Designing and Grading Interactive Exercises - Cheatsheet

Creating Interactive Exercises

Interactive exercises engage learners and reinforce understanding through immediate feedback.

Basic Interactive Exercise Example

```{webr}
#| exercise: sum-exercise
Complete the expression to compute 2 + 8:
2 + ______
```

Adding Hints and Solutions

::: {.hint exercise="sum-exercise"}
Remember: 2 + 8 = 10.
:::

::: {.solution exercise="sum-exercise"}
```r
2 + 8
```
:::

Results

Remember: 2 + 8 = 10.

2 + 8

Custom Grading Techniques

Automatically evaluate and provide feedback based on user input.

Grading Logic in R

```{webr}
#| exercise: sum-exercise
#| check: true
expected <- 10
if (identical(.result, expected)) {
  list(correct = TRUE, message = "Correct! 2 + 8 = 10.")
} else {
  list(correct = FALSE, message = "Incorrect. Check your sum.")
}
```

Grading Logic in Python

```{pyodide}
#| exercise: sum-exercise-py
#| check: true
expected = 10
if result == expected:
    feedback = {"correct": True, "message": "Correct! 2 + 8 = 10."}
else:
    feedback = {"correct": False, "message": "Incorrect. Check your sum."}
feedback
```

Learn more about Custom Grading Techniques

Common Mistakes and Solutions

Mistake 1: Missing Exercise Labels

• Issue: Exercise blocks not linking to hints or solutions.
• Solution: Consistently use unique labels (e.g., sum-exercise) for exercise blocks.

```{webr}
#| exercise: unique-label
```

::: {.hint exercise="unique-label"}
Use this hint to help solve the exercise.
:::

Mistake 2: Incorrect Variable Referencing in Grading Logic

• Issue: Grading logic references incorrect variables.
• Solution: Ensure grading blocks correctly reference .result (R) or the defined Python variable (e.g., result).

Mistake 3: Not Providing Clear Instructions

• Issue: Learners confused by vague instructions.
• Solution: Clearly state the objective within exercise blocks:

```{webr}
#| exercise: clear-instruction-exercise
Calculate the mean of numbers 1 through 5:
mean(c(1, 2, 3, 4, 5))
```

Best Practices for Interactive Exercises

• Provide clear and concise instructions.
• Use progressive hints to guide learners without immediately giving the solution.
• Implement robust grading logic to handle multiple correct responses.
• Test exercises extensively before deployment.

Explore best practices in exercise design

Further Reading

• Designing and Grading Interactive R Exercises
• Custom Grading for Interactive Exercises
• Interactive Code Blocks Explained

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