THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

GRADUATE COLLEGE

INTERNET-BASED EXAM GENERATOR SYSTEM FOR REVIEW OF

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGINEERING EXAM

A THESIS

SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

BY

JI-HOON LEE

Norman, Oklahoma

2000

INTERNET-BASED EXAM GENERATOR SYSTEM FOR REVIEW OF

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGINEERING EXAM

A THESIS APPROVED FOR THE

SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

By

Kurt Gramoll, Ph.D.

Harold Stalford, Ph.D.

Feng C. Lai, Ph.D.

© Copyright by JI-HOON LEE 2000 All Rights Reserved

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to extend my great appreciation to God and the people who have

helped me. Every single page of this thesis has adviser’s guidance and friends’ help and

as well as my effort.

Special thanks to Dr. Kurt Gramoll, who has given me valuable guidance in my

research, course work, and life. I would like to thank Dr. Harold Stalford and Dr. Feng C.

Lai for their willingness and precious time to review my thesis.

My thesis research was like digging a gold mine. While I was digging the ground,

I could not see my aim very clearly. Even though I had some gold but I did not appreciate

the value of it. When the gold was well refined, I realized the value of it for my thesis

research. Though I lost direction many times, because I could see the value of my

research, Dr Gramoll guided me back to the right direction. Now I realize the value of my

thesis research, which is more important than gold to me.

Lastly, I would like to thank my family and my wife for their undying support.

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv

LIST OF TABLES viii

LIST OF FIGURES ix

ABSTRACT xi

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 New extenstion of the education system 1

1.2 The background of fundamental engineering (FE) examination 3

1.3 The background of the FE project 4

1.4 Benefits of online review and FE exam site 5

1.5 Objective of the project 5

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction of the distance learning 9

2.2 Impact of the distance learning 10

2.3 Interactive distance learning on the Internet 11

2.4 Current methods of the FE review and practice exam 13

2.5 The FE exam generator on the Internet 14

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3. THE FE EXAM ONLINE REVIEW SITE

3.1 Introduction of the FE online review review site 15

3.2 Site layout 15

3.3 Site navigation 16

3.4 The Basics page 18

3.5 The Examples page 22

3.6 The Problems page 24

4. FE EXAM GENERATOR SYSTEM

4.1 Introduction of the FE exam generator system 27

4.2 The procedure of the FE exam generator site 28

5. ADMINISTRATION AND ASSESSMENT

5.1 Administration page 38

5.2 New user account manager 39

5.3 User score report 40

5.4 E-mail communication with users 42

5.5 Test managerment 43

5.6 User comments 45

vii

6. PRINCIPLE AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE FE EXAM GENERATOR

6.1 Principle of the FE exam generator 46

6.2 Compatibility of the FE exam generator 51

6.3 Hardware and software requirements for the FE exam generator 51

6.4 Advantages and disadvantages of the FE exam generator 53

7. CONCLUSION

7.1 Post project survey 56

7.2 Conclusion 59

REFERENCES 63

APPENDICES

Appendix A:

Main PERL program file for data manager 66

Appendix B:

Typical PERL program file for statics problems 78

viii

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE

Table 1: The effectiveness of active learning percentage

Table 2: System requiremets to host the FE exam generator hosting

Table 3: Post survey of the FE exam review and generator system

PAGE

11

52

57

ix

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE PAGE

Figure 1: The FE exam online review main page 17

Figure 2: The FE exam online review main page and modules listing 18

Figure 3: Computer graphics in the Basics page 19

Figure 4: Simulation for torsion test 20

Figure 5: 3D VRML model in the Basics page 21

Figure 6: Flash Shockwave animation in the Basics page 22

Figure 7: Examples page 23

Figure 8: Problems page 24

Figure 9: Problem and four answers in the Problems page 26

Figure 10: Answer page in the Problems page 26

Figure 11: The starting page for the FE exam practice testing 29

Figure 12: User logon page 31

Figure 13: New user registration form 31

Figure 14: The exam generator main page 34

Figure 15: Different problems for the test and timer 36

Figure 16: The user score and correct answers reporting 37

Figure 17: The main administrator page 38

Figure 18: Score reporting page 40

Figure 19: Score editing page 41

Figure 20: Sending E-mail to users 42

Figure 21: Exam generation for the fixed test 43

x

Figure 22: Exam management for the fixed test 44

Figure 23: Comments message box 45

Figure 24: Block diagram of the FE exam generator operation 50

xi

ABSTRACT

One of the most important aspects of a review system for any given exam is to

practice test taking. However, it is difficult for any instructor to develop a sufficient

number of practice exams. Furthermore, once used, each exam cannot be reused in a

reasonable time frame without modification. This becomes ever more critical when trying

to develop an Internet-based review system. To solve this potential problem issue, a

problem generator program has been developed that generates random questions on

different engineering topics. Many web-based test sites choose problems from an existing

set of questions. This program uses a set of problem templates that, when accessed,

generates different variables for the same question. The generator program changes the

problems' variables, orders and answers. It even generates new graphics for the problems.

The generator program uses various computer programs such as PERL, JavaScript, CGI,

Flash generator, HTML, SQL, database, and graphic programs.

There are five major advantages of using this generator program. First, the

program creates more exams than one can enter into a problem data bank. Second, each

user will get different exams at the same time by allowing the computer to randomly

choose the problem templates. Third, the scores and answers are available immediately

because the system checks the answers and records the scores. Fourth, log files are

created for each exam to allow the user to review previous tests. And last, the FE

generator is designed for all engineering departments use hence any engineering school

faculty member or department can register and use the exam generator system.

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 NEW EXTENSTION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Education is one of the most important aspects of life. Through education,

people can develop, use, and give knowledge to the next generation. Even though

numerous instructors and companies have developed good educational systems,

those systems often fall short of student’s variety requirements and expectations

for higher education. The development of good educational systems is one of the

most challenging tasks for educators. One difficulty is that instructors also have to

prepare for both the current and future engineering educational needs of their

students. As the ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky said: “If we skate where the

puck is now, we will be too late. We need to skate where the puck will be.”

Another challenge for higher education is the de-emphasis on

conventional fact-based study. Older and less efficient teaching methods are

giving way to new and better methods based on critical thinking and problem

solving skills. Every year, schools enroll students from a new generation. Old

educational systems may not work as well because the new students come from

significantly different educational backgrounds. In addition, there are new

demands for innovative courses, which then result in larger class sizes due to their

popularity and thus a decrease in interaction between the students and the

instructor (Ng and Gramoll, 1999). Even though educational institutions develop

2

more of these courses, students still have difficulty enrolling in their favorite

instructor’s lectures. Furthermore, many professional workers are returning to

school to learn about current technology and acquire additional skills due to their

need to work and support families. These are part-time students with constraints

on their schedules. Given these constraints and an increasingly diversified pool of

educational consumers, Internet-based learning systems have been created to offer

an alternative for both traditional and non-traditional students and to help solve

restricted time schedules and large class size problems facing educational

institutions. Specifically, the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam generator

system developed for this research was based on new Internet technologies to

meet the above mentioned needs. The FE exam system is one example of Internet-

based learning systems that can be used in most online courses.

The Internet is a new and fast growing technology, but it is still beset by

problems. Almost all on-campus university students in the United States enjoy

fast, and wireless Internet connections, but off-campus students have to pay

substantial fees for high bandwidth connections or wait for information from a

slow modem Internet connection. Nowadays, fast high bandwidth connections are

expanding into the several population, so this slow bandwidth problem might be

alleviated in the near future.

