Split Page for Moodle
What Is Split Page?
Split Page is a Moodle course format that presents quiz questions in a split-screen layout. It is designed to improve the quiz-taking experience by displaying question instructions or supporting information alongside the question students must answer.
In a course using Split Page, the quiz attempt interface is divided into two panes. Description questions appear in the left pane, while the other question on the page appears in the right pane. This allows students to view relevant instructions or information and answer the corresponding question without having to navigate back and forth between separate pages.
Split Page changes the presentation of quiz attempts without replacing Moodle’s standard quiz functionality. The course itself continues to use Moodle’s familiar Topics layout.
How Does Split Page Work?
1. Installing and Enabling the Plugin
Split Page is installed as a Moodle course format. The plugin files are placed in the course/format/splitpage directory.
After installation, an administrator or course creator can select Split Page as the course format for any course where the split-screen quiz layout is required.
The plugin requires Moodle 4.1 or later.
2. Displaying Quiz Questions in Two Panes
When a student starts a quiz attempt in a course using the Split Page format, the plugin changes the quiz interface to display questions in a split-screen layout.
The layout works as follows:
- Left pane: Description questions are displayed here. These questions can provide instructions, explanations, reading passages, or other information relevant to the quiz.
- Right pane: The other question on the page is displayed here, allowing the student to respond while viewing the accompanying information.
- Expanded question content: Question content uses the available width of its pane, making better use of the screen space.
- Simplified question interface: The question information panel is hidden to provide a cleaner presentation.
- Quiz navigation: The quiz navigation block is moved below the questions.
This arrangement is particularly useful when students need to consult a text, instructions, or other information while answering a question.
3. Preserving Standard Moodle Quiz Functionality
Split Page changes how quiz questions are presented, rather than replacing the underlying Moodle quiz system.
Teachers can continue to use Moodle’s standard quiz activities and question types. The plugin focuses on the layout of the quiz attempt, allowing the existing assessment content to be presented in a more convenient way.
The split-screen layout is activated only for quiz attempts in courses that use the Split Page format. Courses using other course formats remain unaffected.
4. Using Description Questions as Supporting Material
One of the main benefits of Split Page is the ability to display supporting material beside a question.
For example, a language teacher could create a quiz containing a reading passage as a Description question and a comprehension question alongside it. Students can read the passage in the left pane and answer the question in the right pane.
The same approach can be used for grammar exercises, vocabulary tests, reading comprehension, and other assessments where students need to refer to information while answering questions.
Typical Use Cases
Split Page is especially useful for:
- Reading comprehension: Display a passage in one pane and comprehension questions in the other.
- Language learning: Present a text, dialogue, or set of instructions alongside language exercises.
- Grammar and vocabulary tests: Keep relevant explanations or contextual information visible while students answer questions.
- Instruction-based assessments: Display task instructions alongside the question students must complete.
- Content-based quizzes: Allow students to refer to supporting information without leaving the question they are answering.
Compatibility and Requirements
Split Page requires Moodle 4.1 or later.
The plugin is a course format, so it must be installed in the appropriate Moodle course-format directory and selected for the courses where its layout is needed.
It does not change the course layout for courses that use other formats.
Summary
Split Page is a Moodle course format that provides a split-screen presentation for quiz attempts. It displays Description questions in the left pane and the other question on the page in the right pane, allowing students to consult supporting information while answering questions.
By simplifying the question interface, making better use of the available screen width, and moving quiz navigation below the questions, Split Page provides a practical layout for assessments that combine instructions or reading material with questions.
The plugin preserves Moodle’s standard quiz functionality while offering teachers a more convenient way to present certain types of assessment.
This free plugin will soon be submitted for review and will be available in official Moodle Marketplace once it has been approved.