Mathematics Quizzes in WebCT

Wednesday, 14 July 2004

This presentation is part of H-8: Mathematics in WebCT

Mathematics Quizzes in WebCT

Description: The WebCT quiz tool is an extensive tool for online exam creation and online grading. However, it is quite unsuited to the mathematics environment. This is because typing mathematical symbols requires special software, different mathematical entities may mean the same thing, and creating math quizzes may require software that understands mathematical manipulations. Further, we want to create multiple problems of the same type. We will explain how we can overcome these hurdles.
Presentation Format: Oral
Topic: Enabling learning: Effective instructional practices and flexible design models
Target Audience: Course Designers, Faculty and Other Instructors
Appropriate Audience Level: Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users
WebCT Version:
Abstract Text: Frequent quizzes are an important component of math courses, since they keep the students on task throughout the semester, and provide timely feedback to them and the instructor. We already use WebCT in our courses, and we wanted to utilize its Quiz tool, which allows for electronic grading and grade-book maintenance. This year we have succeeded in creating a huge WebCT database of Calculus questions.

Many people have experimented with online assessment in mathematics. It is interesting that most of them were using tools like Webworks or AIMS, which require a separate computer, and Maple software on the student’s computers. In The College Mathematics Journal (Vol. 34, No. 4, September 2003), there was an article by G. Donald Allen that says, “Within every course management package, such as Blackboard and WebCT, there are extensive tools for online exam creation and online grading. However, all are unsuited to the mathematics environment.”

This is because typing mathematical symbols requires special software, different mathematical entities may mean the same thing, creating math quizzes may require software that understands mathematical manipulations. WebCT does have a built-in equation editor, but it has very limited capabilities. Also, it is not available for the answer choices. Another issue to deal with in math quizzes is the need to create multiple problems of the same type, since this allows us to give the students practice problems prior to the quiz, and also, by making WebCT select at random one or two problems from a question set, we can minimize cheating.

We have found economical ways to solve all these problems. We now use a mathematical software to create multiple quizzes and then upload them into WebCT at the same time. We will explain how we have accomplished this task in our talk.

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Description:	The WebCT quiz tool is an extensive tool for online exam creation and online grading. However, it is quite unsuited to the mathematics environment. This is because typing mathematical symbols requires special software, different mathematical entities may mean the same thing, and creating math quizzes may require software that understands mathematical manipulations. Further, we want to create multiple problems of the same type. We will explain how we can overcome these hurdles.
Presentation Format:	Oral
Topic:	Enabling learning: Effective instructional practices and flexible design models
Target Audience:	Course Designers, Faculty and Other Instructors
Appropriate Audience Level:	Beginning or new users of WebCT, Experienced WebCT users
WebCT Version:
Abstract Text:	Frequent quizzes are an important component of math courses, since they keep the students on task throughout the semester, and provide timely feedback to them and the instructor. We already use WebCT in our courses, and we wanted to utilize its Quiz tool, which allows for electronic grading and grade-book maintenance. This year we have succeeded in creating a huge WebCT database of Calculus questions. Many people have experimented with online assessment in mathematics. It is interesting that most of them were using tools like Webworks or AIMS, which require a separate computer, and Maple software on the student’s computers. In The College Mathematics Journal (Vol. 34, No. 4, September 2003), there was an article by G. Donald Allen that says, “Within every course management package, such as Blackboard and WebCT, there are extensive tools for online exam creation and online grading. However, all are unsuited to the mathematics environment.” This is because typing mathematical symbols requires special software, different mathematical entities may mean the same thing, creating math quizzes may require software that understands mathematical manipulations. WebCT does have a built-in equation editor, but it has very limited capabilities. Also, it is not available for the answer choices. Another issue to deal with in math quizzes is the need to create multiple problems of the same type, since this allows us to give the students practice problems prior to the quiz, and also, by making WebCT select at random one or two problems from a question set, we can minimize cheating. We have found economical ways to solve all these problems. We now use a mathematical software to create multiple quizzes and then upload them into WebCT at the same time. We will explain how we have accomplished this task in our talk.