x_rand

Randomization package for edX courses

Features

• Users can:
  • Randomize mathematical problems on edX
  • Randomize multiple choice problems on edX
  • Randomize checkbox problems on edX

API Documentation

The full api documentation for x_rand2 can be found here.

Compatibility

For Compatibility purposes, x_rand has multiple x_rand packages. All github documentation refers to the most recent version of x_rand which is x_rand2

All versions API documentation can be found in the links below:

• x_rand: https://connor-makowski.github.io/x_rand/x_rand/x_rand.html
• x_rand2: https://connor-makowski.github.io/x_rand/x_rand2/x_rand.html

Installation For use in edX

Upload the python_lib.zip file to your edX course.

• WARNING: This will overwrite your current python_lib.zip if you already have it.
• NOTE: If you already have a python_lib.zip, you can add the x_rand.py file from python_lib directly to your python_lib folder, re-zip it and re-upload it.

Installation For testing and admin use

Make sure you have Python 3.x.x (or higher) installed on your system. You can download it from python.

pip install x_rand

Example Random mathematical problem

1. Initialize an x_rand variable with the current student AID:

• Note you should always set a random upseed (integer) for each problem

  x=x_rand(anonymous_student_id, upseed=28)
  

2. Input data:

data=[
  ['a','b'],
  [1,2],
  [2,4]
]

3. To use the variables in edX problems, you have to create relevant variables and make them global:

• To do this use the globals().update() function
• Then randomly select a row out of that data

globals().update(x.select_random(data))

• Note: Column headers from your data are now available to be called as variables globally. If the first row of data was selected:

print (a)
> 1
print (b)
> 2

4. These can be called into edX scripts as $a and $b respectively. An example Blank Advanced Problem script is below:

<problem>
<script type="text/python">
<![CDATA[
from python_lib.x_rand2 import x_rand

data=[
  ['a','b'],
  [1,2],
  [2,4]
]

x=x_rand(anonymous_student_id, upseed=28)
globals().update(x.select_random(data))

]]>
</script>
<numericalresponse answer="$b">
<label>What is $a x 2?</label>
<description>Enter your answer below.</description>
<responseparam type="tolerance" default=".1"/>
<formulaequationinput/>
</numericalresponse>
</problem>

Example Random multiple choice or checkbox problem

1. Initialize an x_rand variable with the current student AID:

• Note you should always set a random upseed (integer) for each problem

  x=x_rand(anonymous_student_id, upseed=99)
  

2. Input data:

data = [
  ["text", "correct"],
  ["A", "True"],
  ["B", "True"],
  ["1", "False"],
  ["2", "False"],
  ["3", "False"],
  ["4", "False"]
]

3. To use the variables in edX problems, you have to create relevant variables and make them global:

• To do this use a the globals().update() function
• Randomly select four (n_total=4) answers where one (n_true=1) answer is true (specified as the correct column by correct_indicator='correct'):

globals().update(x.choices_random(data, correct_indicator='correct', n_true=1, n_total=4))

• Note: You can now call each of your column headers in the order in which they were randomly selected from 00 to n_total-1:

print (text_00, correct_00)
> 2, False
print (text_01, correct_01)
> A, True
print (text_02, correct_02)
> 3, False
print (text_03, correct_03)
> 1, False
print (text_04, correct_04)
> NameError: name 'text_04' is not defined

5. These can be called into edX scripts as $text_XX and $correct__XX respectively. Similarly, all columns added can be called as mycol_XX. An example Blank Advanced Problem script is below:

<problem>
<script type="text/python">
<![CDATA[
from python_lib.x_rand2 import x_rand

data= [
    ["text", "correct"],
    ["A", "True"],
    ["B", "True"],
    ["1", "False"],
    ["2", "False"],
    ["3", "False"],
    ["4", "False"]
]

x=x_rand(anonymous_student_id, upseed=99)
globals().update(x.choices_random(data, correct_indicator='correct', n_true=1, n_total=4))

]]>
</script>
<choiceresponse>
<label> Which of the following are Letters? </label>
<description>Select all that apply.</description>
<checkboxgroup>
<choice correct="$correct_00">$text_00</choice>
<choice correct="$correct_01">$text_01</choice>
<choice correct="$correct_02">$text_02</choice>
<choice correct="$correct_03">$text_03</choice>
<choice correct="False">None of the above</choice>
</checkboxgroup>
</choiceresponse>
</problem>

Example Fingerprinting problem

This can be used to identify students that post exam problems to outside websites.

While not guaranteed to be unique, large enough lists with sufficient numbers of selected values can almost guarantee a unique result per student.

To fingerprint a problem.

1. Initialize an x_rand variable with the current student AID:

• Note you should always set a random upseed (integer) for each problem

x=x_rand(anonymous_student_id, upseed=100)

2. Input data:

females = [
    ["female"],
    ["Jenny"],
    ["Carla"],
    ["Mary"],
    ["Jin"],
    ["Marta"],
    ["Sadef"]
]
males = [
    ["male"],
    ["Carter"],
    ["John"],
    ["Jose"],
    ["Luke"],
    ["Adam"],
    ["Ahmed"]
]

3. To use the variables in edX problems, you have to create relevant variables and make them global:

• To do this, use a simple globals().update() function
• Randomly select and shuffle four (n_total=4) female names and four (n_total=4) male names:

globals().update(x.fingerprint(females, n_total=4))
globals().update(x.fingerprint(males, n_total=4))

• Note: You can now call each of your column headers in the order in which they were randomly selected from 00 to n_total-1:

print (female_00, male_03)
> Jenny Carter

5. These can be called into edX scripts as $female_XX and $male_XX respectively. Similarly, all columns added can be called as mycol_XX. An example Blank Advanced Problem script is below:

<problem>
 <script type="text/python">
<![CDATA[
from python_lib.x_rand2 import x_rand

females = [
    ["female"],
    ["Jenny"],
    ["Carla"],
    ["Mary"],
    ["Jin"],
    ["Marta"],
    ["Sadef"]
]

males = [
    ["male"],
    ["Carter"],
    ["John"],
    ["Jose"],
    ["Luke"],
    ["Adam"],
    ["Ahmed"]
]

x=x_rand(anonymous_student_id, upseed=100)
globals().update(x.fingerprint(females, n_total=4))
globals().update(x.fingerprint(males, n_total=4))

]]>
</script>
<multiplechoiceresponse>
<label>$female_00, $female_01, $female_02, $female_03, $male_00, $male_01, $male_02 and $male_03 all walk into a bar. One of them should have seen it.<br/>Is this a funny joke?</label>
<description>Select a response below</description>
<choicegroup type="MultipleChoice">
    <choice correct="false">No</choice>
    <choice correct="true">Yes</choice>
  </choicegroup>
</multiplechoiceresponse>
</problem>

Recreating Student data

See ./examples examples on how to recreate student data on your local machine.