Question Authoring

While we strive to meet your needs through our content banks, you may think of a question you'd like to ask that we don't cover. If such a case arises, you can write your own content using our easy-to-use authoring system—no coding required.

Writing New Questions

To write a new question:

1. From your main course page, click the name of the activity to which you wish to add a question.
2. Click the book icon on the left to open the library.
3. Click the + icon at the top to create a new question from scratch.
4. Choose a template that best fits the type of question you want to write. You can always add or delete answer types, but these templates will help get you started.

At a minimum, your question should include:

1. A Question tab: Ask a question in the text area of the Question tab (you'll be on the question tab when you open the editor, and the text area will say "Enter text here:").
2. A Solution tab: When you finish the Question tab, click "Solution" at the top of the question. Enter the correct answer in each answer module. You may also include an explanation of the answer here. This tab appears after students get the question correct or give up (or only after the due date, depending on your assignment policies).
3. A Correct tab: Next click "Correct" in the tab bar. Click on each module on the Correct tab to check the tolerance settings and to lock in that correct answer. This tab defines the correct answer to the question, and appears when student answers match that correct answer.
4. A Default tab: Click "Default" to edit the default feedback. This tab appears when the student enters an answer that is not matched by any other tab (such as the correct tab or any additional incorrect tabs you might add). Click the word "Incorrect" on this tab to edit that text area. Type a brief explanation to lead the students toward a correct answer (your students will see this tab if they enter an incorrect answer). You can also use any other module from the top bar to further describe how to answer the question.
5. Question Information: Click "Information" in the tab bar to describe your question. Give it a Title, and, if you would like, choose a Focus for it on the right (this will map it to a chapter, section, and topic, so you can find it again later; by default, you can find your questions in chapter 1 section 1 of any book under "Your Questions"). You can also give it a Description, and select a Difficulty and Cognitive Type for the question.

For additional information, see the Sapling Learning Question Authoring Manual [PDF].

Editing Existing Questions

To edit an existing question:

1. Find the question in the Library.
2. Click the question to select it.
3. If the pencil-shaped edit icon in the top bar becomes active, you own the question, and can edit it directly. Otherwise, click the duplicate icon in the top bar.