Adding a problem to your Open edX course

You're probably going to want to assess your students to ensure they're learning material. This is done by adding problems to your course. Problems are what make up assignments, quizzes, and exams. Here's how to create them:

Adding a problem

To begin, select the Unit to which you wish to add a problem.

At the bottom of each unit you'll see the Add New Component section. This is where you add nearly all course content to a unit.

In order to create a new problem, just click the green button that says Problem.

You will now be presented with a list of options of problem types. If you select any option type other than Blank Common Problem, a problem will be automatically generated with example information. Let's try it out by clicking Multiple Choice.

As you can see in the multiple choice component, we're presented with a question all ready to go. However, you will have to change the text, which you do by clicking the Edit button in the upper right hand corner.

This is the Simple Editor, where you can easily change the content of the question, as well as the answer and explanation.

Now, if you would rather create the questions more freely or create a multiple part question, you can always select Blank Common Problem.

This gives you a blank slate upon which you can freely create as many or as complex questions as you like. Don't forget to hit Save after making any changes to the edit screen.

There is also SETTINGS in the upper right hand corner where you can change a number of variables about your problem including number of attempts, whether or not the answer is to be shown, and randomization on numeric questions.

Whenever you add or change content on a Unit, remember to Publish your changes (you can always hide them from students until you're ready).

To learn more about specific problem types, check out our articles on creating checkbox problems, creating multiple choice problems, and Open Response Assessment (ORA) basic walkthrough.