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Create Popup Tutorial Questions

You can transform part or all of a multi-part or multi-mode question into an unscored popup tutorial that guides your students step by step through the solution of a problem. Popup tutorial questions are shown as buttons in the assignment, and do not count toward the assignment score. When your students click the button, the tutorial opens in a new window.  

Note  
Important Do not use the <accordion> and <tutorial> tags in the same question. The one exception to this rule is that in a question that uses the <accordion> tag, you can create a popup tutorial.

Your popup tutorial will usually be only part of the question. You can create more than one tutorial in a single question, and you can mix scored and popup tutorials in the same question.

Each popup tutorial is shown in the assignment as a button at the location of the <tutorial> tag.

image of tutorial button

When your students click the button, the popup tutorial opens in a new window.

If your popup tutorial includes randomized values, your students can click Try Another Version at the bottom of the tutorial to see different values. You cannot turn off the Try Another Version link.

Tip To reuse a popup tutorial in multiple questions, consider creating it as a scored tutorial and using the <PRACTICE> tag in each of your questions to display the tutorial as a practice question for no credit. This method also allows you to rename the button to something other than Tutorial.
  1. If needed, open your question in the Question Editor.

    Some questions are not searchable because of their Permission settings.

    If Do this
    You know the question ID or name
    1. In the search box at the top of the page, select Question.
    2. Type the question name or ID and press Enter.
    You own the question
    1. Click Questions > My Questions.
    2. Click the question name.
    You organize your questions in folders
    1. Click Assignments > Folders and navigate to the folder with the question.
    2. Click the question name.
    You want to use advanced search
    1. Click Questions > Search Questions.
    2. Enter the search criteria you want to use.

      To view only your questions, click me next to Author.

    3. Click Search.
    4. If you own the question, click Edit next to your question.

      If you do not own the question, click View, then click Open in Editor under Previewer Tools.
  2. In Question, add the <tutorial type="popup"> tag at the beginning of your tutorial.

    You can set several attributes to change the way your tutorial behaves.

    Attribute

    Description

    		 
    button="text"

    Sets the window and page title that are displayed in the popup tutorial. (By default, the window and page title are set to Tutorial.) 

    order="ascending"

    Shows steps in ascending order with the current step at the bottom. (By default, steps are displayed in ascending order with the current step at the top.) 

    order="descending"

    Shows steps in descending order with the current step at the top. (By default, steps are displayed in ascending order with the current step at the top.) 

    skip="no"

    Requires students to answer each step correctly or use all their submissions before going on to the next step. (By default, students can skip tutorial steps.) 

    skip_text="text"

    Renames the Skip button to text (if you allow students to skip tutorial steps.)

    For example: 

    <tutorial type="popup" button="Multiplying Fractions Tutorial" 
order="ascending" skip_text="Show the answer (no points earned) 
and move to the next step">
  3. After the <tutorial> tag, use the <premise> tag to set a title for the tutorial and display the overall problem or concept the tutorial addresses.
    You must use the closing </premise> tag at the end of the premise. 
    Note
    • You must specify a title attribute for the <premise> tag.
    • The contents of the <premise> tag are always displayed at the top of the tutorial.
    • The <premise> tag is optional, but strongly recommended.

    For example: 

    <premise title="Multiplying Fractions">
When you multiply fractions, you multiply the numerators and you 
multiply the denominators.<br><br>
<watex>\[ \frac{3}{4} * \frac{13}{16} = \]</watex>
</premise>
  4. Enclose each tutorial step with the <step> tag.
    You must use the closing </step> tag at the end of each step.

    You can set several attributes to change the way each step is displayed. 

    Attribute

    Description 

    button="text"

    Requires students to click a button with the specified text in order to see the step. (By default, each step is displayed as soon as the student either correctly answers or skips the previous step.) 

    label="text"

    Replaces the default label Step n of m with the specified text. 

    title="text"

    Displays the specified text after the step label. 

    skip_text="text"

    Renames the Skip button to text (if you allow students to skip tutorial steps.)

    Note The <step> and <SECTION> tags are not interchangeable. You must specify the <SECTION> tag wherever the question mode changes.

    For example: 

    <step button="Start" label="Part I" title="Multiply the 
Numerators">
3 ยท 13 = <_>
</step>
  5. Optionally, add tutorial hints in any step with the <hint> tag. You must end each hint with the closing </hint> tag.

    Tutorial hints are shown as a lightbulb icon light bulb icon and display either Hint or a label that you specify with the label attribute. When your student clicks the icon, the contents of the <hint> tag are displayed in place of the label. 

    Note
    • The <hint> tag can be used only in <step>.
    • Each step can contain only one <hint> tag.
    • The <hint> and <HINT> tags are not interchangeable.

    For example: 

    <hint label="Show hint">Use the Pythagorean Theorem.</hint>
  6. Optionally, use the <conclusion> tag to display information after your students complete or skip the last step.
    You must end the conclusion with the closing </conclusion> tag.
    Note You must specify a title attribute for the <conclusion> tag.

