--- Forwarded Message from Trip Kirkpatrick <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 09:04:57 -0500
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum            
<[log in to unmask]>
>From: Trip Kirkpatrick <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: On-line testing question
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>References: <[log in to unmask]>

Quoth Jonathan Perkins:

>Date:    Thu, 9 Feb 2006 14:07:28 EST
>From:    LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: #8158 On-line testing question
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: text/plain
>
> >From: Jonathan Perkins <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: On-line testing question
> >Date: Wed, 8 Feb 2006 16:03:51 -0600
>
>
>I have a very specific request from an instructor for which I am need
>of advice.  The instructor wants a web-based multiple choice test
>that records student answers and the time taken for each question.
>Recording the answers is easy enough, but I am unsure what the
>options are for recording the time per question as well.  I think
>this could be done using our course management system (BlackBoard) or
>perhaps using Director, but the request is specifically for a web-
>based instrument.  Any ideas to save me from having to recreate the
>wheel?

I can't speak to a Blackboard-based implementation, but I could conceive of 
doing it  fairly simply in a custom manner: When the HTTP response (that 
is, the web page) is sent to the client (that is, the student), a 
server-side scripting language could write the current server time to a 
hidden INPUT field in the (X)HTML. When the user submits the page, that 
hidden INPUT field is subtracted from the then-current server time and the 
delay persisted along with the answer.

You can also do it using JavaScript/ECMAScript (searching for "javascript 
page timer" will load you up with examples), but there the crux is getting 
the time value persisted.

These are, indeed, reinventing the wheel, but I figured I'd throw them out 
there in case you don't get a better answer for using your existing system.

Tk


Trip Kirkpatrick
SysAdmin / Sr. Programmer
Center for Language Study

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w: http://www.cls.yale.edu/ 




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