Generating a Moodle question bank using the Maths Quiz GUI

With the kind permission of Tristan Robinson

Generate a Moodle question bank using the Maths Quiz GUI

1. 1. Step-by-step guide on how to use the GUI

• Programme pre-requisites are: Microsoft office (excel) and Matlab
• Unzip GUI.zip: Matlab files, Excel databases and additional files.
• To run the program open and run maths_quizz.m in Matlab.

• The interface will open. To browse click on the tab with the three dots and navigate to the folder with the Excel question sheets. Click on OK.

• Upon recognising the directory, some of the drop down menus on the GUI will become active and display information.
• The Database (.xls or.xlsx) dropdown shows all the Excel workbooks (.xls or .xlsx) present in the selected folder. The names of the workbooks take the form of function_Qalgebra, function_Qcalculus and etc. The programme will only run with pre-defined workbooks.
• Click on one question bank workbook. The name will appear in the Selected database edit box and the worksheets will be shown in the Worksheet listbox.

• Click one worksheet and then click on select. The list of questions will appear in the List of equations drop down.

 

• Select the desired questions – you can use the ctrl or shift tab on your keyboard.
• Select the type of question (multichoice, algebra or numerical) to generate. Not all options will be available – this is dependent on selected worksheet.
• A default output name is given in Name of output file – an alternative name can be specified.
• Click on xml to generate the question bank.
• The output Moodle XML file is generated in the directory containing the Excel databases.

1.2 Description of how to import the Moodle XML file into Moodle

• Once the Moodle XML file has been created it can then be imported onto Moodle https://moodle.ucl.ac.uk/
• Turn editing on button below the UCL logo on the right hand side of the page.
• Then on the left hand side of your Moodle click on the settings tab and scroll down to Question bank and then click on Import.

 

• On the opened page select Moodle XML under file forma
• Next under import questions from file click on the tab choose a file. On clicking on this tab a new window should open. Click on Upload a file, then click on the Choose file tab and then browse for the directory contain XML quiz file. Click on open and then click on upload this file to return back to the main screen.

 

• You should now notice that the file has been attached with the name displaying under the choose a file tab. Finally click on import
• All the question have now been imported into Moodle's question bank ready to be used in your Quiz. You will notice that Moodle has saved your quiz under with the same name as that of the Moodle XML file.

Appendix A: Description of workbook question database

• Each worksheet follow a standard format.
• Columns A, B, F, G, H,I J are generic and found in all worksheets.
• Columns C, D and E change depending on the topic (worksheet) and question.
• For any cell that is not used in the worksheet the user need to ensure a "nan" (not-a-number) string
• Generic columns

A. Name: Name given to the particular type of question
B. Tex: Mathematical equation written in TEX syntax
F. dp: Decimal accuracy
G. Q: Links to the Qtext file (text for each question)
H. Hint1: Links to the Qtext file (hints for each question)
I. Hint2: Links to the Qtext file (hints for each question)
J. Level: Level of difficulty of the question: 0 = GCSE, 5 = A-level, 10 = 1^st year and 20 = 2^nd year
K. Source: Question reference

• Non-generic columns

 

A. Function: Mathematical expressions or function (use Matlab maths syntax)
B. Sym: Symbols that are found in the algebraic expressions
C. Var: Variable that is to be solved in the algebraic expressions

D. Range: Range of the algebraic/trigonometric functions

A. Function, Function 1, Function 2: Mathematical expressions or function (use Matlab syntax)
B. w.r.t: Variable used to differentiation/integration
C. Limits: Limits of integration (can use symbol, pi and inf)
D. var: Variables used in series integration

A. Function: Mathematical expressions or function, written Matlab format.
B. Function 1, Function 2: Are used to separate the two mathematical expressions.
C. sym: Complex number symbol (either i or j)
D. Angle: Radians (rad) or degrees (deg)

E. R/I: Real (real) or imaginary (imag)

A. Numerator: Allows expressing the mathematical expression or functioning individually under different columns as numerator and denominator
B. Denominator: Allows expressing the mathematical expression or functioning individually under different columns as numerator and denominator
C. sym: specifies what symbol is being used in each fraction

A. Mat: specifies and defines the matrix array in Matlab syntax
B. Mat1, Mat2: specifies two matrices so that operations such as matrix addition, subtraction and multiplication can be carried out
C. Type: highlights the operation to be carried out whether addition subtraction or multiplication
D. NaN: Means not a number and is used to ignore the data in certain columns

Appendix B: Summary of worksheets