    For example: 

    <conclusion title="Conclusion">You have finished the 
tutorial.</conclusion>
  7. End the tutorial with the closing </tutorial> tag.
  8. Click Save.
    Note You cannot preview your tutorial changes until you save your question.
  9. Click Test/Preview to test the appearance and behavior of the question. See Test Questions.
  10. When your question displays and functions correctly, click Save.

    WebAssign assigns it a unique question ID (QID), which is displayed in parentheses after the question name.

    You can use your question in an assignment and see it in your My Questions list only after it is saved.

Example Question with Popup Tutorial

The following table summarizes an actual question.

QID 

1589511

Name 

Template2 3.TUT.02.

Mode 

Multi-Mode...CCNC

Question 

Two cars display fuel economy in different ways. Determine which car uses less fuel 
to travel the same distance. (Use the following conversion factors: 1 mile = 
1.609 km; 1 gallon = 3.785 L.)<br><br>
<_><br>
<tutorial type="popup" button="Converting Fuel Economy" order="ascending">
<premise title="Converting Fuel Economy">
Two cars display fuel economy in different ways. Which car uses less fuel to travel 
the same distance? 
<ul><li>a car rated at 13 L/100 km</li>
<li>a car rated at 22 miles/gallon</li></ul></premise>
<SECTION><step title="Determine the units to use">Which units best answer the 
question "how much fuel is required to travel the same distance?"<br>
<_> <_> <MARK></step>
<SECTION NOBR><step title="Switch gallons and miles">
22 miles/gallon = <_> gallons/mile <MARK></step>
<step title="Change gallons to liters">
0.0455 gallons/mile = <_> L/mile <MARK> (1 gallon = 3.785 L)</step>
<step title="Change miles to 100 km">
0.1720 L/mile = <_> L/100 km <MARK> (1 mile = 1.609 km) Note that 100 km is used as 
a unit.</step>
<SECTION><step title="Compare values">Which car uses less fuel to travel the same 
distance? <_></step>
</tutorial>

Answer 

A car rated at 5.8 L/100 km
A car rated at 34 miles/gallon
<SECTION><EQN $SET_EACH_POSITION=1; ''>L/100 km
miles/gallon
<SECTION>0.04545
0.1720
27.68
<SECTION>a car rated at 13 L/100 km
a car rated at 22 miles/gallon (27.68 L/100 km)

Display to Students

Question as displayed to students
image of the question as students see it

Example Question with Reusable Popup Tutorial Using <PRACTICE>

Reusable popup tutorials comprise two questions: the actual tutorial question, and any question that displays the tutorial link.

The following table summarizes an actual question that uses the <PRACTICE> tag to show a tutorial question. 

QID 

1589523

Name 

Template2 3.TUT.03.

Mode 

Multiple-Choice

Question 

Two cars display fuel economy in different ways. Determine which car uses less fuel 
to travel the same distance. (Use the following conversion factors: 1 mile = 
1.609 km; 1 gallon = 3.785 L.)<br><br>
<_><br>
<span class="tutorialButton iButton"><PRACTICE qid="1589517" link="Tutorial: 
Converting Fuel Economy" title="Converting Fuel Economy" style="none"></span>

Answer 

A car rated at 5.8 L/100 km
A car rated at 34 miles/gallon

Display to Students

Question as displayed to students

The following table summarizes an actual tutorial question that can be shown using the <PRACTICE> tag. 

QID 

1589517

Name 

Template2 3.TUT.04.

Mode 

Multi-Mode...CNC

Question 

<tutorial order="ascending">
<premise title="Converting Fuel Economy">
Two cars display fuel economy in different ways. Which car uses less fuel to travel the same 
distance? 
<ul><li>a car rated at 13 L/100 km</li>
<li>a car rated at 22 miles/gallon</li></ul></premise>
<step title="Determine the units to use">Which units best answer the question "how much fuel 
is required to travel the same distance?"<br>
<_> <_> <MARK></step>
<SECTION NOBR><step title="Switch gallons and miles">
22 miles/gallon = <_> gallons/mile <MARK></step>
<step title="Change gallons to liters">
0.0455 gallons/mile = <_> L/mile <MARK> (1 gallon = 3.785 L)</step>
<step title="Change miles to 100 km">
0.1720 L/mile = <_> L/100 km <MARK> (1 mile = 1.609 km) Note that 100 km is used as a 
unit.</step>
<SECTION><step title="Compare values">Which car uses less fuel to travel the same distance? 
<_></step>
</tutorial>

Answer 

<EQN $SET_EACH_POSITION=1; ''>L/100 km
miles/gallon
<SECTION>0.04545
0.1720
27.68
<SECTION>a car rated at 13 L/100 km
a car rated at 22 miles/gallon (27.68 L/100 km)

Display to Students

Question as displayed to students