moodlexport 0.0.3

A package to export test questions into Moodle from python or latex

moodlexport

This Python module provides code which allows to easily generate families of questions (called categories in Moodle) that can be directly exported from either Python or Latex to Moodle, and use them to create a test. The main motivation behind this module is that :

• it is easier to define mathematical objects in Python than Moodle
• it is more comfortable to type maths in Latex
• generating random problems is simpler in Python and can go way beyond what Moodle proposes
• it is easier to store/manipulate locally a Latex or Python file than doing it on the Moodle interface. It also simplifies collaborating projects.

Simple examples from Python:

from moodlexport import Question

question = Question("essay")
question.text("What is the derivative of $f(x) = e^x + 0.5 \Vert x \Vert^2$?")
question.grade(1.5)
question.save("my first question")

Simple examples from Latex

You can produce the same result as above by defining your question directly in a Latex file. Suppose for isntance that you have a Latex file myquestion.tex containing the following :

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{latextomoodle}
\begin{document}
\begin{question}[essay]
What is the derivative of $f(x) = e^x + 0.5 \Vert x \Vert^2$?
\grade{1.5}
\end{question}
\end{document}

Then you can convert this myquestion.tex file directly into a readytoexport.xml file, by using the following Python commands:

from moodlexport import latextomoodle
latextomoodle('myquestion.tex','readytoexport')

Note that if you wish to compile the .tex file without errors, you will need to place the Latex package latextomoodle.sty in the same folder. This package can be found in the latex folder of this project.

Exporting many questions at once

If you want to export more than one question, you might want to gather them within a category, which will produce a single file containing all those questions. Here is how to proceed:

In Python:

from moodlexport import Question, Category

category = Category("My little catgory name")

question = Question("essay")
question.text("What is the derivative of $f(x) = e^x + 0.5 \Vert x \Vert^2$?")
question.grade(1.5)
question.addto(category)
              
question = Question("multichoice")
question.text("Is every symmetric matrix invertible?")
question.grade(2.0)
question.answer("Yes", False)
question.answer("No", True)
question.addto(category)

category.save()

In Latex, followed by the python command latextomoodle('file_name.tex') :

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{latextomoodle}
\begin{document}
\begin{category}[My little catgory name]
\begin{question}[essay]
What is the derivative of $f(x) = e^x + 0.5 \Vert x \Vert^2$?
\grade{1.5}
\end{question}
\begin{question}[multichoice]
Is every symmetric matrix invertible?
\answer[0]{Yes}
\answer[100]{No}
\grade{2.0}
\end{question}
\end{category}
\end{document}

Features of this module so far :

• Creating a question. Supported classes of questions are:
  • "essay" : the student answers in a white text box. Options are :
    • Possibility for the student to upload a file as an answer as well.
  • "multichoice" : the question comes with at least 2 possible answers. Options are :
    • Possibility to specify "multiple answers allowed" or "unique answer allowed"
• All the options available in Moodle are available here (defining a grade, information for the grader, feedback, etc)
• Creating a category (family) of questions
• Adding a question to a given category
• Export a category of questions under the format Moodle XML, which can be imported directly into Moodle.
• Supports Unicode éàê ...
• Supports Latex syntax : correctly supports inline latex with $e^x$, and equation with $$ f(x) = \sum_i x_i^2 $$, \begin{equation*}...\end{equation*}, \begin{cases} etc

Known issues/missing features :

• for multichoice we never check that the sum of the fractions is equal to 100%
• for the latex package, there is issues with newcommand and renewcommand because for instance the document class amsart defines text but it is not the case for article.