Create Questions One at a Time: The Copy & Paste Method


Sleedu Teacher Guide

Create Questions One at a Time: The Copy & Paste Method

This method gives you the most control and personalization: Gemini writes each question as its own paste-ready block, and you choose which ones make it into your question bank — one at a time, reviewing each as you go. No files, no importing.

Part A — Get your questions from Gemini

STEP 1

Paste the prompt into Gemini Pro

Open Gemini, switch to the Pro model, and paste this prompt. It tells Gemini to output every question as a separate copy block with a word bank, scaffolded hints on every answer, and a teacher checklist at the end:

You are an expert Moodle question author and instructional designer. A lesson document will be uploaded with this prompt (or pasted below it). Read it carefully and create Moodle "Embedded answers (Cloze)" questions based on its key content. If no lesson is attached, respond only with: "Please upload the lesson document" and wait.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Create 8โ€“10 text-based CONCEPTUAL questions only. Focus on understanding of concepts, relationships, definitions, causes/effects, and processes โ€” NOT numerical calculations. Do not use the NUMERICAL question type.
2. ANSWER BANK โ€” every question must begin with a word bank:
   - The bank contains ALL correct answers for that question's blanks PLUS exactly 3 distractors.
   - The 3 distractors must NOT be a correct answer for ANY blank in that question, and must not be an acceptable synonym or variation of any correct answer.
   - Distractors must still be plausible: use related terms, common misconceptions, or vocabulary from the same lesson.
   - List the entire bank in ALPHABETICAL order (case-insensitive Aโ€“Z).
   - Format the bank on its own line at the top of the question, like this:
     Word bank: chloroplast | diffusion | mitochondria | osmosis | ribosome
   - Then a blank line, then the question text with the blanks.
3. Use ONLY these Cloze answer types:
   - Short answer, case-insensitive (student types the word from the bank): {1:SHORTANSWER:=correct answer#feedback~*#hint feedback}
   - Multiple choice dropdown (options drawn from the bank): {1:MULTICHOICE:=correct#feedback~distractor#feedback~distractor#feedback~distractor#feedback}
   - Prefer SHORTANSWER for most blanks so students must actively select from the bank; use MULTICHOICE occasionally for variety.
   - For MULTICHOICE blanks, the dropdown options must all come from that question's word bank.
4. SCAFFOLDING FEEDBACK โ€” every answer option must include feedback after #:
   - CORRECT answers: reinforce WHY it is correct and connect it to the lesson concept.
     Example: =mitochondria#Correct! The mitochondria release usable energy (ATP) for the cell.
   - WRONG answers (MULTICHOICE distractors): address the specific misconception, give a guiding hint WITHOUT revealing the answer, and point to the lesson section to review.
     Example: ~chloroplast#Not quite โ€” chloroplasts capture light energy, but this blank asks where energy is released for use. Review the respiration section.
   - SHORTANSWER blanks: always end with a wildcard catch-all hint as the LAST option:
     ~*#Check the word bank. Think about which term describes [guiding question]. Review [lesson section].
5. Syntax rules you MUST follow:
   - Correct answer marked with = ; wrong answers separated by ~ ; feedback after # inside each option
   - Escape special characters in answers AND feedback: } as \} , # as \# , ~ as \~ , / as \/
   - Use weight 1 for every blank (write it as {1:...})
   - In SHORTANSWER, the ~*# catch-all must come last
   - Accept minor variations of correct SHORTANSWER answers (e.g., singular/plural) with additional = options where sensible โ€” but NEVER accept a distractor as correct.
6. QUALITY CHECK before output: for every question, verify that none of the 3 distractors matches or is a synonym of any correct answer in that question. If a conflict exists, replace the distractor.
7. Order questions from easier (recall of concepts) to harder (application/analysis of concepts), so the set itself scaffolds understanding.
8. OUTPUT FORMAT โ€” output each question as its own self-contained copy block, so the teacher can copy ONE question at a time:
   - Begin every question with a separator line of ten equal signs: ==========
   - Next line: QUESTION [number] of [total] โ€” Question name: [short descriptive title]
   - Then a blank line, then EXACTLY what the teacher will paste into the Question text field, in this order:
     Word bank: term1 | term2 | term3 ... (alphabetical)
     (blank line)
     The Cloze question text with embedded feedback
   - Everything below the QUESTION header line, from "Word bank:" to the end of the question text, must be one uninterrupted paste-ready block โ€” no commentary, no labels, nothing else mixed in.
   - Plain text only โ€” no explanations, no markdown formatting, no code fences.
   - End the final question with a closing separator line: ==========
9. After all questions, add this short checklist for the teacher, titled "How to create each question": for every question block above, (1) in the question bank, click Create a new question and select "Embedded answers (Cloze)"; (2) copy the short descriptive title from the QUESTION header line into the Question name field; (3) copy everything below the header line โ€” starting at "Word bank:" through the end of the question text โ€” into the Question text field; (4) click "Decode and verify the question text" and confirm every blank is detected; (5) save, then repeat with the next question block. Finally, remind the teacher to set quiz behaviour to "Interactive with multiple tries" or "Immediate feedback" so students see the scaffolding hints.
10. FOLLOW-UP CHANGES: If the teacher asks for revisions in this chat (more questions, specific sections, harder difficulty, replacing a distractor), apply them while keeping every rule above intact.
11. FINAL COMPLIANCE CHECK: Before outputting, silently confirm you have followed every numbered requirement above, especially: alphabetical word banks, exactly 3 non-overlapping distractors, scaffolding feedback on every option, and the ~*# catch-all last in every SHORTANSWER.
Now generate the questions from the uploaded lesson.
Gemini Pro with the full question-writing prompt pasted into the message box

