Desire2Learn > Tools > Quizzes Overview > Creating Quiz Questions

Creating Quiz Questions

True or False Questions

These questions are likely the easiest to create in D2L. The only piece needed to create one is the question text. Then, select either True or False as the correct answer choice. These questions are auto-graded by D2L.

Multiple Choice Questions

These questions are the most popular question type in D2L. Each question can have anywhere from 2-20 answer choices, with one answer indicated as correct. These questions are auto-graded by D2L.

Multi-Select

These questions are very similar to the Multiple Choice Question, but it allows for the question to have more than one correct answer. D2L can auto-grade these questions, based on the method chosen.

Written Response

These are questions where students should be typing in answers to a question prompt. D2L cannot auto-grade these questions.

Other Question Types

• Short Answer: These are questions where there is one answer is ideally only one or two words. Unlike Written Response questions, these can be auto-graded by D2L. In order for auto-grading to work, all possible correct answers must be indicated. If a student does not type an answer exactly as indicated, it will be marked wrong. It is recommended to always double-check student responses to these questions.
• Multi-Short Answer: This question type works the same as the standard Short Answer, but allows the student to enter multiple different answers. These questions can be auto-graded by D2L. But in order for auto-grading to work, all possible correct answers must be indicated. If a student does not type an answer exactly as indicated, it will be marked wrong. It is recommended to always double-check student responses to these questions.
• Fill in the Blanks: These questions are similar to short answer questions, but instead of having the answers at the end of the question, there are blanks for the students to enter text. Similar to the text-entry style questions above, while D2L can auto-grade this question type, it is recommended to always double-check students' responses to these questions.
• Matching: These questions allow there to be two columns of text, having one item from each column match an item in the other. Please note, that these questions can be a challenge to set up.
• Ordering: These are questions where the student must put a series of items in the correct order.
• Arithmetic or Significant Figures: These advanced question types let the instructor create a variable formula, that D2L fills in randomly with numbers. This ensures that each student receives a unique version of the question. For help with this question type, please contact d2lhelpdesk@elgin.edu.
• Likert: This question type lets users indicate responses to a prompt using a pre-determined scale. Please note that these questions can only be used in Surveys, as there is no way to indicate a "correct" answer.

Creating Questions

As a best practice, it is recommend that questions be built in the Question Library. This allows an instructor to create question banks and to use question pools. It also makes it easier to update questions over time.

Note: To set up a question pool, please see Randomizing Quizzes.

1. In a course, select the More dropdown.
2. Select Quizzes.
3. Choose the Question Library tab.
4. Select the New dropdown.
5. Choose the type of question to create.

Creating a True or False Question

1. Enter the Question Text.
2. Choose the correct answer as "True" or "False."
3. Enter the number of points the question should be worth.
4. (Optional) Select the Options dropdown to include additional settings.
   • Feedback: This allows for questions to be pre-populated with generic feedback. This is best for pointing users to a specific page in a textbook or clarifying why an answer is incorrect. To add feedback, select Add Feedback.
   • Enumeration: By default, questions are not enumerated. This can be changed to roman numerals, lower case letters, capital letters, or numbers. To turn on enumeration, select Add Enumeration.
5. Select Save.
6. After all the questions have been created, select Done Editing Questions.

Creating a Multiple Choice Question

1. Enter the Question Text.
2. Enter the answer choices in the text boxes.
3. Choose the correct answer.
4. Enter the number of points the question should be worth.
5. (Optional) Randomize the order of answers that appear to users by checking the "Randomize answers for each student" box. This is not recommended for questions that include "All of the Above" or "None of the Above" as an answer choice.
6. Optional: Select the Options dropdown to include additional settings.
   • Enumeration: By default, questions are enumerated with lower case letters (a, b, c, d). This can be changed to roman numerals, capital letters, or numbers. To turn off enumeration, select Remove Enumeration.
   • Feedback: This allows for questions to be pre-populated with generic feedback. This is best for pointing users to a specific page in a textbook or clarifying why an answer is incorrect. To add feedback, select Add Feedback.
   • Custom Weight: This allows questions to be worth partial credit. By setting one answer to 100% and another or 50%, it allows users to get full credit or partial credit based on the answer chosen. To add custom weights, select Add Custom Weights.
7. Select Save.
8. After all the questions have been created, select Done Editing Questions.

Create a Multi-Select Question

1. Enter the number of points the question should be worth.
2. Enter the Question Text.
3. (Optional) Select a way answers are numbered with the "Enumeration" dropdown. By default, questions are not enumerated. This can be changed to roman numerals, capital letters, or numbers.
4. Select how the question will be calculated:
   • All or nothing: This means that users only receive full points if they select all of the correct answers and none of the incorrect answers. If they miss any correct answers or select any incorrect answers, they receive zero points.
   • Right minus wrong: This means that users receive points equal to the number of right answers they choose minus the number of incorrect answers they choose. For example, if a question is worth 2 points and has 4 answer choices, each correct answer is worth 0.5 points and each incorrect answer is worth -0.5 points. Users cannot receive a negative score.
   • Correct answers: This means that users receive points for the number of correct answers they choose and incorrect answer they don't choose. For example, if a question is worth 2 points and has 4 answer choices, each correct choice is worth 0.5 points.

   Note: For more information on the grading options for multi-select questions, please review this guide from Brightspace.

5. (Optional) Randomize the order of answers that appear to users by checking the "Randomize options" box.
6. Enter the answer choices in the "Value" text boxes.
7. Choose the correct answer(s).
8. Select Save.
9. After all the questions have been created, select the Done Editing Questions button.

Create a Written Response Question

1. Enter the Question Text.
2. (Optional) Select the "Enable HTML Editor for student responses" box to allow users to format responses (such as bold, italic, bullet lists, etc.)
3. Enter the number of points the question should be worth.
4. (Optional) Select the Options dropdown to include additional settings.
   • Feedback: This allows for questions to be pre-populated with generic feedback. This is best for pointing users to a specific page in a textbook or clarifying why an answer is incorrect. To add feedback, select Add Feedback.
   • Answer Key: This is text that only appears to evaluators after the user has submitted a quiz attempt. This can be used to help evaluators know what to look for in a written response.
5. Select Save.
6. After all the questions have been created, select Done Editing Questions.

Importing Questions from a Publisher File

1. In a course, select the More dropdown.
2. Select Quizzes.
3. Choose the Question Library tab.
4. Select the Import dropdown button.
5. Choose Upload a File.
6. Select Browse Files to locate the publisher file or drag and drop the file into the popup window.
7. Select Review to see the questions that will be imported or select Import All.
8. After all the questions have been added or created, select the Done Editing Questions button.

Adding an Image to a Question

1. In a course, select the More dropdown.
2. Select Quizzes.
3. Choose the Question Library tab.
4. Select the New dropdown button.
5. Choose the type of question to create.
6. In the "Question Text" box, select the camera icon to insert an image.
7. Select My Computer.
8. Select Upload to choose the image file.
9. Select Add.
10. In the popup window, enter text to describe the image in the "Alternative Text" box or select the "This image is decorative" checkbox.
11. Select OK.
12. Complete the question setup based on the question type chosen.
13. Select Save.
14. After all the questions have been added or created, select the Done Editing Questions button.