What’s a Drag & Drop Task?
Drag & Drop is a mechanic where the learners move pieces around on a background, and get different feedback based on the location of the pieces. It can be used for matching or categorization practices, or simulate results of various actions.
See examples.
How to Create a Drag & Drop Task
Let's use a Cladogram activity as an example. In this activity, learners are supposed to move four canine species to the correct location in a cladogram.
Starting state:
Completion state:
Pieces
Pieces are the move-able parts which the player is going to place onto a background image. Each piece will need an image, and can have multiple copies.
In our Cladogram example, each of the species is going to be a piece, and we only need 1 copy each.
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Background & Slots
Background is the image where the pieces are moved onto. Slots are the spots where the pieces can go.
In our Cladogram example, the background image is the branching diagram without the species, and there will be a slot at the end of each branch.
Slot Uniformity
Uniform Slots: In a lot of use cases (as in the cladogram example), the slots are the same in shape, size and capacity - that's when you would choose "uniform" for Slot Uniformity. Once you define the number of slots and the aspect ratio, slots will be automatically generated. All you need to do is to move them around to define their location on the background.
Though uniform slots are rectangular, you could make the pieces with a clear background and make the background picture with non-rectangular slot outlines, to create a more organic look. (Example: Color Mix Exploration)
Free-form Slots: If you want something more complicated, there's the option of "free form". There, you can define each slot by drawing shapes on the background image, the same way as in defining interactive areas in Picture Click. (Example: Atom Model)
Slot Capacity
Slot capacity is the max number of pieces a slot can hold. It can influence piece behaviors in the game, along with Slot Uniformity:
when slots are uniform and slot capacity = 1: pieces scale to fit within the slot area, and snaps to the center of slots
when slots are free-form and/or slot capacity >1 : pieces scale to keep the the original ratio between the piece vs the background picture
If you are creating an activity where the slots are free-formed or have a capacity bigger than 1, please create and preview your background image and piece images together, in order to make sure their proportions are correct.
Settings
Piece-Slot Mapping
Mode | Available When | Completion Criteria |
1 to 1 | Total number of pieces = Total capacity of all slots | - Each piece needs to be used - Each slot needs to be filled to full capacity |
Fill Each slot | Total number of pieces > Total capacity of all slots | Each slot needs to be filled to full capacity |
Sort Each Piece Into a Slot | Total number of pieces < Total capacity of all slots | Each piece needs to be used |
Free Form | Any time | None (can submit at any time) |
In our Cladogram example, 1 to 1 is the way to go, since the total number pieces match the total capacity of the slots, and we don't want the learners to be able to submit until all 4 pieces are in the 4 slots.
All Pieces in Sidebar: no pieces are placed in slots at the start; they reside in the sidebar
Some Pieces in Slots: some pieces are placed in slots at the start, while the others reside in the sidebar
All Pieces in Slots: all pieces are placed in slots at the start
You would have the option to hide the sidebar if this option is chosen. (Example: Color Mix Exploration)
In our Cladogram example, we should start with all the pieces off the background, in the sidebar.
Assessability
Assessable: Each answer could be incorrect, neutral, or correct. The player cannot move on until they have reached a correct answer.
Non-assessable: There are no correct or incorrect answers
You would have the option have players explore all specified answers before moving on if this option is chosen. (Example: Color Mix Exploration)
There is a correct answer for our Cladogram example, so it's "assessable".
Feedback format
This is where we distinguish from a basic "drag and drop" activity in many other tools. With the various feedback formats including changing images, this mechanic can be used to simulate experiments and encourage exploration, showing what would happen for each scenario the learner chooses.
Text: Text will display at the bottom of the screen as feedback
Image on Pieces: The image on the pieces will change as the feedback (Example: Color Mix Exploration)
Image on Background: The image on the background will change as the feedback (Example: Selective Breeding)
In our Cladogram example, the pictures do not need to change, so we would only check "Text" as a feedback format.
Feedback Timing
On Submission: feedback is not triggered until the player clicks on the submission button
Automatically: feedback is triggered as soon as the completion criteria (depending on piece-slot mapping mode) is met (Example: Color Mix Exploration)
In our Cladogram example, we could have the feedback automatically be given when all 4 pieces fill all 4 slots, but to give the learner a chance to reflect before submitting their answer, we would choose "on submission".
Answers & Feedback
This is where you define assessment and feedback for specific answers:
In the top, there're the number tabs just as in Picture Click. There's also a "All Other Answers" feedback where you define the feedback for any non-specified answers.
There would also be a "Starting State" tab if starting state is NOT "all pieces in sidebar". You would not need to define assessment or feedback for the starting state.
In the middle section, drag-and-drop or click-to-place pieces into slots, just as the learner would in the game.
In the bottom section, define the assessment (if available) and feedback for each specified answer.
In our Cladogram example, there are two correct answers - the top two species could be in any order, and all other answers are incorrect.
Other Use Case Examples
Drag & Drop Example: Selective Breeding
A practice on Mendelian genetics, where learners are trying to find the best parent combination to create the highest percentage of offsprings of a certain phenotype.
Pieces
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Slot Setup: Uniform
Settings
Piece-Slot Mapping Mode = fill each slot
Starting State = All Pieces in Sidebar
Assessability = true
Feedback type = text + BKG image
Feedback timing = on submission
Feedback Images on Background
Yellow (Yp), Blue (Bp)
| Pink (pp), Blue (Bp)
| Yellow (Yp), Pink (pp)
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Blue (Bp), Yellow (Yp) | Blue (Bp), Pink (pp) | Pink (pp), Yellow (Yp) |
Game
Drag & Drop Example: Color Mix Exploration
Piece
Slot Setup: Uniform
Settings
Piece-Slot Mapping Mode = sort each piece into a slot
Starting State = All Pieces in Slots
Hide sidebar
Assessability = false
Feedback type = text + piece image
Feedback timing = automatic
Feedback Images on Piece
Piece in Slot 1 | Piece in Slot 2 (magenta & cyan)
| Piece in Slot 3 (cyan & yellow)
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Game
Drag & Drop Example: Atom Model
Pieces
x7 |
x7 |
x7 |
Slot Setup: Free-Form
Settings
Piece-Slot Mapping Mode = sort each piece into a slot
Starting State = All Pieces in Sidebar
Assessability = true
Feedback type = text
Feedback timing = on submission
Game
