Hi,
I want to enhance the quiz so it is possible to print quizzes on paper, let them fill in to the students, then scan the answer sheets, let the scanned images analyse with an OCR-Tool and then import the answers of the students into moodle to grade the exam. I know it's possible because a lot of institute at my university have developped similar programs.
Until now I found a simple solution for Multiple Choice / True-False questions:
I print all the questions on a question sheet and a standardised answer sheet. The students answer on the answer sheet so it is easier to analyse them for the OCR-program.
I am also thinking about enabling offline exams for cloze, numerical, calculated and short answer questions, but I don't find any good idea how I could realise it. I don't think the OCR-Program is able to recognize the writing of the students. The only solution I thought of is: let the OCR-program recognize the answers of multiple choice and true - false questions and let the prof enter the mark for the other questions.
Does someone have another idea?
Thx in advance Nico
Hi Nicolas, as we discussed on the phone yesterday, I think that for some institutions this would be a very valuable addition to Moodle. We at York would use it for our pre-knowledge test for incoming students, for example.
In Moodle 1.6 where the question bank code will be independent of the quiz module and available to any module, the best way to implement these off-line quizzes would probably be as a new module. Much of the complication of the current quiz module to do with repeated attempts, secure windows, time limits, student review options, ..., are not needed for your module.
Another new feature that I hope to get into 1.6 that may be useful for your project are the html templates for questions, see bug 4795. Any module using quiz questions will be able to provide alternative templates. This will allow your module to lay out the questions in the best way for your printed sheets.
In Moodle 1.6 where the question bank code will be independent of the quiz module and available to any module, the best way to implement these off-line quizzes would probably be as a new module. Much of the complication of the current quiz module to do with repeated attempts, secure windows, time limits, student review options, ..., are not needed for your module.
Another new feature that I hope to get into 1.6 that may be useful for your project are the html templates for questions, see bug 4795. Any module using quiz questions will be able to provide alternative templates. This will allow your module to lay out the questions in the best way for your printed sheets.
Hi Gustav,
Cool that you wrote this, I was just reading the thread about the question bank and thinking, it would be better making a new module. So I think it's decided.
HTML-Templates for questions seem to be interesting. But I will first begin with programming the module so I get some experience in it.
Is there any way to download everything of Moodle 1.6 now so I can test my module in it? I mean it is possible to download each file, but is there a way like FTP to download all files at a time?
Cool that you wrote this, I was just reading the thread about the question bank and thinking, it would be better making a new module. So I think it's decided.
HTML-Templates for questions seem to be interesting. But I will first begin with programming the module so I get some experience in it.
Is there any way to download everything of Moodle 1.6 now so I can test my module in it? I mean it is possible to download each file, but is there a way like FTP to download all files at a time?
You should use CVS to check out Moodle 1.6. That way you can very easily always update your code to include the latest changes from Moodle 1.6 by simply issuing a cvs update command. You will find this explained at http://download.moodle.org/cvs/. You want to check out the HEAD branch rather than the MOODLE_15_STABLE branch.
Maybe you could for short answer questions have faint boxes for each character and insist on BLOCK letter one per box. (Show an example of recognizable letters). Maybe an OCR could have a chance then. (It's a rather common approach at least for handwritten numerical stuff that is to be OCRed)
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for the idea. Unfortunately, I don't think it would work well because some institutes (ex. language institutes) need to make the difference between capital and normal letters (ex. german). But for calculated answers, it is probably possible.
Nico
Thanks for the idea. Unfortunately, I don't think it would work well because some institutes (ex. language institutes) need to make the difference between capital and normal letters (ex. german). But for calculated answers, it is probably possible.
Nico