A flexible, extensible, online testing system for mathematics

Abstract

An online testing system developed for entry-skills testing of first-year university students in algebra and calculus is described. The system combines the open-source computer algebra system MAXIMA with PHP scripts and XML configuration files to parse student answers, which are entered using standard mathematical notation and conventions. The answers can involve data structures like lists, variable-precision floating-point or integer numbers and algebra, which allows more sophisticated testing designs than the multiple-choice, or exact-match, paradigms common in other systems. Experience using the system and ideas for further development are discussed.