Dropdown Problems - Current State, Gaps, and Opportunities

Current Implementation

Dropdown problems use the standard basic and advanced problem editor, as well as inheriting problem defaults from advanced settings that apply to problems, such as the default number of problem attempts available. The following configuration issues were noted:

• One large configuration issue with this feature is that it cannot easily be used for gap-fill problems without using custom CSS to adjust how the problem input displays. For example (without CSS hacks):

>>Cows have ____ legs  <<   [[(four), three]]	Open	This removes the selection from the context of the problem, and essentially functions as a multiple choice, resulting in the feature having minimal value pedagogically.
Cows have [[(four), three]] legs	Open	This breaks the sentence in half, affecting readability. With no chevrons (which is necessary for the problem to actually function) the problem’s data becomes harder to analyse, and the problem markup is technically incorrect.

• Problems as a whole have some configuration options that exist in strange places, chiefly:

  • Advanced settings are a strange place for problem defaults to live, resulting in most authors not knowing they exist

  • Matlab API keys (Location: Problem Settings) should not be inserted at the problem level - this is poor configuration UX, and also possibly exposes the API key in course exports (verification needed)

  • Randomization (Location: Problem Settings) is a property specific to Python scripts, despite being something that is possible to configure for non-python problems in the problem syntax. This can lead to author configuration issues

The current implementation is fine in terms of usability and technical factors, but the lack of support for true Cloze questions heavily limits the utility of the feature pedagogically. With the current implementation, despite being widely-used, the value of having a dropdown problem is significantly undermined (because it could just be a multiple-choice instead, and the user experience and accessibility would be naturally improved).

While the feature is regularly used in its current form, there's a significant argument to be made that it shouldn’t actually be used the way it is. Dropdown problems do not serve a clear purpose outside of Cloze-type questions, and the platform may be better off if they were unusable outside of this context due to usability and accessibility issues inherent to dropdown menus. This is worthy of further investigation.

Feature Improvement Recommendations

• Improve support for using dropdowns in-line with text in order to make them feasible for use in Cloze questions

• Improve educator documentation to communicate the best practices and most appropriate use cases for this problem type