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Hotspot Questions

Hotspot questions present students with an image that requires them to drop a pin on one or more hotspots you create within that image. Hotspot questions are great for a variety of disciplines. In an anatomy course, for instance, you might ask students to identify parts of a body. In a geography course, a specific location on a map. In a foreign language course, specific articles of clothing. In an ecology or biology course, you might ask your students to identify which animal species or individuals belong to the corresponding habitat described by the main image, or don't. Possibilities are endless.

Video: Hotspot Questions

The following narrated video provides a visual and auditory representation of some of the information included on this page. For a detailed description of what is portrayed in the video, open the video on Vimeo.


Types of hotspot questions

You have two options when creating a hotspot question:

  • Standard Hotspot: Presents students with an image that requires them to drop a pin inside of one or more hotspots you create within the image. Students aren't aware of where the hotspots are located.

  • Multiple Choice/Multiple Answer Hotspot: Presents students with an image that requires them to drop a pin inside of one or more hotspots you create. Students are aware of where the hotspots are located. One or more hotspots are correct and the remaining hotspots are distractors.

Create a hotspot question

  1. When you create a new test, select the plus sign to open the menu. In an existing test, select the plus sign wherever you want to add a question.

  2. Select Add Hotspot question.

    Add Hotspot question menu item to choose from Question Types menu

  3. Update the point value of the question by editing the default 1 point value.

  4. Add the question text into the content editor in the Question Text field.

  5. Drag and drop an image (JPEG, JPG, GIF, PNG, or BMP) into the upload area or select the Upload from device button to use the file picker.

    Question options for a hotspot question, including an Extra Credit checkbox, the number of points field, and the Question Text field. Highlighted with a box is the upload area, which includes the the text "Drag and drop your file to upload Add your image (JPEG, JPG, GIF, PNG, or BMP format)" and an "Upload from device" button. There is a Cancel button and a grayed out Save button in the bottom right corner.

  6. Select one of the shape symbols next to the Add a Hotspot label to generate a hotspot on the background image you uploaded. You can choose from a rectangular, circular or polygonal hotspot each time.

    You can add more than one hotspot to an image. When you do so, there can be multiple correct answers and distractors. Distractors are recommended when you enable the Show hotspots to students option. The Hotspot question type will then function like a multiple choice question type with multiple answers.

    The options for adding hotspots to an image of animals in a rainforest setting. Highlighted with a box on the toolbar is "Add a Hotpot" with images of a rectangle, a circle, and a polygon. The rectangle is selected and a tooltip that says "Rectangle (R)" is displayed. There is a rectangular hotspot on the image, numbered 1.

  7. Drag and drop the hotspot to the desired location on the image.

    Note

    You can use keyboard controls to position hotspots.

  8. Select a hotspot and use the pull squares on each angle and corner of the hotspot to resize.

    Resize hotspot using the corner or middle squares around it

  9. Select the checkbox for each hotspot that corresponds to a correct answer.

    Options for selecting the correct answers for hotspots that have been drawn on top of an image of animals in a rainforest setting. The answer options section is highlighted with a box. Four out of eight answers have their checkbox selected. Each answer has a description entered into the textbox.

    Note

    You can add a description for each hotspot. This is optional.

  10. Activate the toggle for Automated Feedback to provide correct and incorrect feedback to students. This is optional.

    Answer options for a Hotspot question. The Automated Feedback toggle is activated and highlighted with a box, and feedback for students has been entered in the "Correct answer feedback" and "Incorrect answer feedback" fields.

  11. Select Save to add the question to the test.

Requirements to save a hotspot question

  • Add content into the question text field that prompts the student to drop a pin at the correct location within the image.

  • Add an image that will be used for the hotspot question.

  • Add one or more hotspots to the image. Hotspots can be used for correct answers and/or distractors.

  • Select at least one hotspot as the correct answer.

Additional options

  • Update the point value associated with the question. The default value is 1 point.

  • Add more than one hotspot. Adding more than one hotspot will change the behavior of the question to function similar to that of a multiple choice question with multiple answers. You can use additional hotspots as distractors.

