InformationAppletsPADs and online homework

Overview

Supporting Systems
WebAssign SCORM

Other Information Adding Support

If you want to be able to assign points and check whether students completed assignments, you need to use PADs within a system that provides that functionality. Currently, there are two ways to do this. You can import a PADs SCORM package that will allow you to use them in most Learning Management Systems such as Blackboard, Moodle, etc., that support SCORM content. Greater functionality can be obtained using the WebAssign Homework System

PADs were specifically designed to work within a web-based homework system. They provide a way to overcome a significant shortcoming of most web-based homework system: a lack of good ways for students to enter diagrams, graphs, and motion.  Graphs, diagrams and motion usually provide a more intuitive way of representing physical entities than words, numbers and equations, and making the connection between the former and the latter help develop physical and mathematical understanding.  The flexible grading methods allow them to be used for a wide range of qualitative and quantitative exercises.  Their internal grading engines mean that they can be easily incorporated in any html-based evaluation system; only a few JavaScript functions must be added to any web page to incorporate them.

Notable aspects:

  • Set values and tolerances of different parameters individually:  This allows PADs to function for any combination of conceptual and numerical exercises.  For example, a one exercise might require the user to draw a graph with a specific y-intercept and slope, but another might require the user to cause a car icon to simply move to the right, speeding up.
  • Internal grading engine: the homework system does not need to know specifics of how to grade the PAD to use it; but only how to querry if it is correct and get the text representation of the points.  However, a homework system could evaluate the latter output directly, for greater security.
Information about adding support to a system.

PADs developed by Scott Bonham. Supported by National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation and Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University