Add a table to a Lesson to present organized information, or set it as an interactive question for your students to fill in.
The Table widget is unique in that it is the only widget that can be converted from a non-interactive content widget to an interactive, markable question, and vice versa. In other words, you can either set up a table as a fill-in-the-blanks question for your students, or you can provide them with a block of valuable information.
This article shows you how to do both, and how to convert your table from one to the other. There's no need to read the full article to understand how to interact with the Table in different ways.
Click to jump to the section that interests you:
- How to set up the widget;
- Convert a non-question Table widget to a Question;
- Convert a Question Table widget to a non-question;
- How students interact with the Table widget as a question;
- How to review student responses.
How to set up the widget
The Table widget can be found in the Content section of your content bar in Prepare mode, and the Table Question widget can be found in the Questions section. For the purpose of covering everything available in this article, we recommend using the Table Question.
If you can't see the content bar in your Lesson, click on the Add content tab sticking to the right edge of your page.
When writing the question, you have access to the full rich text toolbar that includes options for formatting, special characters, and mathematical notation. Click here for a complete tutorial on what's available. You may want to help your students with some visual cues, such as writing cognitive verbs in bold or highlighting context clues with italics. If there are multiple parts to the question, then outline them in a numbered list. This is entirely up to you!
If your Lesson is an Assessment, then be sure to adjust the number of marks. All Stile questions are worth 1 mark by default and this can be changed to whatever you like. If the Lesson is not an assessed quiz or test then this box can be ignored.
The Table includes four rows and four columns by default. You can add or subtract rows and columns as needed. Click into a cell to reveal its add/delete buttons. The Delete row/column buttons will always be focused on the selected cell. The Add/delete row buttons will appear on the left edge of the table, and the Add/delete column buttons will be on the top of the table. Cells cannot be merged.
When filling in the cells of the table, you have access to rich text, mathematical notation, image uploads and cell shading in a range of greys. The button featuring a two-way arrow above 2 columns will equalize the width of all columns in the table. The two separate arrows will enable you to adjust column widths by hand. The paint bucket will add grey shading to your selected cells. The rubbish bin will remove all formatting and content from selected cells.
In the example above, custom images have been uploaded as column headers to add more colour. The second row has been shaded light grey to call out to the students that these are examples of what to write in their responses.
If a cell contains any content, including shading, then a student will not be able to type in it. Keep in mind when creating the table that students only have the ability to enter basic text. They cannot upload images, access the maths tools, or add additional rows.
When you are satisfied with the question and your table, then you can create the Model answer. Click the Model answer tab below the question text box. Model answers mimic student responses, so your tools for creating the answer will be exactly the same as those provided to the student.
This will also give you an idea of what the student can and cannot interact with in your table. Double check that everything is the way you want it to be before you enter your model answers. You will be able to use this model answer later when reviewing student answers and discussing them with the class, so make sure it is beneficial to them as much as it is to you. For more information on how to use model answers effectively throughout Stile, click here.
In the Settings tab you can flag the question as a Key question or Challenge. These flags are optional and should not be used on every question in a Lesson. Key questions demonstrate student understanding of a stated learning goal, and Challenges are typically more difficult to answer than the rest of the Lesson. You can learn more about Key questions and Challenge questions here.
Click the Done button in the lower right corner of the widget when you are satisfied with the question's setup.
Convert a non-question Table widget to a Question
Any Table widget can be converted into a question so your students can interact with it and so you can mark their work. Examples of when you might do this include creating a fill-in-the-blanks task from an existing table, or if you created a non-question Table widget by mistake and want to make it interactive.
Convert a Question Table widget to a non-question
If you do not want students to be able to interact with the table at all, then click this table isn't a question. This will remove the question text field and any marks associated with the Table. This will also remove the Model answer and the Key/Challenge settings. If you want to include additional information or context with the Table, then consider using a Text widget in place of the question text field.
How students interact with the Table widget as a question
Students working through your Lesson will see the question as you've written it followed by the lined response box. They will not see the model answers or any of the editing options available to you.
The tools available in the response box are different and more limited than the full rich text toolbar available to the teacher. Students can only enter text in a table. They cannot upload images or add more rows.
The student will be able to see more information after you review the student's work and release answers and feedback. Releasing answers allows the student to see the marks they earned, any comments you've made on their response, and the model answer to the question. You must deliberately release answers for your students to see them, but on a non-assessed Lesson your comments will appear in real time.
How to review student responses
Teach mode allows you to review your students' responses during class, while they work. This is great if you want to discuss answers with everyone, highlight strong responses, and compare with the model answer.
Find the question within the page and click on Show responses. This will open up Quick review, in which you can scroll through everyone's responses and compare them with the model answer. Learn more about Quick review here.
In Analyse mode, Written response questions only display the question. Click on View responses to open Quick review. You can also click on a specific student's name to go directly to their worksheet.
The Table Question widget also allows you to annotate your students' responses by highlighting their text and leaving comments directly on their work. Use your cursor to select a block of text. This will add a light red highlight and give you the option to leave a comment. You can use this tool to effectively create an interactive rubric in Stile. Click here to learn more.
You may also be interested in the following resources: