Do You Want To Easily Create A Large Number Of Questions In Your Moodle Course?

Are you looking for an easy method to create large number of questions in your Moodle course?

• GIFT
• Moodle XML
• AIKEN
• Hot Potatoes
• Course Test Manager (Discontinued as of 2019)
• ExamView
• WebCT
• Microsoft Word Table Format (Moodle2Word)
• BlackBoard
• Embedded Answers (Cloze)
• Missing Words

GIFT is the most comprehensive import format available for importing Moodle quiz questions from a text file. In this article, we will take a brief look on to the GIFT format.

The GIFT Format

The Moodle GIFT format allows to create different types of questions using a text editor. You can create multiple-choice, true-false, short answer, matching missing word and numerical questions easily.  Once done, just save the text file and upload it to Moodle either into a question category or into a lesson.

Give Yourself A Productivity GIFT: Super Easy Language To Develop Moodle Questions

Moodle also supports exporting questions to GIFT format which may be useful to proofread questions in a single category.

Initially, it may take some time to understand writing the questions syntax in GIFT format. But once you can master it, then you can create large number of questions in no time.

You can create Multiple Choice, Multiple choice with multiple right answers, True-False, Short Answer, Matching, Missing Word, Numerical Question, Essay type questions. In addition to these question types, the GIFT format also allows you to add line comments, question name, feedback and percentage answer weight within the text file.

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GIFT syntax basics

The basic rules for GIFT format are:

• Any GIFT file must be correctly encoded in UTF-8. You can any text editor. NotePad++, Sublime, Atom or even Vim if you’re an adventurer!
• At least one blank line must be left between each question.
• In the simple form, the question comes first, then the answers are set in between brackets, with an equal sign (=) indicating the correct answer(s) and tilde (~) the wrong answers.
• Questions can be weighted by placing percentage signs (%..%) around the weight.

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Some samples

Courtesy and credit: Paul Shew, at Aoyama Gakuin University.

Cloze (fill in the blanks)

Who's buried in Grant's tomb?{~Grant ~Jefferson =no one}

Grant is {~buried =entombed ~living} in Grant's tomb.

Grant is buried in Grant's tomb.{FALSE}

Who's buried in Grant's tomb?{=no one =nobody}

When was Ulysses S. Grant born?{#1822:1}

Multiple choice

Who's buried in Grant's tomb?{~Grant ~Jefferson =no one}

Grant is {~buried =entombed ~living} in Grant's tomb.

The American holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated on the {
    ~second
    ~third
    =fourth
} Thursday of November.

Japanese characters originally came from what country? {
    ~India
    =China
    ~Korea
    ~Egypt}

Short answer

Who's buried in Grant's tomb?{=no one =nobody}

Two plus two equals {=four =4}.

True or false

Grant is buried in Grant's tomb.{F}

The sun rises in the east.{T}

Matching

Matching Question. {
    =subquestion1 -> subanswer1
    =subquestion2 -> subanswer2
    =subquestion3 -> subanswer3
    }
    
Match the following countries with their corresponding capitals. {
    =Canada -> Ottawa
    =Italy  -> Rome
    =Japan  -> Tokyo
    =India  -> New Delhi
    }

Numerical

When was Ulysses S. Grant born? {#1822}

What is the value of pi (to 3 decimal places)? {#3.1415:0.0005}.

What is the value of pi (to 3 decimal places)? {#3.141..3.142}.

When was Ulysses S. Grant born? {#
    =1822:0
    =%50%1822:2}

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Options and GIFT customization

You can add comments, names, headings and feedback to right and wrong answers. For more advanced markings, you can add weights and make combinations.

Inline comments

// Subheading: Numerical questions below
What's 2 plus 2? {#4}

Question name

::Kanji Origins::Japanese characters originally
came from what country? {=China}

::Thanksgiving Date::The American holiday of Thanksgiving is 
celebrated on the {~second ~third =fourth} Thursday of November.

Feedback

What's the answer to this multiple-choice question?{
~wrong answer#feedback comment on the wrong answer
~another wrong answer#feedback comment on this wrong answer
=right answer#Very good!}
    
Who's buried in Grant's tomb?{
=no one#excellent answer!
=nobody#excellent answer!}

Grant is buried in Grant's tomb.{FALSE#No one is buried in Grant's tomb.}

Percentage answer weights

Difficult question.{~wrong answer ~%50%half credit answer =full credit answer}
         
::Jesus' hometown::Jesus Christ was from {
    ~Jerusalem#This was an important city, but the wrong answer.
    ~%25%Bethlehem#He was born here, but not raised here.
    ~%50%Galilee#You need to be more specific.
    =Nazareth#Yes! That's right!}.
    
::Jesus' hometown:: Jesus Christ was from {
    =Nazareth#Yes! That's right!
    =%75%Nazereth#Right, but misspelled.
    =%25%Bethlehem#He was born here, but not raised here.}

Multiple answers, varying marks

What two people are entombed in Grant's tomb? {
	~No one
	~%50%Grant
	~%50%Grant's wife
	~Grant's father }

What two people are entombed in Grant's tomb? {
	~%-50%No one
	~%50%Grant
	~%50%Grant's wife
	~%-50%Grant's father }

Advanced examples using multiple features

::Grant's Tomb::Grant is {
      ~buried#No one is buried there.
      =entombed#Right answer!
      ~living#We hope not!
} in Grant's tomb.

Difficult multiple choice question.{
     ~wrong answer           #comment on wrong answer
     ~%50%half credit answer #comment on answer
     =full credit answer     #well done!}

::Jesus' hometown (Short answer ex.):: Jesus Christ was from {
     =Nazareth#Yes! That's right!
     =%75%Nazereth#Right, but misspelled.
     =%25%Bethlehem#He was born here, but not raised here.
}.

//this comment will be ignored by the filter
::Numerical example::
When was Ulysses S. Grant born? {#
     =1822:0      #Correct! 100% credit
     =%50%1822:2  #He was born in 1822.
                  You get 50% credit for being close.
}

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Using GIFT with added Media

But wait a minute, You can’t use GIFT format for questions with images or other media files.

Luckily, Jean-Michel Védrine has developed a useful plugin: Gift with medias format. This plugin works exactly like the default GIFT format but instead of text file it imports a ZIP file containing the gift text file and media files.

Ripples (References and Resoures)

• GIFT Reference Sheet
• Moodle Docs – GIFT Format
• GIFT with Medias format
• Importing questions in Moodle