JISC

There is a clear need for a well-documented open source implementation of the IMS Question and Test Interoperability (QTI) specification. Although there are a number of implementations of the specification currently available, including the Technologies for Online Interoperable Assessment (TOIA) X4L tool which is being distributed free of charge throughout UK Further and Higher Education, none of these implementations is open source; in other words, it is not possible for the developer community to take advantage of work already done in the development of assessment tools. APIS aims to increase interoperability in practice by providing liberally licence open source implementations of non-controversial elements of the specification to the community as a whole.

Aims and Objectives

The overall aim of the project is to implement a modular item rendering engine in line with the IMS Question and Test Interoperability version 2.0 specification.  It will also scope the operations required by tools to make use of this system, and put forward a new API which will accommodate these needs based on the work of the OKI initiative and IMS Web Services.

The specific objectives are to:

• Produce open source code libraries for IMS QTI v2.0 and an API to provide runtime support for assessment delivery.
• Enrich users' understanding of the issues around implementing the IMS QTI specification, and integrating QTI material with other learning resources through the use of the IMS Learning Design and Simple Sequencing specifications.
• Produce additional open source modules (‘segments’) to provide additional functionality to assessment systems.
• Create guidelines for the integration of QTI with Learning Design and Simple Sequencing, and explore best practice in this area.

Project Methodology

The project will implement a modular assessment system in line with the IMS QTI v2.0 specification.  It will also scope the operations required by tools to make use of this system, and put forward a new API which will accommodate these needs.  The engine will be developed on the principle that additional modules providing additional functionality can be incorporated into the core system.  It will be possible to produce a series of modules (or ‘segments’), each targeted at a specific interaction type as defined by the QTI v2.0 specification.  Users will be able to incorporate these segments into APIS or any other QTI assessment system.  As well as providing additional functionality, these modules will offer a reference module for the development of further segments.  A modular approach enables a variety of approaches to teaching and learning to be realised, and allows institutions and individuals to tailor their online assessment materials to suit their pedagogic methodologies.  The adoption of a such a modular approach allows developers to ‘mix and match’ components to suit their own needs, and to integrate their own applets if they wish.  This will have particular benefit for accessibility specialists, as it will be possible to add heavily customised segments to the main assessment module.

Deliverables

The project will deliver open source code libraries for a core QTI v2.0 item rendering system and an API to give runtime support for assessment rendering engines.  The findings from this work will be disseminated both to the UK Further and Higher Education community and beyond, including relevant standards and specification bodies.  Work undertaken by APIS can help to inform future developments of the specification, and will be particularly useful during the consultation period for the public draft of QTI v2.0.  Ultimately, the project will provide core, uncontroversial resources for QTI developers, and contribute towards increasing interoperability amongst assessment systems.

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