this time you can provide more than one answer

	 $cmc->qa(
	 			'Indicate all the functions that are anti-derivatives of \( 3x^2 \)',
				'\( x^3 \)',
				'\( x^3 - 57 \)',
				'\( 27 + x^3 \)'
	);

Then you would use extra() and makeLast() and create the problem just as with a regular multiple choice. The only other difference is that at then end of the problem you would use checkbox_cmp() instead of radio_cmp().

	ANS(radio_cmp($cmc->correct_ans))