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Updated on August 18, 2021. Word Select and Gapfill are compatible with systems running pretty much every version of Moodle 3, up to 3.11. The video above is from a few years old, but it’s as awesome and ageless as Marcus himself.
Word Select and Gapfill, by Marcus Green, are Moodle plugins that make it easy for teachers and students to create questions. Word Select lets you pick and choose words as Quiz question answers. But it might be better off thought of as a scripting add-on that provides plenty of exploration.
Within a paragraph or HTML element, wrap you answers into square brackets (you can change the delimiting characters). Answers to what, you might ask? Don’t let our answer limit the options of what you can do. But do take a look at Green’s own creative uses of Word Select:
The simplest possible use: Choose a type of word (say a noun or a verb) within a sentence. 
Create an HTML table and add correct options on a row or column basis. 
You can also add feedback or hints, in the case of wrong or partially correct answers. 
It comes with plenty of styling choices. 
Your very own Word Jumble! Pretty clever, huh? 
You can even take advantage of Word Select for advanced English examination.
Simple but versatile, Word Select will take advantage of your scripting skills to generate lots of word-based questions quickly. They will become standard Moodle Quiz questions, meaning you can save, import and export them, use it for your internal Question Bank, and to create quizzes at random.
- Download or install Word Select from the Moodle Plugin Directory
- Learn more about Word Select at docs.moodle.org
- All of Marcus Green’s plugins on the Moodle Directory.
- Download some examples ready for your next quiz at github.com/marcusgreen
More cool Word Games to try
It turns out Word Select is a distinguished entry in an ample list of word gaming options for your Moodle-based LMS currently in active development. Know any other cool tool? Let us know and we’ll be happy to include it.
Gapfill by Marcus Green
qtype_gapfill — docs.moodle.org/en/Gapfill_question_type
Another winningly simple concoction by Green, uses the same syntax as Word Select. Only this time it automatically puts the variable words atop and replaces them in context with gaps. The goal is to drag and drop the word into its original location. Loads of customization in look, function and grading come available. You can even replace words with images.
Drag and drop into text by the Open University team
qtype_ddwtos — docs.moodle.org/en/Drag_and_drop_into_text_question_type Moodle 2.7, 2.8, 2.9. Systems running Moodle 3 already have this functionality built-in.
A comparable alternative to Gapfill, with a few interface tweaks, built by Moodle-powered Open University. More info and demos at open.edu/openlearncreate
Ordering by Gordon Bateson
qtype_ordering — docs.moodle.org/en/Ordering_question_type Moodle 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11
Create a list in sequence: The steps in a recipe, the plot breakdown of Harry Potter, your favorite Shakespearean iambic pentameter. Ordering will randomize it for your students to sort back.
Bateson’s Essay (auto-grade)
qtype_essayautograde Moodle 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11
Set up a writing prompt whose responses must fulfill conditions, such as:
- Minimum or maximum word count
- Include given keywords and phrases, or a subset of them
- Avoid keywords or phrases
- Set “special” status to some of these criteria
These criteria will serve to give the response a provisional grade before the teacher puts eyes on the answers.
All-or-Nothing Multiple Choice
qtype_multichoiceset — docs.moodle.org/en/All_or_nothing_multiple_choice_question_type Moodle 3.9, 3.10, 3.11 (earlier versions available)
Quick-and-to-the-point plugin that fixes what should be available in Moodle for ages: The ability to mark a question entirely wrong even if its partially correct.
Seeing patterns everywhere?
Taking advantage of the infuriating beauty of Regular Expressions, these plugins let you account for a variety of student inputs.
- Regular expression short answer (qtype_regexp — docs ) is the place to get started with RegExes in Moodle. Use metacharacters to account for case sensitivity, spelling and punctuation variations, or even more radical differences between answers. Moodle 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11
- RegExp Adaptive mode with Help (qbehaviour_regexpadaptivewithhelp — docs ) lets your students “buy” help for their answers by chipping some tenths off their score. Moodle 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11
- Want to help them out without penalty? Then try RegExp Adaptive mode with Help (no penalties) (qbehaviour_regexpadaptivewithhelpnopenalty — same docs) Moodle 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11
Go beyond written words
The Poodll plugin family merges the written and spoken word, by providing speaking activities and automated text transcriptions to any recorded provided by a teacher or student. The Poodll Essentials license includes all plugins, unlimited storage space and text conversion, and a broad set of audio and video recording activities, including:
- Audio and video Assignments and Quizzes
- Read Aloud: Students read passages, and Poodll calculates reading performance and provides pronunciation feedback at the word level
- Feedback: Record your own words and pronunciation, and non-verbal cues according to your students level
- Video captioning manual and automated
- Toolbar icons to embed recordings and media files anywhere Moodle lets you.
Visit poodll.com/package-poodll-essentials for demos and a full trial.
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