Jcloze with virtual pagination with AI
Rodolphe Maurel
💡 Time-saving workflow: reuse an old JCLoze + let AI rebuild the text into virtual pages
If you already have an older JCLoze exercise with virtual pagination (the classic structure
</div><div class="virtualpage">), you can save a ton of time when you want to use a new text (transcript, article, dialogue, etc.):
What I do:
-
Start from an existing JCLoze that already has the virtual pagination working (navigation/buttons/CSS/JS).
-
Copy the HTML chunk where the paginated text sits (the sequence of
<div class="virtualpage"> ... </div>blocks). -
Then I use AI to:
-
keep the entire new text word-for-word (no rewriting),
-
split it into 4–5 virtual pages so students don’t scroll,
-
optionally add light formatting (e.g., speaker names in a color),
-
optionally add a few tooltips only for non-transparent difficult words (B1/B2), using:
<div class="tooltip">WORD<span class="tooltiptext">meaning</span></div> -
and (important for Hot Potatoes) avoid
<br>if you prefer, since JCLoze handles line breaks.
-
-
I paste the result back into my JCLoze file, generate the exercise, and I’m done.
Why it’s efficient:
You keep your tested pagination template, and AI does the repetitive work of chunking the text cleanly and injecting the same HTML pattern consistently, which is exactly the part that usually takes the most time.
----
After a few tries, I asked AI: " Can you write the prompt I should give you next time to obtain the same result in one shot?".
Here's the outcome, which corresponds to what I generally need. Adapt it any way you want.
🔧 Prompt ready to use
I am creating a Hot Potatoes JCLoze activity from a video script.
Please:
Keep the ENTIRE original script, word for word (no reformulation, no deletion).
Use virtual pagination only, with the exact structure
</div><div class="virtualpage">.Limit the result to 4 or 5 virtual pages maximum, without scrolling.
Do not use
<br>(JCLoze handles line breaks automatically).Each time a new speaker talks, keep the speaker name visible at the start of the line.
Display all speaker names in the color
#ff8000, using
<span style="color:#ff8000">Name</span>:Add tooltips only on non-transparent, pedagogically relevant words (B1 level), using exactly:
<div class="tooltip">WORD<span class="tooltiptext">French explanation</span></div>
– Do NOT add tooltips on transparent words (brave, effective, innovative, etc.).Do not add or remove HTML line breaks or spacing between
</div><div class="virtualpage">.Ensure the output is fully compatible with Hot Potatoes JCLoze / Moodle / ELEA.
The result should be ready to paste directly into JCLoze, with no further editing needed.
Martin Holmes
Agnès S.
1- I type or copy the text in a Writer file.
2- I add a "£" at the beginning of a part and a "&" at the end of the
part (see the image). Of course you can choose any character or word.
3- I run a macro that I had previously recorded.
The macro just select all the text, search and replace "£" with "<div
class="virtualpage">" and "&" with </div>.
Because I'm lazy, I didn't write the macro, I just used Tools > Macros >
Record Macro.
If macros scare you, you can do it manually in two steps using Ctrl+H (=
find and replace).
4- I copy the resulting text in JCloze or any other HotPot application.
I think it's as fast as with AI, and what's more, I'm the one who
chooses where to break the text into parts.
This may be the opinion of someone who is a little old and is very
comfortable with LibreOffice but not with AI 😉
Cheers,
Agnès S..
Le 10/02/2026 à 17:14, 'Martin Holmes' via hotpotatoesusers a écrit :
> Very cool indeed! Since Hot Potatoes uses standard HTML (although it has
> to be XHTML), any AI should be able to write the code required for
> styling and manipulating exercises.
>
> Cheers,
> Martin
>
> On Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at 7:12:06 AM UTC-8 rodolph...@gmail.com
> wrote:
>
> Hi there,
> OK, I'll admit it. Message written with AI...
> Maybe this will help.
>
>
> 💡 Time-saving workflow: reuse an old JCLoze + let AI rebuild
> the text into virtual pages
>
> pagination* (the classic structure
> |</div><div class="virtualpage">|), you can save a /ton/ of time
> when you want to use a *new text* (transcript, article, dialogue, etc.):
>
> *What I do:*
>
> 1.
>
> *Start from an existing JCLoze* that already has the virtual
> pagination working (navigation/buttons/CSS/JS).
>
> 2.
>
> *Copy the HTML chunk* where the paginated text sits (the
>
>
> Then I use *AI *to:
>
> *
>
> keep the *entire new text word-for-word* (no rewriting),
>
> *
>
> split it into *4–5 virtual pages* so students don’t scroll,
>
> *
>
> optionally add *light formatting* (e.g., speaker names in a
> color),
>
> *
>
> optionally add *a few tooltips* only for non-transparent
>
> |<div class="tooltip">WORD<span
> class="tooltiptext">meaning</span></div> |
>
>
> and (important for Hot Potatoes) *avoid |<br>|* if you
>
> I paste the result back into my JCLoze file, generate the
> exercise, and I’m done.
>
> pattern consistently*, which is exactly the part that usually takes
>
> ----
>
> After a few tries, I asked AI: " Can you write the prompt I should
> give you next time to obtain the same result in one shot?".
>
> Here's the outcome, which corresponds to what I generally need.
> Adapt it any way you want.
>
>
>
> I am creating a *Hot Potatoes JCLoze* activity from a video script.
>
> Please:
>
> 1.
>
> *Keep the ENTIRE original script, word for word* (no
> reformulation, no deletion).
>
> 2.
>
> Use *virtual pagination only*, with the exact structure |</
> div><div class="virtualpage">|.
>
> 3.
>
> Limit the result to *4 or 5 virtual pages maximum*, without
> scrolling.
>
> 4.
>
> *Do not use |<br>|* (JCLoze handles line breaks automatically).
>
> 5.
>
> *Each time a new speaker talks, keep the speaker name
> visible* at the start of the line.
>
> 6.
>
> Display *all speaker names in the color |#ff8000|*, using
>
>
> Add *tooltips only on non-transparent, pedagogically
> relevant words (B1 level)*, using exactly:
> explanation</span></div>|
> – Do NOT add tooltips on transparent words (brave,
> effective, innovative, etc.).
>
>
> Do *not add or remove HTML line breaks or spacing* between |
>
>
> Ensure the output is *fully compatible with Hot Potatoes
> JCLoze / Moodle / ELEA*.
>
> The result should be *ready to paste directly into JCLoze*, with
>
>
> --
> Rodolphe Maurel
> www.soundguideweb.com <http://www.soundguideweb.com>
> www.irregularverbsonline.com <http://www.irregularverbsonline.com>
>
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