gift

<entry-title>GIFT Syntax</entry-title>

short URL

http://bit.ly/giftax

The GIFT picoformat allows writing multiple-choice, true-false, short answer, matching, missing word, and numerical quiz questions in a simple text format. The GPLed Moodle Course/Learning Management System can import and export questions in the GIFT picoformat.

Format

Symbol	Use
// text	Comment (optional)
::title::	Question title (optional)
text	Question text
{	Start answer(s)
{T} or {F}	True or False answer
{ ... =correct answer ... }	Correct answer for multiple choice, multiple answer, or fill-in-the-blank
{ ... ~incorrect answer ... }	Wrong answer
{ ... =item -> match ... }	Answer for matching questions
#answer feedback	Answer feedback or comment following an incorrect answer
{#	Numeric answer start
answer:range	Answer and tolerance range answering numeric question
=%n%answer:range	Weight n percent credit for multiple numeric answers in ranges
}	End answers

Examples

// true/false
::Q1:: 1+1=2 {T}

// multiple choice
::Q2:: What's between orange and green in the spectrum? {=yellow ~red ~blue}

// fill-in-the-blank
::Q3:: Two plus {=two =2} equals four.

// matching
::Q4:: Which animal eats which food? { =cat -> cat food =dog -> dog food }

// math range question
::Q5:: What is a number between 2 and 4? {#3:2}

// alternate layout
::Title 
:: Question {
=Correct answer 1
=Correct answer 2
~Wrong answer 1
#response to wrong answer 1
~Wrong answer 2
#response to wrong answer 2
}

Note: the table and example above was adapted from and then migrated back to the GPL-licensed Moodle site, not copied from there.

Extensions for learner adaptation

See http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposal_talk:Assessment_content#GIFT_picoformat_needs_to_be_extended

Still to be done to extend the format for the kind of learner adaptivity (using, for example, this schema based on these rules from del Soldato, T. & du Boulay, B. (1995) "Implementation of Motivational Tactics in Tutoring Systems," Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 6(4): 337-78) are:

1. optional prerequisite and relative difficulty links to other questions

(titles can be used) and

1. optional question help text at two levels of specificity.

See also

• picoformats