Question Tasks

Question tasks present learners with a text-based question that requires them to submit a free-text response.

These tasks are ideal for scenarios where you want learners to provide a specific answer they must type manually. They are particularly useful for:

• Reinforcing key concepts by requiring learners to recall information from the Briefing panel or the practical machine.
• Assessing precision in learner understanding, since they must enter the exact correct answer rather than selecting from multiple choices.
• Encouraging active engagement prompts learners to think critically about the material instead of relying on recognition.
• Validating command-line or technical outputs, where learners are expected to extract and submit a specific value, result, or flag.

We recommend ensuring the expected answer is clearly identifiable from the lab content to avoid learner frustration.

Building a question task

To build a question:

1. From the Task Library, select the Question task type and click Add.
   
2. Click Edit to configure your question.
3. The Question title is what you want to ask for your question. 
   
4. The Answer options allow you to choose a single to multiple correct answers. You can easily remove and add new options using the editor.
   
5. Toggle Enable fuzzy matching on if you want to accept answers that contain minor spelling mistakes, reducing user frustration. For example, if you ask a question where the answer is 8.8.8.8, if the user submits 8.8.88, it will be accepted, and the answer will update correctly to the correct answer.

6. Answer feedback allows you to enable a hint for the question. This hint appears in the lab when the user enters the wrong answer at least once.
   

   When the user clicks Reveal Hint, it will show the text hint you entered in the question configurator.
   
   Hints are an important tool to support learners without giving away the answer outright. A well-crafted hint can nudge the learner in the right direction, reinforce key concepts, and reduce frustration if they get stuck.

   • Keep it concise and focused – A hint should be a short, clear pointer, not a full explanation or answer.
   • Guide, don’t give away – Point learners toward where or how they can find the answer (for example, “Review the last paragraph of the briefing panel” or “Try listing all running processes in the practical machine”).
   • Reinforce key skills – Encourage learners to practice the method or technique needed to find the answer rather than handing them the solution.
   • Match the difficulty level – For beginner labs, hints can be more explicit (for example, suggest the exact command to run). For advanced labs, keep hints high-level to encourage critical thinking.
7. Click Save changes.