Abstract

Nowadays there is an uptrend of mass implementation of distance education systems. These systems help us to get necessary knowledge and test our skills everywhere on the Earth via using Internet connected devices.

Now knowledge-testing systems are used by students for distance education, employers who searches for professionals, professionals who wants to certify their skills with online systems.

Here are some advantages of distance learning.

• allows to hold education of a wide students audience
• saves time for new course development
• gives a wide abilities for material visualization
• elaborates PC user skills.
• allows to supply the scarcity of qualified lecturers

Most of knowledge testing systems realizes some standard questions types. These types are: closed questions with set of few answers, where one or more answers are correct and open question where user need to enter correct value.

These systems are rather popular and it is possible to use them with wide range of professional skill testing.

Title of master’s degree work is ‘Graphic questions in knowledge testing system for Microprocessor systems course’. It means system I am developing, intended for specific course, which contains many flowcharts, time-diagrams and structure schematics. There are a lot of standard (opened and closed) questions can be used for this course knowledge testing. But there are some problems. First of all, it is possible to guess right answer. Other problems are related with question composing. For example it’s rather hard to compose a set of questions about flowchart or microprocessor’s schematics. That’s the reason to develop own testing system.

The novelty of system is the presence of graphic questions mode. It means that user need to compose and connect parts of schematics or flowchart as the answer to a question. In this mode a set of components, for example algorithmic blocks, are given. User have to drag and drop on the workspace necessary elements and connect them matching the algorithm. The system will check this flowchart and report if it correct.

This way of testing gives more flexible features for knowledge estimation because it is rather hard to develop algorithm or schematics without total understanding of the problem.

To create modern system for distance education it is necessary to use up-to-date information technologies. Most of last systems uses Internet browser as an client program. It is important to develop user friendly interface it can attract and interest students.

In educational process every student must have a personal account and the system must realize an authorization procedure for every user.

The other important part of system is statistics viewing mode. In this mode user can view his answer history and pay his attention on typical errors and outfield knowledge. Other property it is a group statistics. This is useful options for a teacher because helps him to detect the most difficult parts and documentation fails. The system may contain some educational material for knowledge perfection.

My knowledge testing system is oriented on Internet online tests and consists of client and server parts. Client’s side is Web page with JavaScript functions, which realize users interface. Server side will be realized as Java Servlet and JDBC questions database.

Client program supports drag and drop technology which contribute an intuitive and user friendly interface. Further, using of Web-browser is simply for user than using along standing client program.

Server side uses Java Servlets. Java Servlets it is a powerful server side technology. It is becomes more popular then PHP, Perl etc. This technology provides a set of powerful classes for networking. It supports HTTP1.1, gives all possibilities of Java applications and rather simple in use.

At the moment most part of client program are developed. Also I’m developing a flowchart and schematics correctness algorithm. The main problem therein multiplicity of correct answers with one set of components. For example, we can develop a “bubble” sort algorithm with different ways from one set of components. The most simple example is swapping two independent sequential nodes of flowchart.

The planning purchase of the system is easing teachers job in students knowledge estimation. Also, it can be useful for students and professionals to check their own knowledge. Moreover, this type of questions can be used for many other courses not related with microprocessor systems. For example, this can be used for knowledge testing in economics, chemistry, mechanics etc. To answer economic question student must connect in right order some organizations or money transfer way. In chemistry question student must develop correct molecular structure.

The deadline of system developing is January 2007.