Jim -
The answer depends upon exactly what you mean by "web-based exams."
If you just want to have the exam (images, text) on a web page and the
students write the answers on paper (or maybe even email their answers
to you) then any basic html editor will work for you. Software that
could do this includes: MSfrontpage, Claris Homepage, Dreamweaver,
whatever comes bundles bundled with your browser, or even MSWord and
Wordperfect can produce basic webpages.
The next step up would be to have the students submit their answers
using an online "mailform" embedded in the webpage. MSword and WP drop
out of the list at this point.
Anything beyond this is more than just "drag-and-drop"
Next would be an "enhanced mailform"- students would receive graded
response either online or by email, with a copy emailed to you. Places
to look for these types of applications are at matts script archive
(mostly cgi) or earthweb (javascripts and java applets). Given that the
system needs to know what the correct response should be, these types of
applications should be run from a server otherwise the students will be
able to find the answers hidden in the webpage.
We have three systems at MSU that have full online testing capabilities,
i.e. password protected login, multiple attempts at indivual questions,
bonus/malus points, student grade tracking, "individualized" sets of
questions. All are fairly easy to use, but at least require some basic
knowledge of html.
-Virtual University (VU) Widgets
http://vu.msu.edu/preview/ubw101/
-Lecture Online (http://lecture.lite.msu.edu/~korte/lecture.html). This
is about to be superceded by LON-CAPA.
-LON-CAPA (http://www.lon-capa.org) Currently in mid/late beta testing.
Once available, it will be distributed under GNU Public Licence.
Some other posible sources are:
Simple On-line Interactive Test-generator (SOIT)v.2
(http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/soit/) SOIT has been around for a while. When
I was at UVM we had an earlier version available for use but other than
playing around with a demo exam I can't recall using it that much (if at
all). This was basically an enhanced mailform. Not sure what it is now.
Macromedia Coursebuilder extension for Dreamweaver
(http://www.macromedia.com/software/coursebuilder/) My only experience
with this is their online product lit.
Hope that this is helpful.
David
=============================================================================
> I'm wondering if there is a piece of software that would allow a prof
> to place images on a web site, and have students take exams (lab
> practicals?) sitting at a computer. I use Blackboard to a limited
> extent, but I don't think it will do what I want. Ideally, the prof
> would not need be a programmer or spend as much time figuring out how
> to do this as s/he did doing a graduate degree. It seems to me that
> this might be a means to give some exams without the problem of
> setting up a room full of apparatus and microscopes.
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Kirschtel, Ph.D. * kirschte at pilot.msu.edu * 517.432.0898
112 N Kedzie Lab * Mich State Univ * E Lansing, MI * 48824
