Open answer elements

An open answer element gives learners a text field where they can type a free-form response. Use open answers to prompt reflection, gather opinions, or let learners practice writing about what they have learned.

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Note: Open answers are not marked right or wrong. In a lesson they work as reflective prompts. In an exam, a submitted response earns one point, but the text itself is not assessed for correctness.

How open answer elements work

An open answer element shows a question or prompt and an empty text field. Learners type a response, then submit.

Responses are not marked right or wrong. There is no correct answer for the system to score against. When a learner submits, their answer is saved against their progress in the course.

If the course runs in a SCORM-compatible learning management system, the response is included in the SCORM data sent back to the LMS. Reviewers can read responses there if needed.

Add an open answer element to a lesson

1. Select Open Answer from the element list to add it to your lesson.

2. Hover over the component and select Edit.

3. Enter your question or prompt. Make clear what you want learners to write about.

4. Optionally, add instruction text. Use it to suggest length, style, or what learners should think about before answering.

5. Optionally, set placeholder text that displays inside the empty text field as a hint or starter phrase.

6. Select Preview to check how the element appears to learners.

Tip: Keep your prompt focused on a single idea. Open prompts like "what did you learn?" get short, vague answers; specific prompts like "describe one situation where you would apply X" get richer responses.

Open answers in an exam

You can add an open answer element to an exam in the same way you add it to a lesson. It gives learners a free-text question alongside the exam's other questions.

When a learner submits a response, it counts toward their exam score. A non-empty answer earns one point; leaving it blank scores zero. The point reflects that the learner answered, not whether the answer is correct.

Note: Because open answers are not assessed for correctness, use them in an exam to capture reflection or short written input. To test knowledge with an automatically marked result, use a multiple choice, matching, or sorting question.

A learner's written response is saved with their exam results. It is kept out of usage analytics to protect what learners write.

Tips for effective open answer prompts

• Use open answers for reflection, journaling, and self-assessment, not for testing facts

• Give learners a sense of expected length in the instruction text. "A sentence or two" sets clearer expectations than no guidance

• Place the open answer right after the content it relates to. Asking learners to reflect immediately after teaching reinforces learning

• If you plan to review responses, let learners know. They will write more carefully when they expect someone to read what they wrote

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