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For Supervisors In Short Answer activities, the participant writes a word or phrase to answer a question. You prepare the prompt and supporting materials and enter the expected answer, which serves as the reference for marking.
Identification of the Short Answer format in the activity creation form.

Short Answer activity in the creation form.

This format can support finding information in a sign language video, recognising vocabulary or understanding an image or text. Explain what information is required and which language the written answer should use.
Reception is the activity type; Short Answer is the selected format. The screenshots show the Supervisor form in English; the instructions explain the fields and controls.

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Plan a focused answer

Choose a question that can be answered with a word or short phrase. Avoid broad questions requiring an essay or subjective assessment.
Example of the form used to prepare a short answer question.

Prompt and expected answer in a short answer question.

This example illustrates planning and is not mandatory platform content. Because the participant answers in writing, consider the relationship between the language of the source material and the requested written language, in line with the activity objective.

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Create the activity

Start in the Space and choose Short Answer

Enter the Space, open Assessment Activities and click Add activity. Check the selected Space.When choosing the type:
  1. Open Assessment Activities.
  2. Select Reception.
  3. Choose Short Answer.
  4. Check the selection and click Continue.
The next form identifies Reception and Short Answer. Check these details before completing it.

Enter the name and instructions

In the Description tab, complete Name of the activity and Instructions, if used.
Description tab of a short answer activity, with name and instruction fields.

Activity description: name and instructions.

Name and instruction fields for the short answer activity.

Activity description: name and instruction fields.

Choose a recognisable name, such as “Understanding a narrative: means of transport”.In the instructions, specify:
  • Which material the participant should examine.
  • Which information they should write.
  • The required written language.
  • Any time, navigation or playback restrictions.
You can Upload or Record an instruction video in the appropriate sign language. Also check the activity Status.
Instruction video area and status control for a short answer activity.

Instruction video and activity status.

Options for uploading or recording the instruction video, optional subtitles, markers and status.

Instruction video and activity status.

Open the summary and add one or more questions

Select Questions Summary. The Introduction video is optional and appears before the questions. Use it to introduce the overall task.In Activity questions, click Add Question.
Activity summary with optional introduction and a button to add questions.

Questions summary: introduction and adding questions.

Introduction area and button for adding a short answer question.

Questions summary: introduction, new question and evaluation settings.

The add-question button in the Self-assessment section belongs to a separate set of questions.

Prepare the prompt and materials

Complete Question Title with a clear question or instruction.Add Topic, Text, Video and Image blocks as needed. The material should provide the information required to answer.
Question form with a title and options for adding materials to the prompt.

Short answer question: prompt and supporting materials.

Question title field, video upload or recording, playback restriction and content blocks.

Prompt: question video and content blocks.

 The prompt or source-material video is separate from the activity instruction video and the introduction video.

Enter the expected answer

In the Answer area, complete Short Answer with the expected word or phrase.
Answer section with the Short Answer field for entering the expected answer.

Expected answer: reference entered by the Supervisor.

Answer section with the Short Answer field for the expected answer.

Expected answer: field completed by the Supervisor.

The Supervisor completes this field during creation. It is not the field in which the participant completes the activity.

Add feedback and finish the question

Click Add feedback to prepare an explanation. The example offers video upload or recording and an optional text field. The video can also have .vtt subtitles and markers, depending on the available fields.
Question feedback area with video features and optional text.

Question feedback: video and optional text.

Feedback form with video upload or recording, optional subtitles, markers and text.

Feedback: video, subtitles, markers and optional text.

Prefer feedback related to the content. For example:“Watch the part where the person describes travelling to university. The information about the means of transport appears in this part of the narrative.”The illustrated feedback explains the question as a whole; it is not an individual assessment written after the participant responds.Review the prompt, materials, expected answer and feedback. Click Done to return to the summary and repeat the process to add further questions.
Check the limit shown in each video field. In the examples, the prompt indicates 100 MB, while instructions and feedback indicate 250 MB. The IntSL Video label belongs to the illustrated installation: use the appropriate sign language for your audience.

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Configure activity points

In the summary, open Evaluation Settings.
Control for accessing the activity evaluation settings.

Access to evaluation settings from the summary.

The Short Answer example includes the Points setting:
Points field with Default and Customize options for question scoring.

Points per question: default or customised settings.

Fields for question points and the activity minimum and maximum scores.

Activity scoring: points per question and reference scores.


The expected answer defines what is considered when marking; points define the value of the question; the scale defines how the result is presented.

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Review attempts, navigation and availability

Settings for attempts and question presentation order.

Attempts and navigation between questions.

The availability period differs from the duration of an attempt. Automatic marking and displaying scores or reference answers are also separate decisions: check the selected review timing.
Time, result review and availability period settings.

Activity time, review and availability.

For Short Answer, focus on the controls relevant to your installation; there are no answer options for the participant to order or select. Additional criteria, when shown, do not replace the expected answer.

Configure assessment scales

Understand the reference used to present levels and results.

Assess and support participants

Explore settings, monitoring and the release of results.

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Include self-assessment, if desired

In the summary, the Self-assessment questions section has its own add-question button. Choose the self-assessment scale and write a reflective question. For example: “How would you assess your understanding of the information needed to answer the questions?” You can also present the question in a video in the appropriate sign language.
Self-assessment questions section in the activity summary.

Self-assessment: adding questions in the summary.

Self-assessment form with scale, question and optional video.

Self-assessment: scale, question and optional video.

Confirm the addition using the controls in your installation, such as Done or Save, where present. On returning to the summary, check that the question appears in the list.
List of self-assessment questions after they have been added to the activity summary.

Self-assessment: checking the questions entered.

These questions support participant reflection. They differ from questions with an expected answer for automatic marking; do not assume that they contribute to the main score in the same way.

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Check the summary and finish

Review the Activity questions and Self-assessment questions lists separately.
Summary with questions entered, access to evaluation settings and self-assessment questions.

Final summary: activity questions and self-assessment questions.

Before finishing:
  • Check the Space, name, instructions and status.
  • Review the clarity of the prompt and the required written language.
  • Check the expected answer for each question.
  • Play the videos and check the other materials.
  • Review feedback and playback restrictions.
  • Check points, minimum score, maximum score and scale.
  • Review attempts, navigation, duration, dates and review options.
  • Check the self-assessment questions, if used.
Finishing a question does not finish the entire activity. Return to the summary, review the whole activity and finish its setup using the available controls.

See how participants view results

Learn how scores, feedback and activity contributions are presented.

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