  • Add descriptions to each hotspot. Hotspot descriptions are a great way to help you identify hotspots when there are multiple hotspots on an image. You can use this information to ensure students selected the right hotspots as correct answers. You can also share this information with your students to provide more information or context about a specific hotspot when they review their attempts. Hotspot descriptions are always visible to you. Your students will see hotspot descriptions when they review their attempt only if you've made visible the correct answers on the assessment. You can choose to display the correct answers and hotspot descriptions: after an individual grade is posted, after the due date, after all grades for the assessment are posted, or on a specific date and time.

  • Add automated feedback for correct and incorrect answers. Automated feedback can be helpful, especially to students that scored incorrectly. You can use automated feedback to redirect students to the course content location where they can find the correct answer.

  • Display hotspots to students. This is helpful when you want the hotspot question to function like a multiple choice or multiple answer question. Your students will see the hotspots on the image. Some of them will be correct answers while the others will be simply distractors. You must add more than one hotspot to select this option.

Delete an image uploaded by mistake

Select the Delete all button above the uploaded image you need to replace. This will delete the image and any hotspots associated with that image.

Erase a hotspot you don’t want to use

Select the hotspot you want to erase with your mouse or keyboard combination. Then, select the Erase hotspots button above the uploaded image. This will eliminate all selected hotspots.

Tip

For multiple hotspots selection: Hotspot selections stick, thus with each consecutive selection of a new hotspot, it acquires a selected state. When you finish selecting you can delete all selected hotspots only using the keyboard or the Erase hotspots option.

Show hotspots to students

When the Show hotspots to students option is active, students will see all hotspots created on an image. It changes the behavior of the hotspot question to function like a multiple choice or a multiple answer question. This is recommended when you have more than one hotspot and some hotspots are used as distractors.

The example below shows how students are tasked to select only the species that belong to the Amazon habitat. However, the question presents them with multiple hotspots, including some that are incorrect. They’ll need to determine which of the hotspots are the correct ones. This hotspot question functions like a multiple answer question.

Show hotspots to student option
Student preview with visible hotspots

Keyboard interactions and shortcuts

Editing hotspot questions is accessible using the keyboard.

  1. When you have added a Hotspot question in a test the focus will be on the “help documentation” link on the notification banner.

  2. Select Tab to access the points field where you can update the point value of the question.

  3. Select Tab to access the question text field and add the question text.

  4. Select Tab to access the Upload from device button where you can select an image. Allowed image formats: JPEG, JPG, GIF, PNG or BMP.

  5. A modal displays with the image uploading progress. You can cancel the upload before it reaches 100% by selecting the Tab key to access the Cancel button. When the image has uploaded successfully, the modal is automatically dismissed, and the image will display on the page.

  6. Select Tab to read the following keyboard controls for performing different hotspot actions:

    • General Controls

      • Select hotspots with Tab and Shift + Tab

      • Deselect a hotspot with Esc

      • Move a hotspot with the arrow keys

      • Use Alt/Option + arrow keys to move hotspots by a smaller increment (1 px at a time)

      • Select the Delete key to delete a previously selected hotspot

      • Zoom in with Shift + Z

      • Zoom out with Shift + X

      • Expand view with Shift + F

      • Close view with Esc

    • Rectangle and Circle Controls

      • Resize a hotspot with Shift + arrow keys

      • Add a new rectangular hotspot (when canvas is focused) with R key

      • Add a new circle hotspot (when canvas is focused) with C key

    • Polygon Controls

      • Draw a new polygon hotspot (when canvas is focused) with P key

      • Exit draw mode with Esc

      • Move a draw icon with the arrow keys

      • Move a draw icon with precision with Option/Alt + arrow keys

      • Add a new polygon point with Enter

      • Remove the most recently created point with Delete

  7. You can add a Rectangle, Circle or Polygon hotspot by selecting the button with the same label on the background image you uploaded. The focus is moved to the created hotspot.

  8. Select the Delete All button to delete the image and hotspots created.

  9. After all hotspots have been created, you can continue the navigation with the Tab key to activate the Show hotspots to students option to allow students perceive the hotspots on the image.

  10. Select Tab to navigate to Zoom In, Zoom Out, and Expand View buttons.

  11. Select Tab to move through the answer options. Select the checkbox for correct answers and enter an optional description for each hotspot.

  12. Select Tab to reach the Cancel button. Select the button to cancel the hotspot question.

  13. Select Tab to reach the Save button. Select the button to save the hotspot question.