Developing a multiple-choice question generator that promotes course links and administrative control

Abstract

With the increase in cost and resources constraints experienced by many education institutions in Malaysia, the pressure to find alternative method to deliver teaching and assessment increases. Many institutions are moving into web-based teaching and learning because it is evident to be a solution to the overhead constraints and at the same time, support the current teaching and learning environment. Hence, a change in the style of teaching and learning prompted me to develop this e-Quest system. The introduction of distance learning, changes in technology, particularly the wider use of the World Wide Web meant that the Internet is an obvious medium to exploit. This thesis illustrates how software can be developed to face the changing world of education. This project will produce a software prototype of a multiple-choice question generator that promotes course links and administrative control. There are specifically two levels of user. First, the moderator level, which is maintained by instructors, where the system allows moderators to establish courses, upload course content, build quizzes online, modify quizzes, and most important of all linked up the quizzes to the relevant courses. Moderators also have access to the administrative feature such as defining the visibility of the quizzes at the student's access level, defining users access privilege, housekeeping courses, quizzes and questions. Second, the student level, where the system allows the students to select the courses they desire, execute quizzes related to the particular course and check their scores from a list of quizzes they have taken. Although there is still plenty of room for improvement, this prototype serves as a basis for administrating and maintaining a web-based assessment site.