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Phil edited this page Nov 17, 2025 · 1 revision

MoFaCTS Trial Types Reference

Last Updated: 2025-01-16 | For: Teachers & Content Creators | Level: Intermediate

Overview

MoFaCTS supports 7 different trial types that control how questions are presented and how learners interact with them. Trial types are specified in TDF (Tutor Definition File) assessment sessions.

Core Trial Types

'd' - Drill

Standard practice with feedback

  • Student sees the question
  • Student types or selects an answer
  • System shows feedback (correct/incorrect) with the right answer
  • Short timeout before continuing to next question
  • Used for: Regular practice sessions where students learn from feedback

Example flow:

  1. Question: "What is the capital of France?"
  2. Student types: "London"
  3. Feedback: "Incorrect. The correct answer is Paris."
  4. [Brief pause, then next question]

't' - Test

Assessment without feedback

  • Student sees the question
  • Student types or selects an answer
  • No feedback shown - student doesn't know if they were right or wrong
  • Help button available (if configured in TDF)
  • Used for: Quizzes, exams, pre/post-tests

Example flow:

  1. Question: "What is the capital of France?"
  2. Student types: "Paris"
  3. [Immediately continues to next question - no feedback]

's' - Study

Passive study with answer shown

  • Student sees the question AND answer together
  • No typing required - just read and learn
  • Advances automatically after timeout
  • Used for: Initial learning, review sessions

Example flow:

  1. Question: "What is the capital of France?"
  2. Answer: "Paris" [shown immediately]
  3. [Timed pause, then next question]

Specialized Trial Types

'm' - Mandatory Correction

Drill that requires correct answer entry

  • Student sees the question
  • Student types or selects an answer
  • If correct: Shows positive feedback, continues
  • If incorrect: Student MUST re-type the correct answer before continuing
  • Used for: High-stakes practice where correct answer production is critical

Example flow (incorrect answer):

  1. Question: "What is the capital of France?"
  2. Student types: "London"
  3. Feedback: "Incorrect. The correct answer is Paris."
  4. Prompt: "Please enter the correct answer to continue"
  5. Student types: "Paris" [must match to proceed]
  6. [Next question]

'n' - Drill with Timed Prompt

Drill that shows a custom hint after incorrect answers

  • Student sees the question
  • Student types or selects an answer
  • If correct: Shows positive feedback, continues
  • If incorrect: Shows custom prompt/hint with timeout
  • After timeout expires, automatically continues (no re-entry required)
  • Used for: Guided practice with scaffolding hints

Example flow (incorrect answer):

  1. Question: "What is the capital of France?"
  2. Student types: "London"
  3. Feedback: "Incorrect. The correct answer is Paris."
  4. Custom hint: "Remember: Paris is located on the Seine River." [shows for 3 seconds]
  5. [Auto-continues after timeout]

TDF Configuration:

<deliveryparams>
  <forcecorrectprompt>Remember: [helpful hint here]</forcecorrectprompt>
  <forcecorrecttimeout>3000</forcecorrecttimeout>
</deliveryparams>

'i' - Instructional Test

Assessment with help available

  • Identical to 't' (test) in behavior
  • Help button remains enabled (if configured)
  • No feedback shown
  • Used for: Low-stakes practice tests, self-assessment, instructional quizzes

Example flow:

  1. Question: "What is the capital of France?"
  2. Student can click "Help" button for hints (if available)
  3. Student types: "Paris"
  4. [Continues to next question - no feedback]

'f' - Fast Study

Quick review with answer shown

  • Identical to 's' (study) in behavior
  • Answer shown immediately with question
  • Advances automatically
  • Used for: Final review, quick refresher sessions

Semantic difference from 's': Intended for TDF authors to distinguish between initial study ('s') and review study ('f'), though the system treats them identically.

Comparison Table

Type Name Student Input? Feedback Shown? Special Behavior Help Button?
d Drill Yes Yes Standard feedback Disabled
t Test Yes No Assessment mode Enabled
s Study No N/A Answer shown with question Disabled
m Mandatory Correction Yes Yes Must re-type correct answer if wrong Disabled
n Drill with Prompt Yes Yes Shows custom hint after wrong answer Disabled
i Instructional Test Yes No Same as test Enabled
f Fast Study No N/A Same as study Disabled

When to Use Each Type

Learning Sequences

Initial Learning:

s → s → d → d → t
(study, study, drill, drill, test)

Spaced Review:

s → d → t → f → t
(study, drill, test, fast review, final test)

Scaffolded Practice:

s → n → n → d → m → t
(study, prompted drills, standard drill, mandatory correction, test)

Trial Type Selection in TDFs

Schedule/Assessment Units

Trial types are specified in the assessment session template strings:

offset,forceButton,TYPE,location

Example:

0,n,d,0    # First question: drill
1,n,t,1    # Second question: test
2,n,m,2    # Third question: mandatory correction

Valid TYPE values: d, t, s, m, n, i, f

Model/Adaptive Units

Model units use only the three core types based on item availability:

  • Items marked "drill" → type 'd'
  • Items marked "test" → type 't'
  • Items marked "study" → type 's'

The specialized types (m, n, i, f) are only available in schedule/assessment units.

Technical Notes

Force Correction Mechanics

Both 'm' and 'n' types use the force correction system:

Type 'm':

  • isForceCorrectTrial = true (always requires correction)
  • Shows input field for re-entry
  • Must match correct answer to proceed

Type 'n':

  • isForceCorrectTrial = true (triggers force correction UI)
  • Shows custom prompt from forcecorrectprompt parameter
  • Uses forcecorrecttimeout parameter for auto-advance
  • Does NOT require re-entry

Help Button Logic

The help button is enabled for types 't' and 'i':

if(!(testType === 't' || testType === 'i'))
  $('#helpButton').prop("disabled", true);

All other types disable the help button during trials.

Common Patterns

Graduated Difficulty

Start with scaffolding, reduce support over time:

s → n → n → d → d → t

Mastery-Based

Require correct production before moving to assessment:

s → d → m → m → t

Self-Paced Learning

Allow help during low-stakes practice:

s → i → i → d → t

Quick Review

Rapid review before summative assessment:

f → f → t

Related TDF Parameters

For 'n' type (timed prompts):

  • forcecorrectprompt: Custom hint text to display
  • forcecorrecttimeout: Duration in milliseconds to show hint

For all drill types (d, m, n):

  • correctprompt: Timeout after correct answer (ms)
  • incorrectprompt: Timeout after incorrect answer (ms)
  • feedbackType: Can be "dialogue" for interactive feedback

For all types:

  • forceCorrection: When true, any type can require correction (overrides default behavior)

📚 See Also

Questions? Check the FAQ or report issues on GitHub.

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