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Respondus 4 - Importing word document questions into Respondus

This article lists the steps to importing questions in a word document into Respondus 4. Once imported, Respondus can upload questions into D2L or Canvas.

Step 1: Format quiz questions for import

 Question formats Respondus can upload

  • Multiple Choice
  • True or False
  • Essay
  • Fill in the Blank (short answer)
  • Multiple Response Questions 

Multiple Choice Formatting 

  • Each question must begin with a question number, followed by either a period “.” or parentheses “(“ and a space. 

Example: 3)
Example: 3. 

  • One space should be between the question number and the question wording. 
  • Each answer must begin with a letter (A-Z) followed by a period “.” or parentheses “(“ and a space before the answer wording. 

Example: 3) What color is the sky?
Example: 3. What color is the sky?

  • Correct answers can be indicated in two ways in Respondus.
  • First, you can place an asterisk (*) directly in front of the answer choice with no space.
3) What color is the sky?
A. Asphalt
*B. Blue
C. Diamond
D. Chimpanzee
  • Second, you can place a list of correct answers at the end of the file. The list must begin with the word “Answers” with the question answers beginning on the following line.
Answers
1. A
2. C
3. B

    Essay Question Formatting 

    • The steps are very similar to multiple choice formatting. The primary difference is that the first line of formatting for an essay question must begin with “Type: E”.
      This is followed by the question number, a space, and the question wording.
    Example:
    Type: E  
     4) How do contemporary blockbusters differ from the films of New Hollywood in the 1970s?

    • You can supply an answer to an essay question in two different ways.
    1) Provide an answer immediately after the questing wording, beginning the answer with “a.” or “a)” and a space, 
    followed by the answer wording. 

      Type: E

      4) How do contemporary blockbusters differ from the films of New Hollywood in the 1970s?

      A. Contemporary blockbusters often serve as advertisements for a wide variety of products that are connected….

      2) Include the correct answer it in the list of correct answers at the end of the file like in the multiple choice formatting.
      Example:

      Answers:

      1. A

      2. C

      3. B

      4. Contemporary blockbusters often serve as advertisements for a wide variety of products that are connected….

      Fill in the Blank Formatting 

      • The first line of formatting for a fill in the blank question must begin with “Type: F”.
      • Respondus will only allow one correct answer per question, but it does allow you to enter multiple forms of the same answer such as:

      Type: F
      2) Who is known as the father of modern optics?
      a. Abbe

      *b. Ernst Abbe

      *c. Ernst Karl Abbe

        • Answers can also be placed at the end of the file like previous formats.
          • The only exception to this is that you must list the same question number for each answer variable. 
        Example:
        Answers:
        1) A
        2) Abbe
        2) Ernst Abbe
        2) Ernst Karl Abbe

          Multiple Response Formatting 

          • In D2L this is called “Multi-Select” and in Canvas this is called “Multiple Answers”, they are the same type of question for formatting purposes.
          • The first line for formatting must begin with “Type: MR” or “Type: MA”. This is followed by the title and the question number and wording like previous formats.
          Example:
          Type: MR
          6) Which of these companies were officially licensed to distribute Zeiss lenses before World War I?

            • Multiple Response formatting is nearly identical to multiple choice formatting. The only difference is that multiple answers will be correct. Place an asterisk (*) in front of the answers to your question with no space between the asterisk and the corresponding answer letters. 
            Example:
            Type: MR
            5) Which of these companies were officially licensed to distribute Zeiss lenses before World War I?
            a. Trinity Optics
            b. Bausch & Lomb
            c. E. Krauss
            d. Canon
            • Place the answers at the end of the file like all previous formats. 
              • List the answers as follows:
              1.  B C with just a space between the answers
              2.  B, C with a comma separating the answers
              3.  B , C with a space, a comma, and a space between the answers 

              True or False Formatting 

              • True or False formatting is very similar to other question formatting.
              Example:
              6) Did Willem Dafoe act in The Lighthouse (2019)?
              • True or False questions must be formatted so that the "True" or "T" answer is always listed before "False" or "F" in order for Respondus 4 to recognize that it is a True or False question.
              Example:
              6) Did Willem Dafoe act in The Lighthouse (2019)?
              *a) True
              b) False
               
                • Place an asterisk (*) in front of the correct choice. (e.g. *a. True or *b) F)
                • Like the other question types, you can place the answers at the end of the file.
                  • List the answers as either 1) The complete word (“True”), 2) the letter (“T”), or 3) the alphabetical letter (“A”). Note that for True false questions, A is always True and B is always False in this format.
                  • Example:
                6. True
                or
                6. T
                or
                6. A

                    Step 2: Start the import 

                    1. From the Start menu in Respondus, select Import Questions. A new window will appear.

                      This image highlights the import questions from a word doc feature in Respondus 4.

                    2. Under Select the file to import: go to the Type of file drop down and select the type of file you already have.
                      • Select from Plain Text (.txt), Rich Text (.rtf), and Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx).
                      • Rich Text (.rtf) and Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx) will retain most of the question formatting such as bold, italic, underline, etc… 
                      • Embedded graphics can only be imported from Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).

                        This image highlights how to change the type of file to docx.

                    3. Next to File Name: click the Browse button. Locate and select the file being imported. 

                      This image highlights the file browser to select your docx file.

                    4. Under Choose where to add the new Questions: select either Append the questions to the current document, or select Create a new document, named. Enter a name for the document.

                      This image highlights the checkbox that numbers questions in your respondus exam.

                    5. Each question can have a title provided in the Word document, or it can be generated by Respondus.
                      • If there is no designated title, Respondus will use the first 20 characters from the question for the question title.
                      • If Use Stem “string of text” is checked, the titles will be based on a consecutive numbering system starting with 001. 

                        This image highlights the "Use Stem" check box for consecutive numbering in your questions.

                    6. Next, click the Preview button to check for questions. If there are any error messages displayed on the bottom of the screen, review the Word document for errors. 
                    7. If the results of the import look satisfactory from the preview, select Finish to complete the import. 
                    8. Continue to the Edit menu to further modify the file.

                    For more information on importing question types not listed here refer to Respondus' guides: 



                    Keywordsimport questions word word document d2l brightspace canvas instructure respondus   Doc ID83276
                    OwnerBenjamin G.GroupCETL
                    Created2018-06-29 13:03:51Updated2023-10-02 15:08:12
                    SitesUW-Milwaukee Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
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