Choice (Moodle poll activity)
The Choice activity in Moodle allows students to respond to a single multiple choice question. You can view the number of responses and the responses. You can also allow students to also view the results. Choices can be paired with other activities and resources, used to manage workflows and processes, and gather formative feedback from students. Lecturers are able to respond to questions in a Choice activity, and contribute to the 100% completion rate. Tutors, observers and others are not able to vote by default, but can have these permissions altered in the Settings block.
Examples of how to use the Choice tool:
- Selecting from a list of possible assessment options.
- Self-sorting into ad-hoc or informal groups for a class activity. For self-sorting into formal groups, see the Group self-selection guide.
- To indicate Activity Completion for a non-Moodle activity.
- Simple polling. For more complex polls, see the Polling tools guide. The Choice tool is not recommended for surveys, instead use Moodle Feedback or Google forms.
Add a Choice
- In the top right hand corner of the page, switch Edit mode to ON(Blue).
- In the section where you would like to add an assignment, click +Add an activity or resource.
- Select Choice. You'll be directed to the settings page for the activity.
- In the General section:
- In Choice name, choose a name for your poll activity.
- In Introduction Text, enter the question that you would like answered. The content of this field may include text, media, images or equations, formatted or inserted using the HTML editor.
- In Display mode you can select the layout of your options.
- Horizontal layout is suitable for 2-3 choices, for example YES / NO or TRUE / FALSE.
- Vertical layout gives a more typical multiple choice presentation.
- In Options, you can:
- Allow choice to be updated: Users may change their choice up until the poll is closed
- Allow more than one choice to be selected: Users may be given the options to select one or more of the choices provided. If multiple selections are available the user will be presented with check boxes instead of radio buttons.
- Limit the number of responses allowed: Responses to a poll with be capped at a defined number of responses.
Note: If limits are disabled then any number of participants can select each of the options. If limits are enabled but not defined the number of responses is limited to 0.
- In Availability, choose the start and finish times with the Allow responses from and Allow responses until settings.
- In Results settings, you can choose:
- Publish results: Select if and when students can see results of the poll, and whether results are anonymous.
- Privacy of results: Sets student view to anonymous. Lecturers can still see the details of individual student choices.
- Show column for unanswered: Choose if the number of people who have not answered will be displayed with the end results.
- Once settings are completed, click Save and return to unit.
Choice poll responses
At any point you can download or delete responses to the choice activity question.
- Click on the Unit settings cog and select Turn editing on.
- Click on the Choice activity.
- On the Choice activity page, click View # Responses.
- You can also view the Choice responses in a visual bar graph, or table under Chart data.
- To delete a response, select the check box beside the response and then Delete from the Choose an action... menu.
- To download responses, select which format(ODS (OpenDocument Spreadsheet), Excel, text) you prefer and click the corresponding button to save the data locally.
The Choice activity in Moodle allows students to respond to a single multiple choice question. You can view the number of responses and the responses. You can also allow students to also view the results. Choices can be paired with other activities and resources, used to manage workflows and processes, and gather formative feedback from students. Lecturers are able to respond to questions in a Choice activity, and contribute to the 100% completion rate. Tutors, observers and others are not able to vote by default, but can have these permissions altered in the Settings block.
Examples of how to use the Choice tool:
- Selecting from a list of possible assessment options.
- Self-sorting into ad-hoc or informal groups for a class activity. For self-sorting into formal groups, see the Group self-selection guide.
- To indicate Activity Completion for a non-Moodle activity.
- Simple polling. For more complex polls, see the Polling tools guide. The Choice tool is not recommended for surveys, instead use Moodle Feedback or Google forms.
Add a Choice
- Click Turn editing on in the top right of the unit banner.
- In the topic or section where you would like to add a Choice, click Add an activity or resource.
- Select Choice and click Add. You'll be directed to the settings page for the activity.
- In the General section:
- In Choice name, choose a name for your poll activity.
- In Introduction Text, enter the question that you would like answered. The content of this field may include text, media, images or equations, formatted or inserted using the HTML editor.
- In Display mode you can select the layout of your options.
- Horizontal layout is suitable for 2-3 choices, for example YES / NO or TRUE / FALSE.
- Vertical layout gives a more typical multiple choice presentation.
- In Options, you can:
- Allow choice to be updated: Users may change their choice up until the poll is closed
- Allow more than one choice to be selected: Users may be given the options to select one or more of the choices provided. If multiple selections are available the user will be presented with check boxes instead of radio buttons.
- Limit the number of responses allowed: Responses to a poll with be capped at a defined number of responses.
Note: If limits are disabled then any number of participants can select each of the options. If limits are enabled but not defined the number of responses is limited to 0.
- In Availability, choose the start and finish times with the Allow responses from and Allow responses until settings.
- In Results settings, you can choose:
- Publish results: Select if and when students can see results of the poll, and whether results are anonymous.
- Privacy of results: Sets student view to anonymous. Lecturers can still see the details of individual student choices.
- Show column for unanswered: Choose if the number of people who have not answered will be displayed with the end results.
- Once settings are completed, click Save and return to unit.
Choice poll responses
At any point you can download or delete responses to the choice activity question.
- Click on the Unit settings cog and select Turn editing on.
- Click on the Choice activity.
- On the Choice activity page, click View # Responses.
- You can also view the Choice responses in a visual bar graph, or table under Chart data.
- To delete a response, select the check box beside the response and then Delete from the Choose an action... menu.
- To download responses, select which format(ODS (OpenDocument Spreadsheet), Excel, text) you prefer and click the corresponding button to save the data locally.