Software and Specifications: Moodle Plug-in

This Page will give an overview of the QTIEngine Playr Plugin for Moodle. The software can be found at the qtitools sourceforge site

Installation:

Move the "qtiplayr" folder to the "mod" folder of your Moodle installation. In your Web browser, log in as a user with administrator privileges and click "Notifications" in the left-hand menu. The plugin should install automatically, setting up all necessary database tables. Click "Continue" at the bottom of the page to be returned to the Moodle main page.

Configuration:

While logged in as an administrator, click Modules->Activities->qtiplayr from the left-hand "Site Administration" menu. On the "qtiplayr" configuration page, enter the following details:

• - the hostname and network port used to access your qtiengine playr
• - the hostname of the server containing your minibix installation
• - the server address used to define "deposit" keys in the minibix repository
• - the playr template name (this will typically be left as "moodle")

Once these details have been entered, click "Save Changes" to return to the main page.

Adding QTIPlayr to a Course:

Navigate to the required course "Weekly Outline" page, and choose "qtiplayr" from the "Add an activity..." drop-down box. The setup page is formed of 4 sections:

General:

This section includes the assessment activity name, and some basic scheduling information (when the test first becomes accessible, when it expires, and how many attempts each student can make). In addition, there is the option to give students access to a limited report for each attempt they make.

Content Package:

There are two options for choosing a content package: either by uploading a file from your local machine to moodle, or by choosing one from the minibix repository configured earlier. If a file is uploaded to moodle, it will be used. If the box is left blank, the file from the minibix drop-down list will be used instead.

Gradebook Options:

Typically, the only values that might need to be changed are "Grade Type", "Maximum possible grade" and "Minimum possible grade".

Common Module Settings:

These options are usually the same for all modules, and will probably not need to be changed.

Click "Save and return to course" to go back to the "Weekly Outline" page, or "Save and display" to preview the activity.

Running the Activity:

The run the activity, click on its name on the "Weekly Outline" page. As an instructor, the user can preview the assessment (completing an assessment this way does not add anything to the gradebook), and view question-by-question reports for every student who has attempted the activity.

As a student, the user can attempt the test, storing a grade in the Moodle gradebook upon completion. In addition, a grade will be saved after each question, so if the user stops the assessment early, they will receive a grade based on the questions they did answer. If a student attempts to continue an assessment which they previously gave up on, the qtiengine will allow them to do so, providing their session on the server has not timed out. If the session has timed out, the student will be notified, and will have to use another attempt (if available) to start again. Also, if the instructor has allowed it, students can view a limited overall report for any attempts they have already made.

Reviewing Students' Progress:

In addition to the qtiengine reports, instructors can view the students' grades for each activity in the Moodle gradebook in the usual way.