3

1.2 THE BACKGROUND OF FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGINEERING (FE)

EXAMINATION

To protect the public from incompetent practitioners, laws have been

passed to regulate the practice of engineering. Beginning in 1907, the laws were

strengthened so that the practice of engineering was limited to those who were

registered engineers or to those working under the supervision of a registered

engineer (Newnan, 1997).

Every year approximately 50,000 engineers take the Fundamentals of

Engineering/Engineering-In-Training (FE/EIT) examination as the first step to

obtain a professional engineers license. The FE exam is one of the most important

tests for all engineering students to demonstrate their engineering knowledge

(Newnan, 1997).

The FE exam is a test of twelve engineering topics: Chemistry,

Computers, Dynamics, Electrical Circuits, Economics, Ethics, Fluid Mechanics,

Mathematics, Materials Engineering, Mechanics of Materials, Statics, and

Thermodynamics. Since Fall 1996, the FE exam has had two distinct parts. The

FE morning exam is like the previous exam with the same twelve topics. The FE

afternoon exam is new and consists of six different afternoon exams: Civil,

Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial and General (Potter, 1999).

4

1.3 THE BACKGROUND OF THE FE PROJECT

In the spring of 1998, a project was started at the University of

Oklahoma’s Engineering Media Lab to capitalize on the advantages of the

Internet and new multimedia technologies to help students and others to prepare

for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination. As a part of this project, a

FE exam generator system was designed to help students practice the FE exam.

The first step was to develop an Internet-based FE review system for the general

morning exam session, which has 12 different topics covering all of the general

engineering subjects. The second step was to develop an exam generator system

for the morning exam. It was a paradigm of testing system because the FE exam

generator program generates exam problems. The third step, still in progress, is to

develop an afternoon session test system and questions. The afternoon test covers

only two of six different topics, one can choose from one of five specific

engineering disciplines and one a general topic. These topics cover more details

than the morning session exam. The last step was to set up a general exam system

for all engineering faculty members who may want to use the assessment test. All

engineering faculty members can get full authorization for the testing system and

assign their own FE-like exam for classroom assessment. This thesis focuses on

the FE exam generating system for the morning FE test, the afternoon FE test, and

a general test system for assessment. This has never been done before.

5

1.4 BENEFITS OF ONLINE REVIEW AND FE EXAM SITE

Preparing for the FE exam is a formidable task for those wishing to obtain

a professional license. Instructors are constantly looking for the best way to help

students prepare for the test. Even though instructors teach well, they still feel

responsible for students’ achievements on the exam and would like to see them

succeed in understanding the material.

To help students and faculty members, the FE review and the FE exam

generator was created. The FE review and the FE exam generator website project,

at its current status, has several innovative features. First, the user can get

unlimited testing experience since the FE exam generator generates all exam

problems. Second, the user can review information that is needed to pass the FE

test. The navigation system brings his or her to the requested page efficiently.

Third, the user can practice tests under simulated test conditions. A timer puts the

user under time pressure which gives the users more time awareness for the actual

test. Fourth, the user can set up his/her own test for subjects that need more

attention. And finally, since it is online, the limitations of time and geographical

constraints are diminished.

1.5 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

One of the main objectives of this research is to help students and professional

engineers, who need to take the fundamentals of engineering (FE) exam, by

developing an Internet-based FE review and testing system. The research also

6

includes enhancing the efficiency of teaching and reviewing basic engineering

concepts by using advanced multimedia and Internet technologies such as movies,

animations, interactive simulations and three-dimensional graphics.

This research involves the development of an Internet-based FE testing

application. The Internet provides numerous technical advantages and is available

to most engineering students. The main feature of the online FE testing site is its

capability to generate exam problems. To make this feature possible, numerous

advanced web technologies were used.

The FE exam generator portion has the following features. First, the FE exam

generator program randomly generates new exam problems. Whenever a user

accesses the FE exam, the program creates new problem variables, graphics, and

different answer choices.

Second, the user can set up his or her test by choosing individual topics and

the number of problems in each area.

