Voting

Introduction

A poll can be used to get a brief opinion from other users on a specific topic.

Use polling to facilitate appointments or to get concise feedback.

In a poll, a single question is asked with predefined answer options.

You can determine whether one or multiple answers should be given (single or multiple-choice questions). You can specify the availability and voting period of your poll.

For visualization, you can insert an image and choose different display options for the results. Polls appear in the right column of a course or group and can be created with little effort.

Quick assessments are good to ask for with a poll, while for extensive feedback, the survey is more suitable.

Configuring questions and answers

Enter questions and answers

You have created a new poll and now want to add the question and the answer options.

1. Open the Content tab in the poll.
2. Enter the desired question in the text input field Question.
   Note: Optionally, you can add an image to the voting.
3. Select the mode of voting.
   Anonymous: The votes cast cannot be assigned to the participants.
   Personalized: With the appropriate permissions, a list of participants and their cast votes can be retrieved.
   Note: Participants will be informed about the mode of voting in the voting block of the course.
4. Set the Maximum number of answers per participant: the number determines how many answers a participant can mark in the voting.
5. Enter an answer in the Possible answers text input field.
6. Click the plus icon to add more answers.
7. Click on the Save button.
8. ILIAS reports, "The settings have been saved," and reloads the page.

Note: After participants have voted, the content can no longer be changed. A change is possible again if the participant records are deleted first.

Add image

You want to visualize voting with an image.

1. Open the Contents tab in the voting.
2. Click the Select file button in the Image (300x300px) section.
3. Select an image from your local computer.    
   Note: the image of .jpg, .jpeg, .png, or .gif file types must not exceed 400 MB.
4. Click the Open button.
5. The name of the uploaded image will be displayed in the Image (300x300px) section next to the Select File button.
6. Click on the Save button.
7. ILIAS reports, "The settings have been saved," and reloads the page.

Note: You can delete the added image at any time.

Delete image

You want to remove an existing image from voting.

Prerequisite: There is already an image in the voting.

1. Open the Content tab in the voting.
2. Select the Delete existing file checkbox in the Image section below the already uploaded image.
3. Click on the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports, "The settings have been saved," deletes the image, and reloads the page.

Add Answer

You want to add a new answer option in a poll.

1. Open the Content tab in the voting.
2. Click the plus icon in the Possible answers section to add more options below the answer.
3. ILIAS creates a new text input field per click on the plus symbol.
4. Enter the desired answers.
5. Click on the Save button.
6. ILIAS reports, "The settings have been saved," and reloads the page.

Note: You can use the minus symbol to remove answers again and the arrow symbols to sort multiple answers.

Remove answer

You want to delete answers that have already been created in voting.

Prerequisite: The poll contains at least two answers.

1. Open the Contents tab in the voting.
2. Click on the minus symbol next to the answer you want to delete.
3. ILIAS deletes the answer.
4. Click on the Save button.
5. ILIAS reports, "The settings have been saved," and reloads the page.

Note: You can add more answers using the plus icon and sort multiple answers using the arrow icons.

Sort answers

You want to arrange the answers in a certain order.

Prerequisite: The poll contains at least two answers.

1. Open the Contents tab in the voting.
2. In the Possible answers section, click the arrow icons to move an answer down or up in the sort order.
3. ILIAS moves the desired answer one position down or up.
4. Click on the Save button.
5. ILIAS reports, "The settings have been saved," and reloads the page.

Note: You can add more answers with the plus symbol and remove answers with the minus symbol.

Defining settings

Change title

You want to give a voting a different title.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Edit voting area, click in the Title text input field.
3. Enter a new title for your voting.
4. Click on the Save button.
5. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Change description

You want to add a description to voting or change or delete an existing description.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Edit voting area, click on the Description text input field.
3. Enter a new description for your voting or change or delete the existing one.
4. Click on the Save button.
5. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Share voting

You want to make voting accessible to other users.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Availability section, select the Online checkbox to share the voting with users.    
   Note: Only when the voting is online, users can access the voting.
3. Click the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Note: You can also make the voting available for a limited time or lock it.

