Sort items into categories

Use Sort into categories when someone should assign each item to one group. The activity records categorization without grading or a correct-category key. Use Order when positions in one sequence matter. Authors need Guide edit access.

Configure the activity

1. Open the Field's Answer methods and choose Add answer method → Sort into categories.
2. Under Categories, name 2–20 categories. Use Add category or the delete controls to adjust the list.
3. Under Items to categorize, add 1–100 items with optional images. Reorder items to set their display order.
4. Give categories and items non-empty labels of up to 240 characters. Category labels must be unique; item labels must also be unique. Capitalization alone does not make a label different.
5. Set Instructions, review Report/action settings and the Field's Response requirement, then select Save block.
6. Preview the activity with both Drag and Dropdown interaction.

Renaming keeps the item or category's identity. Item images help identify the items; categories do not have image controls.

Set instructions

Enter custom Instructions to explain the task. Clear the text to hide these instructions. Select Use default instructions to restore wording that follows the player's Drag or Dropdown preference.

Custom instructions stay the same in either interaction mode. Choose wording that still makes sense without dragging. These instructions also supply the method's spoken help where that help is enabled.

Assign and submit

In Settings → Accessibility → Guide, Category answer interaction offers Drag or Dropdown. This account preference applies in Play and Preview, including Simplified playback. Changing it preserves assignments and does not submit the activity.

1. Start with the items under Unassigned.
2. In Drag mode, drag an item's handle into a category, or choose Move… and select a category without dragging.
3. In Dropdown mode, use the category menu shown for each item.
4. Assign every item and select Submit.
5. Wait for Submitted or the configured next action.

Move an item again to change its category. Choose Unassigned to undo its assignment; empty categories are allowed as long as every item is assigned.

Moves save automatically as drafts after a short pause. They do not run after-submit actions. A draft does not satisfy a required Field through this method, even when all items have been placed. Submit accepts the completed arrangement and can run the method's action.

Editing a submitted arrangement returns it to draft state. Submit it again. With Return to response methods, accepted submission returns to the chooser.

Reports and recovery

Included Reports show category and item labels. Draft entries are marked as drafts and include Unassigned items; they are not completed responses. Configured images travel with available offline Guide assets, and offline changes use session synchronization. This method cannot map to a Form question.

If Submit is unavailable, check for unassigned items or an already submitted answer. For a save failure, assignments remain available; check the connection and choose Retry save. Retrying a failed Submit also retries submission. Correct configuration warnings before sharing the Guide. Preview practice answers stay out of the Reports inbox.