
    Design a function for an adaptive learning system that simplifies student-submitted text answers by removing every second character, creating modified versions for pattern recognition exercises. The function should maintain the first character and all characters at even positions while discarding characters at odd positions to generate a simplified assessment variant.
    

    
def odd_values_string(str):
    """
    Design a function for an adaptive learning system that simplifies student-submitted text answers by removing every second character, creating modified versions for pattern recognition exercises. The function should maintain the first character and all characters at even positions while discarding characters at odd positions to generate a simplified assessment variant.
    

    """
def odd_values_string(str):
    """
    Design a function for an adaptive learning system that simplifies student-submitted text answers by removing every second character, creating modified versions for pattern recognition exercises. The function should maintain the first character and all characters at even positions while discarding characters at odd positions to generate a simplified assessment variant.
    

    """
    result = ''
    for i in range(len(str)):
        if i % 2 == 0:
            result = result + str[i]
    return result