Moodle 4.0 Resources for Faculty

Quizzes created with Moodle's built-in Quiz tool can be used to administer assessments and evaluate student understanding of course material.  A Moodle Quiz consists of a Quiz activity that contains one or more questions from the course's Question Bank. 

Quizzes can be used for a wide range of assessments - from simple knowledge checks to comprehensive exams.  Based on the question types, timing options, and visibility settings you choose, a Moodle Quiz can fill a variety of assessment needs. 

The Three Components of Quiz Development

Quiz Activity

A Quiz Activity, which can be added from + Add an activity or resource menu, serves as the container for the assessments. It allows you to control vaious aspects of the assessment, including its availability and structure.  In Quiz Settings, you can:

• Set a time limit for the quiz.
• Allow for single or multiple attempts per student.
• Determine when points and correct answers are displayed to students. 
• Adjust question selection and behavior.
• Customize additional options to fit your assessment needs.  

Managing the Question Bank in Moodle 

All questions created or imported into a course are stored in the course's Question Bank.  This centralized repository allows you to retrieve and reuse questions for Quiz Activities within the same course.  Each Moodle course has its own Question Bank where all questions are stored for review, editing, and reuse. 

Questions in Moodle 

Questions form the core content of a Quiz. Moodle offers a variety of question types to suit different assessment needs, including multiple-choice, matching, and calculated questions.  Most of these question types are designed for automatic grading and come with specific parameters for both questions and answers.  However, Essay questions require manual grading. 

Note: The current instance of Moodle does not include the Drag-and-Drop Matching question type. For similar functionality, consider using alternative question types such as:

• Matching Questions: Allows students to pair items from two lists, providing a comparable matching experience.
• Multiple Choice Questions: Offers flexibility in testing knowledge with selectable answer options.
• Cloze (Embedded Answers) Questions: Enables embedded answer options, such as drop-downs or short answers, directly within a text.

Managing Quiz Email Notifications

If you find receiving an email notification every time a student complete a quiz overwhelming, you can easily turn them off.  

1. Select the notifications tray from the course header.

2. Select the gear icon to open your notification settings. 

3, Find the section for Quiz Notifications and set it to Off.. 

This will stop email notifications about students completing quizzes, helping to keep your inbox clear. 

Quiz Visibility 

If you're having trouble with quiz results appearing in the gradebook, check the settings under Review options. Ensure that Maximum Marks and Marks are selected.

Managing Moodle Quiz Questions

Moodle offers a robust system for creating, organizing, and managing quiz questions. You can build question banks independently of any specific quiz activity. This feature allows you to create a reusable collection of questions for quizzes and other assessments. A large question bank also enables you to use randomized question selection, which helps deter academic dishonesty during quizzes.

How to Access the Question Bank

1. Navigate to your course in Moodle.
2. Select the More tab, then click on Question bank.
3. From the Question Bank screen, use the dropdown menu to:
   • View questions
   • Export questions
   • Import questions
   • Create and edit categories

Creating a New Question

1. On the Question Bank screen, select the Create a new question button.
2. Choose the desired question type from the list.
3. Follow the prompts to configure and save your new question.

Adding Categories

Categories help you organize and manage questions effectively.

1. In the Question Bank dropdown menu, select Categories.
2. Click Add category.
3. On the next screen:

• Choose a Parent category for the new category (optional).
• Enter a Name for the category.
• Optionally, add Category information, such as the assessment or unit of study associated with the questions.

4. Click Add category to save.

Managing Categories

On the Categories screen, you can:

• Delete a category.
• Edit a category’s details.
• Move a category using the directional arrows.

Adding Questions to a Category

1. Navigate to the Question Bank page in Moodle.
2. From the dropdown menu, select Import.
3. On the Import screen:
   • Choose the correct File format for your questions.
   • Under General settings, select the appropriate Import category.
   • Under Import questions from file, click Choose a file and upload your question file.
4. Click Import to process the file.
5. On the confirmation screen, review the number of successfully imported questions.
6. Click Continue to complete the process.

Tips for Organizing Your Question Bank

• Use descriptive category names to make it easier to locate and reuse questions in future semesters.
• Regularly review and update categories to keep your question bank organized.
• Consider tagging questions with relevant topics, units, or difficulty levels for added clarity.