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AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions

Added by Nikola Z. Guscic over 11 years ago

In my school we have started implementing AMC as a tool to grade exams created in MS Word by providing blank templates as a source file (just define correct choices without actually writing the exam). Now many teachers have become interested in creating exams using AMC-TXT because they want to take advantage of shuffle questions feature. We have installed Linux on 15 computers in a computer lab to give them a chance to work with it. I am creating simple templates in AMC-TXT that they could use to create exams with minimal help. I appreciate the power of LaTex, but it is too technical for most teachers and that is why I believe AMC-TXT is such a great idea.

Language teachers often quote a paragraph and then make several multiple choice questions related to it. It is important that the paragraph and the following questions come in a fixed sequence. I can put quoted text in a box in a minipage, for example like this:

Questions 1

A
B
C
D
boxed minipage with quoted text

Question 2

A
B
C
D

Question 3

A B C D

In this scenario, boxed minipage with quoted text is actually referred to in Questions 2 and 3, although AMC-TXT sees the minipage as
part of the choice D in Question 1.

For this scenario to work, I need to be able to define Questions 1,2 and 3 as appearing in a fixed sequence. However I would like to be able to shuffle other questions in the exam freely. Is there a way to do this in AMC-TXT?

For example, I was thinking of defining a new option for questions:

*[fixed] This is a second question. This question will appear as a second question regardless of ShuffleQuestions:1.
+
-
-
-

Is there a way to do this already or should I open a New Issue (feedback)?

Many thanks in advance,

Niko


Replies (9)

RE: AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions - Added by Alexis Bienvenüe over 11 years ago

This is not already available (you can open the issue).
I think this should also be possible to keep several questions together (shuffled or not), with some introductory text (and possibly some closing text or LaTeX commands)... but we have to find a proper AMC-TXT syntax for this case (and implement it!).

RE: AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions - Added by Nikola Z. Guscic over 11 years ago

Exactly, being able to shuffle fixed blocks of questions would be ideal. Otherwise, in an exam with many quoted paragraphs and follow-up questions, almost everything would end up being permanently fixed.
I will open the issue immediately. Thanks a lot,

Niko Z.

RE: AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions - Added by Mateo Obregon about 10 years ago

Hello-

I would like to use the "*( *)" AMC-TXT notation for having several questions blocked together, but I cannot make this happen.

I am using v. 1.2.1 from the debian packages. I have also tried to d/l the source on mercurial and compile this, but it gaves me the same errors. Also ,the version from mercurial seems to be the 2013 version on debian, and not the latest source. Howdo I get the latest source?

In my AMC-TXT file, I have LaTeX turned on (LaTeX: 1). Could this be cousing the errors in generating my exam from the AMC-TXT with "*( *)" grouped questions?

Thank you.

RE: AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions - Added by Alexis Bienvenüe about 10 years ago

Howdo I get the latest source?

The mercurial repository does contain the latest sources. See Building AMC from mercurial repository.

In my AMC-TXT file, I have LaTeX turned on (LaTeX: 1). Could this be cousing the errors in generating my exam from the AMC-TXT with "*( *)" grouped questions?

It should not.

RE: AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions - Added by Nikola Z. Guscic about 10 years ago

I have used these options (selective shuffling and ordering) extensively with LaTex switched on (LaTex:1). Never had any issues, except that generally speaking not all LaTex commands works as intended in an AMC.TXT file. However, the selective shuffling and odering parameters always worked as intended.

Perhaps you could attach a minimal working example of your project to get some specific feedback?

RE: AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions - Added by Mateo Obregon about 10 years ago

I'm attaching a minimal example that gives the following error:

AMC-TXT Previous question has less than two choices
AMC-TXT Previous question has less than two choices
0/0 good answers not coherent for a simple question [1:Q002]
0/0 good answers not coherent for a simple question [1:Q005]
2 errors during LaTeX compiling (question sheet)
LaTeX Error: Something's wrong--perhaps a missing \item.
LaTeX Error: Something's wrong--perhaps a missing \item.

Debian (SID) AMC "About" shows: 1.2.1 (svn:1403)

RMA3-mcq-exam.txt - Problem using *( *) (1.1 kB)

RE: AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions - Added by Mateo Obregon about 10 years ago

OK, sorry for the fuss ... I just followed the instructions to bull the lastest version from mercurial and "make deb" and installed according to the instructions (from a previous reply), and the grouping and randomising is working. Many thanks.

Now for Section*{} headers in AMC-TXT, is this possible?

RE: AMC-TEXT Quoted paragraphs followed by several multiple-choice questions - Added by Nikola Z. Guscic almost 10 years ago

Sorry for the late reply, this is already possible.
You might want to take a look at the following links.

http://project.auto-multiple-choice.net/issues/195

http://project.auto-multiple-choice.net/issues/204

Updated by Alexis Bienvenüe over 1 year ago
Comment

Also, from revision r1414, you can use something like that:

*( Introductory text

* Question 1
-
-
+

* Question 2
-
-
+

*) Closing text.

(1-9/9)