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June 20, 2006

Question Randomization

Today's new Question Writer versions (except Personal Edition) include a feature that you've all been demanding since the very first release - runtime randomization. It's helpful for mixing up the location of the right answer in a multiple choice question, or changing the order of a list of options in a survey.

It comes in two different flavours -

Publisher Edition allows you choose to randomize the contents of a row or column. The rows or columns can include options, or complete questions and it's nested, so you might randomize a row, inside a column, inside a row.

Quiz Edition let's you specify an option in the quiz properties box, "Randomize Question Options" - that'll randomize the Multiple Choice, Multiple Response and the True/False question options. Matching questions already have randomization. One caveat for Quiz Edition - it doesn't yet match the order of the randomized question on the Feedback page - I don't think it's a big issue, but it might confuse some.

June 04, 2006

Personal Edition - Free Quiz Software

Free Quiz Software is a stripped down version of Quiz Edition. It's powerful for a free product, as you can see from this quiz on the seven wonders. It includes multiple choice questions, with feedback on each question and option and a full printable report. The results-by-email service is also supported. The personal license means you can author non-commercial quizzes on a computer that you personally own.

The restrictions (and benefits to upgrading to Quiz Edition) are

1. Only Multiple Choice Questions (No Matching, Multiple Response, Fill-In-The-Blank)

2. Only works with one theme (Fresh, Quiz Edition has many more themes)

3. No images or Flash animations with each question (Quiz edition now supports importing Flash 6)

4. No advanced options tab

5. No HTML text formatting (No subscript/superscript)