Creating a multiple choice test in HyperStudio
We are going to create a card in HyperStudio that allows the user select an answer in a multiple choice test and then records their selections in the file HStest.txt. We are then going to create a copy of this card so you could easily create tests of any length and then look at how to retrieve the test scores. Finally we will look at some security concerns and what you could do to prevent cheating.
Adding a text box
This Text box is where we are going to put the question for each multiple choice card. Create a new stack and then create a text box by clicking Objects [1] and Add a Text Object [2].
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Click the Draw scroll bar check box to turn it off [3]. Type in the name of the text box as Question [4] and click OK [5].
Sizing and Positioning the text box
Click the selection tool [1] and then on the text box you want to size [2]. Drag the corner of the text box [3] and release the mouse button [4].
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To position the text box drag the center of the box [1] and release the mouse button [2].
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To change the text style for our text box we click Options [1] and Text Style [2]. In the Text Style dialog box that appears select Arial [3], plain [4], size 16 [5] and click OK [6].
Changing the text style
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Click on the browse tool [1], the text box you want to enter text into [2] and type in the text [3].
Typing in the text
We are now going to copy the question text box and create five answer boxes. Click on the selection arrow [1], the text box you are copying [2], Edit [3] and Copy text field [4]. Click Edit [5], Paste text field [6]. Then drag the text field [7] and release mouse button [8].
Copying a text field
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Add the five text fields in the following positions and put in them the multiple choice answers.
Now we are going to add the letters the student will click on to make a choice (A,B,C,D,E) to the card background. Click Options [1], Text Style [2] and Arial Black [3]. Click Size 26 [4], color blue [5] and OK [6].
Adding multiple choice letters
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Click on the text tool [1] and then where you want to type in your letters [2]. Press enter after each letter to move to the next line.
Click the selection tool [1], Drag to select all letters [2] and release the left mouse button [3]. Click Objects [4] and Add a Graphic Object [5].
Creating a false button
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We are converting all of the letters into a false button. Clicking anywhere on this button will record the students choice as incorrect. Click Yes to create a graphic object [6], Type in X for name [7] and click on Actions button [8].
(7) Type X
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Click Testing functions check box [1], in the testing dialog box that appears click be an incorrect answer [2]. Click OK to close the Testing dialog box [3]and Done to close the Actions dialog [4].
Setting test function to incorrect answer
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This true button will be placed over the one letter that is true. Clicking on it will record a correct answer. Click Objects [1] and Add a Button [2]
Creating a true button
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In the Button Appearance dialog box click on the invisible button [3]. Type in Y as the button name [4], Make sure all of the check boxes are off [5] and click OK [6].
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(5)
Turn
off
(4) Type Y
Drag button over the correct letter [1] and release the mouse button [2]. Click somewhere else on the card to continue defining the button [3].
Setting test function to correct answer
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Click Testing functions check box [4], in the testing dialog box that appears click be an correct answer [5]. Click OK to close the Testing dialog box [6]and Done to close the Actions dialog [7].
Saving the stack as a ready made card allows us to get a copy of it when we want to create a test. Click on File [1] and Save Stack As [2].
Saving stack as a ready made card
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Change to the RdymCard folder [3], enter in the file name multipCh [2] and click on Save [5].
(4) Type: multipCh
(3) Ready made
card folder
We are going to create a test using the ready made card multipCh. Click on File [1], New Stack [2] and Yes [3].
Creating a test stack
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Click Edit [4], Ready Made Cards [5] and multipCh.STK [6]
We can easily alter the question and answers. Click on the browse tool [1] and type in the new question and answers in the text boxes [2].
Altering the first question
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Alter
text
Changing which answer is correct is also very simple. Click on the Selector tool [3], drag the Y invisible button over the correct letter [4] and release the left mouse button [5].
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Click Objects [1] and About this Stack [2]. In the About Card dialog box click on clicking on this card [3] and after selecting next card ( 4-7) click OK [8].
Setting card to move to next question
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Click the Next card radio button [4] and click Fastest [5]. To close the Transitions dialog box click OK [6] and to close the Actions dialog box click Done [7].
Note instead of altering the background of each card to move to the next one it would be simpler to create a buttons on the Ready made Card multipCh that would let us move between cards.
We are going to set this test up to prompt the student for their name and record that information. Click Objects [1] and About this Stack [2].
Getting the students name
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Click in the arriving at this stack check box [3] and in the Actions dialog box that appears click the Testing functions check box [4]. In the Testing dialog box click ask for the user’s name [5] and OK to close it [6]. Click Done to close the Actions dialog [7] and OK to close the About Stack dialog [8].
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To prevent students from altering your stack or cheating we will lock the test stack. Click Edit [1] and Preferences [2].
Locking the stack
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Click in the Lock stack check box [3], type in a Stack password [4] and click OK [5]. Make sure you don’t forget the password.
Click File [1] and Save Stack As [2].
Saving the test stack
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Choose the folder you want to place your test in [3], type in the name of the test [4] and click Save [5].
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(4) Name: test1
Close the toolbar [1], Click File [2] and Open Stack [3].
Opening the test stack
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Double click on your test to open it [4]. Type in the name of the person taking the test [5] and click OK [6].
Click on the answer you think is correct [1]. To move to the next question (if we had one) click on the card background [2].
Taking the test
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When you exit the stack the test information will be written to the file Hstest.txt. We are now going to create a stack that lets us see the students results. Click on File [3] and New Stack [4].
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Click on Objects [1], Add a Text Object [2] and Get File [3].
Grading the test
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Locate the folder where your test was stored [4] and double click HSText.txt [5].
We only want to view the contents of the Hstest.txt file we don’t want to alter it so we do the following. Click on Read only [1] and OK [2].
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We can now see that Jimmy got the first question wrong for a total score of 0 out of 1.
Click on File [1] and Save Stack As [2].
Saving the view answers stack
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HyperStudio provides teachers with a wide variety of ways they can obtain input (including tests) from their students. Like all tests only good proctoring can help guard against cheaters, but here are a couple things to watch out for.
1. First the Hstest.txt file can be easily modified by any text editor incuding HyperStudio. This is one reason I suggest you make your answer buttons Y and X this way any student that does manage to alter their mark will not likely change the X and Y’s and thus can be caught.
2. Make sure the students start HyperStudio using the test
document. Although the lock prevents them from switching to edit mode it does not disallow this mode. Thus if the student starts the another HyperStudio document, tears away the tools menu and then loads the test they will be able to get access to the answers. The only way to prevent this is to make sure that no one has the tear away tools menu on their screen when they take the test.
