title: A flexible, extensible, online testing system for mathematics
creator: Passmore, Tim
creator: Brookshaw, Leigh
creator: Butler, H. J.
subject: 230000 Mathematical Sciences
subject: 330000 Education
subject: 280000 Information, Computing and Communication Sciences
description: 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.
date: 2007
type: Conference or Workshop Item (DEST Category E)
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: http://eprints.usq.edu.au/4100/1/Passmore_Brookshaw_Butler.pdf
relation: http://www.mcs.vuw.ac.nz/~mathmeet/amsnzms2007/
identifier: Passmore, Tim and Brookshaw, Leigh and Butler, H. J. (2007) A flexible, extensible, online testing system for mathematics. In: Joint Meeting of the AMS - NZMS 2007, 12-15 Dec 2007, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. (Unpublished)
relation: http://eprints.usq.edu.au/4100/