Make voting available for a limited time.

You want to specify that voting is only available for other users during a certain period.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Availability section, under the Time-limited availability heading, specify the start and end dates of the voting: use the drop-down menus to select the desired period for your voting. Outside this period, the voting will not be visible to other users.
3. Click the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Note: Only if the voting is online, users can access the voting. Otherwise, the voting is locked.

Lock voting

You want to prevent access to voting for other users.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. Uncheck the Online checkbox in the Availability section.
3. Click on the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Note: You can also rerelease the voting and offer it for a limited time.

Set time period for voting

You want to specify that voting is only possible within a certain period.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Voting period and results section, under the Time-limited voting period heading, specify the start and end of the voting period: use the drop-down menus to select the desired period during which votes can be cast. It is not possible to cast a vote outside this period.
3. Click on the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Note: Only if the voting is online, users can access the voting. Otherwise, the voting is locked.

Configure result display

You want to specify when other users can view the voting results.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Voting period and results section, under Show results, select one of the following options and click the corresponding radio button:
   Always: the results of the voting will always be displayed.
   Never: the results of the voting will not be displayed.
   After voting: the voting results will be displayed as soon as the respective user has cast his vote.
   After the voting period: The voting results will be displayed only after the time for casting a vote has expired.
   Note: You need to select a voting period for this option.
3. Click the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Display results

You want to change how the results are displayed. This display will be shown to users in the voting block in the corresponding course or group.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Voting period and results section, under Show results, select one of the following options and click the corresponding radio button:
   Bar chart: for each answer, a bar shows what percentage of participants have already voted for this option.
   Pie chart: All answers are displayed in color in a pie chart.
3. Click on the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Sort results

You want to sort the results of a vote.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Voting Period and Results section, under Sorting, select one of the following options and click the corresponding radio button:
   In the order of answers: the results will be sorted in the order specified when entering the answers. You can also sort the order of the answers afterward.
   By the number of votes (descending): the results will be sorted by the number of votes cast. The answer with the most votes is listed first; accordingly, the answer with the fewest votes is listed last.
3. Click on the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Activate comments

You want to enable the comment function for voting.

1. Open the Settings tab in the voting.
2. In the Comments section, activate the Comments checkbox.
3. Click on the Save button.
4. ILIAS reports "Changes saved" and reloads the page.

Notes:

• Users will now see the Comments link in the voting block of the course or group. Users can use this link to write comments on the voting.
• To disable the comments feature again, uncheck the checkbox and then click Save. The comments will remain while the comment function is deactivated, but they will not be displayed publicly.

Manage voting results

Sort responses

You want to sort the voting results by category.

1. Open the Voting results tab in the voting.
2. Click the Votes link below the tab.      
   Note: This link is only visible if the voting mode is set to Personalized. In case of anonymous voting, you will get directly to this page.
3. Click one of the following column headings:
   Sort Order: answers will be arranged according to the order you specify.
   Answer: Answers will be sorted alphabetically by their first letter.
   Current Votes: The answers are arranged according to the number of votes cast.
   Current percentage: The answers are listed according to their percentage.
4. ILIAS shows the results according to your specifications.

View answers of individual participants.

You would like to see what the individual participants have explicitly answered.

Prerequisite: The mode of voting is set to Personalized.

1. Open the tab Voting results in the voting.
2. Click on the link Participants below the tab.
3. ILIAS shows you a table of all voting participants and their answers.
4. Click on the title of each column.
5. ILIAS will sort the voting results by username, last name, first name, and the respective answer choices according to your selection.

Delete cast votes

You want to remove the result of a vote.

1. Open the tab Voting results in the voting.
2. Click the Votes link below the tab.      
   Note: This link is visible only if the voting mode is set to Personalized. In case of anonymous voting, you will get directly to this page.
3. Click the Delete all votes button.    
   Note: This button is only visible if at least one vote has been cast.
4. ILIAS loads a new page.
5. Click on the Confirm button.
6. ILIAS accepts the change and returns to the voting result.