OpenMark integration with Moodle

OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Rick Humphries -
Number of replies: 9

Hi there!

I am in the early stages of exploration on open source software. I need to design quite complex questions in order to fulfill certain learning objectives and can across OpenMark which looks perfect.

How easy is it to create a quiz using OpenMark and integrate the results with my Moodle gradebook? I assumed there would be information out there on this since to my knowledge this is what the Open University have done, however so far I have been unable to find anything.

Please help!

Many thanks in advance

Rick

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rick Humphries

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Tim Hunt -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

Cool! If you can do basic Java programming, then yes, OpenMark is a good way to make really interesting online questions.

The way we (at the OU) get the results for OpenMark tests to the Moodle gradebook comprises two parts.

First, there is a basic XML format that you can import into the Moodle gradebook. OpenMark can export grades in this format. Doing the export should be one of the options when you are looking at the reports on a test. That lets you transfer grades manually, by doing the export from Om, then the import into Moodle. Simple, and possibly sufficient.

Second, we build a simple custom Moodle module, called externalquiz. That module makes it easy to add an OpenMark quiz to a Moodle course (it automatically adds a link to the course page and a column in the gradebook). It also automated importing the grades from Om - it does an import once per day, in the middle of the night.

That externalquiz module was cobbled together in a bit of a hurry, and so in not the best code we have ever written at the OU, and so we have never shared it. We are about to convert it to work with Moodle 2.0, and hopefully we can clean the code up at the same time, in which case we might share it.

Anyway, in the first instance, I would suggest you use the manual process, so you can see exactly what is happening, and check that the import has transferred the grades accurately.

In reply to Tim Hunt

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Rick Humphries -

Brilliant, that's great news! :D Thanks for that Tim

I've also come across a virtual patient author and player in which branched scenarios can be created and used for assessment called OpenLabyrinth which as the name suggests is open source too. Have you come across it before?

I'm guessing if OpenLabyrinth can export a basic XML file then I can import this into Moodle too. Are there any other formats that Moodle can import that you suggest I look out for when looking at interoperability issues?

Cheers

Rick

In reply to Rick Humphries

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Tim Hunt -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

Well, the XML format is really simple:

<results batch="xml_export_1292598403">
<result>
<assignment>abc123-10.test1</assignment>
<student>A123456X</student>
<score>100 %</score>
</result>
<result>
<assignment>abc123-10.test1</assignment>
<student>B987654X</student>
<score>82 %</score>
</result>
<!-- ... and so on -->
</results>

So it should be easy to implement in any other system that you can modify. You just need to get the ids in Moodle to match the ids in the other system. At the Moodle end, these ids map to the 'idnumber' field in both grade items and user records. The 'idnumber' field exists solely to hold the id that other systems use for things.

However, this format was invented for Moodle and OpenMark, I would be surprised if any other system used it already.

Alternatively, Moodle will import from CSV files.

And, you can create 'grade import plugins' for Moodle, to import any other formats you like.

In reply to Tim Hunt

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Hendra Kieran -

Hi Tim,

I'm interested in having this capability in my system as well, is it possible to get some basic "recipe" or howto? BTW, can you give the link to download OpenMark?

In reply to Hendra Kieran

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Tim Hunt -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

You can download OpenMark from http://java.net/projects/openmark/.

Sadly, they just moved all the dev.java.net projects to a new site on java.net, and in the process all our install documentation disappeared, and no one has had time to bring it back. (I think it is still in subversion somewhere.)

Acutally, it is still in version control. Install instructions at http://java.net/projects/openmark/sources/svn/content/trunk/www/building.html?rev=443

Average of ratings: Useful (1)
In reply to Tim Hunt

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Hendra Kieran -

Thanks for the prompt reply. I have downloaded the source and built it according to the instruction. Now, is there a doc somewhere on how to integrate this with Moodle and the necessary plugins? Would be great if I don't have to figure it out from scratch ;)

Cheers,

H

In reply to Hendra Kieran

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Tim Hunt -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

There are very brief instructions here: Opaque_question_type

In reply to Tim Hunt

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Hendra Kieran -

Thanks for the pointer, I'll have a closer look at it later. You mentioned about this custom module called externalquiz, do I need that? Is it possible to share the code? As it is now, I'm simply trying to replicate what is available right now and make changes along the way.

Many thanks in advance.

In reply to Hendra Kieran

Re: OpenMark integration with Moodle

by Tim Hunt -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

You don't really need it.

There are two ways you can integrate:

1. Use openmark questions as part of a Moodle quiz. That is what Opaque is for.

2. Use openmark as a stand-alone testing system (by adding a link to the OpenMark system to the course page, then later export the grades from OpenMark into the Moodle gradebook. The externalquiz module automates this, but is not really necessary.

We never released the code of the Moodle 1.9 version of externalquiz. We did not think it was that interesting. We might release the Moodle 2.0 version.