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Draft drag and drop into text questions for Moodle quizzes

DeckOwl writes the question content from your lecture notes, slides or PDFs, so you can spend your time on the gaps and distractors in Moodle.

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Writing Moodle drag and drop into text questions

Moodle drag and drop into text questions are easiest to write when the blanks come from your own notes. Start with a passage your students have covered, pick the terms that matter most, and decide which words should be draggable choices and which should be distractors.

Choose terms that a student must recall, not only recognize.
Add one or two extra distractor choices to each drop zone.
Keep the sentence wording close to your course materials.
Check the feedback text before you publish the quiz.

Example Moodle drag and drop into text questions

In Moodle's drag and drop into text question type, what marks where a drop zone appears in the passage?A bracketed number such as [[1]] placed in the text marks each drop zone. Moodle uses the number to link that gap to its matching draggable choices.

What does the group number on a draggable choice control?It sets which drop zone the choice can fill. Choices that share a group number can be dropped into any gap assigned to that group.

How can one word be a correct answer for two blanks in the same passage?Give both drop zones the same group number so the word fits either gap. This is useful when a term appears twice in a sentence and both answers are correct.

Why should a drag and drop question include extra wrong choices?Extra choices stop students from guessing by elimination when only a few words remain. They make recall more reliable because the student has to know the answer, not just the set of options.

Why is drag and drop into text useful for checking recall of terms?Students must place each term into a specific sentence context, which tests understanding of the term. Automatic scoring in Moodle then checks each gap against the correct choice.

Generate the full set

Questions from your own material

Upload a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain-text notes or a photo of a page. DeckOwl reads the text and drafts questions based on it.

Multiple choice, true/false and short answer

Each question comes with an explanation, so you can check the reasoning before you add it to a Moodle quiz.

Moodle XML export on Pro

The Pro plan exports Moodle XML and QTI 2.1, so the question bank can move into your course without retyping.

How it works

Upload your material

Add the PDF, slides, notes or photos that your course is based on.

Generate and review

Pick the question types you want and read the explanations. Edit anything that does not match your course.

Export or build in Moodle

Export Moodle XML on Pro, or use the drafted sentences and answers to build drag and drop into text items in Moodle's question editor.

DeckOwl does not create drag and drop into text items directly. It produces multiple-choice, true/false and short answer questions with explanations, which you can use as the source for your Moodle drop zones. On the Pro plan you can also export Moodle XML and QTI 2.1 to bring the question bank into your course.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I set up drag and drop into text in Moodle?

In Moodle, create a Drag and drop into text question, write the passage with bracketed placeholders for each gap, and add the draggable choices with matching group numbers. Test the quiz once as a student before you release it.

How many distractors should I add to a drag and drop question?

One or two wrong choices per gap is usually enough to stop students from guessing by elimination. Use distractors that are plausible but clearly wrong for the context of the sentence.

Does DeckOwl create drag and drop questions?

DeckOwl generates multiple-choice, true/false and short answer questions with explanations, which you can use to plan drag and drop items. Moodle XML export is available on the Pro plan.

Can I export my questions to Moodle?

Yes, Moodle XML export is included in the Pro plan at $14.99 per month. Students can also get 40% off with a school email, and no credit card is needed to start.

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