STEP 2

Add your lesson — Gemini will wait for it

The prompt has a built-in guard: if you send it without a lesson, Gemini replies “Please upload the lesson document” and waits. Nothing is generated from thin air.

Gemini replying: Please upload the lesson document

Upload your lesson file, or select the lesson text, copy it, and paste it into the chat. Gemini reads it and writes the questions from that content only.

Lesson text pasted into Gemini showing the section title and learning objectives

Part B — Set up a home for the questions in Sleedu

STEP 3

Open your course question bank

In your Sleedu course, click More in the course menu, then click Question banks, and open your course question bank.

Course page with More menu expanded showing Question banks

STEP 4

Create a category for this lesson

Click the Questions dropdown in the top-left corner and click Categories.

Questions dropdown open with Categories highlighted

On the Edit categories page, click Add category.

Edit categories page with the Add category button

In the window that opens: leave Parent category on Top for [your course] question bank. In Name, type the lesson name with a number prefix so categories sort in lesson order — for example, 1- Physical and chemical properties. Add a short Category info note if you like, then click Add category.

Add category window with parent category, name, and category info filled in

Your new category appears in the list, showing (0) questions — for now.

New category row showing 1- Physical and chemical properties with zero questions

STEP 5

Point the question bank at your new category

Click the Questions dropdown and go back to Questions. In the Category filter at the top, click the selector and choose your new category — every question you create now lands directly in it.

Question bank category filter open with the new lesson category selected

Part C — Build the questions, one at a time

STEP 6

Create a new Embedded answers (Cloze) question

Click Create a new question…. In the question type list, select Embedded answers (Cloze) and click Add. This type reads the special codes in your pasted text and turns them into fill-in blanks with feedback.

Question type chooser with Embedded answers Cloze selected

STEP 7

Copy ONE question block from Gemini

Back in Gemini, pick the question you want. Select from the Word bank: line down to the end of that question’s text — one block, nothing more — and copy it. The curly-brace codes are the blanks and feedback; copy them exactly as written.

One complete question block in Gemini from the word bank line through the Cloze question text

STEP 8 — THE KEY STEP

Paste as plain text

In the Question name field, type the short title from the question’s header line. Then click inside the Question text box and paste with Ctrl + Shift + V (Paste as plain text). On a Mac: Cmd + Shift + V.

Plain-text paste strips hidden formatting that can silently break the curly-brace codes. A normal paste sometimes works — plain-text paste always works.

Right-click menu showing Paste as plain text with the shortcut Ctrl Shift V
Question text editor with the full question block pasted as plain text

STEP 9

Verify, save, and preview

Below the question text, click Decode and verify the question text and confirm every blank is detected with the right answers. Save the question, then click its Preview in the question bank and try it yourself: type a correct answer, click Check, and watch the scaffolded feedback appear. If a blank renders oddly, ask Gemini to fix that one question and paste the corrected block.

Question preview showing both blanks answered correctly with feedback popup and full marks

STEP 10

Repeat — and skip what you don’t like

Go back to Step 6 for the next block. This is where the control comes in: skip questions that don’t fit, ask Gemini to replace a distractor, make one harder, or write three more on a section your students struggle with. Requirement 10 in the prompt keeps every rule intact through all your revision requests. Your question bank grows one reviewed, personally-approved question at a time.

Teacher tip: Set your quiz behaviour to Interactive with multiple tries or Immediate feedback (in the quiz settings under Question behaviour). That’s what unlocks the scaffolded hints — students who miss a blank get a guiding nudge back to the lesson instead of just a red X.


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