Third, instant feedback notes both correct and wrong answers. Users do not

need to spend time to check their scores and correct answers. After the test has

been completed, the FE exam generator shows the score, correct answer, and user

answer.

Fourth, a log file that saves up to ten previous test is set up for each user so

that they can review his or her own old tests. When the user wants to see one of

his or her old test, the FE exam generator shows the problems, correct answers,

and user answers.

7

Fifth, any engineering student can use the FE exam generator without charge.

Many universities and companies are helping students to prepare the FE exam,

but require the purchase of high cost lecture review and practice exam materials.

The FE exam generator system is provided free of charge to students and users.

Sixth, the FE exam generator has an assessment option for faculty members.

Any faculty member with requisite permissions may use the FE exam generator

for assessment purpose or part of their class assignments.

Seventh, currently, the FE exam generator includes tests for the twelve topics

of the morning exam, the Industrial afternoon exam and the Mechanical afternoon

exam. The demo test also provides access for guest users.

Eighth, the user can access the FE testing system at any time from any

computer with Internet access. The FE exam generator is completely working on

Internet, so user can access at any convenient time.

And finally, the download speed of the FE exams has been designed to be fast

even with slower modems because of advanced streaming techniques. The FE

exam generator is designed for both on and off campus users, so slow modem

users with older modems can access the FE exam generator without any

difficulty.

The FE web site also supports user feedback. Users can send messages to

students and instructors individually or as a class. Users and instructors can place

notices for each other at the website, thus increasing time and place independence

for the reception of messages.

8

The final outcome of this research is the development and implementation

action of a complete FE review and testing system for engineering students and

others who want to take the FE test to receive their professional licenses. The FE

system uses advanced authoring programs for better performance and easier use

by faculty members. An additional feature for instructor is ease of maintenance.

The only maintenance needed for the FE exam generator is the development and

addition of more problem templates into the exam database.

9

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. INTRODUCTION OF DISTANCE LEARNING

According to Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, “Distance learning is the

methods of instruction that utilizes different communication technologies to

carry teaching to learners in different places at the same time or any given

time.” Online learning programs use multimedia tools such as computers,

telephones, radio, television, the Internet, and other technologies and networks

for users and instructors to interact effectively.

Many schools and educational companies have provided instruction for

students by developing many outstanding education tools. New and rapidly

growing technologies have led to new innovations in distance learning. As new

communication technologies become more efficient and more widely available,

an increasing number of schools, universities, and businesses have begun

offering online distance education programs (Najafi, 2000). The developers of

the distance education system have used the advanced technology of their day.

The technologies are grouped into multimedia and networking.

10

2.2 IMPACT OF DISTANCE LEARNING

The concept of distance learning traces its origins to mid-19th century

when commercial correspondence colleges provided distance education to

students across the country (Gold and Maitland, 1999). In the United States, a

correspondence course at the Illinois State University in 1874 was credited as the

first distance education course at the university level (Rumble and Harry, 1982).

Distance learning opened educational opportunities to people who

wanted to learn but were not able to attend conventional schools. Physical

schools were seen as the best institution for education, but building in remote

regions where enrollment of students was low was too costly. Postal service was

a remarkable innovation in propagating distance learning that helped overcome

the cost of building physical schools. The distance learning extended the

school’s teaching to more remote regions with relatively low cost and gave all

people more equitable education opportunities. People who most benefited from

such correspondence education included those with physical disabilities, women

who were not allowed to enroll in certain educational institutions, people who

had regular jobs during normal school hours, and those who lived in remote

regions where schools did not exist (Microsoft Encarta encyclopedia, 2000).

With the advancement of technology and the spread of computers,

distance learning now allows teachers and students to communicate even better

with each other with excellent educational content. The World Wide Web

supports virtual educational space, where teachers and students exchange

11

educational material in the forms of text, pictures, audio, and occasionally

video.

2.3 INTERACTIVE DISTANCE LEARING ON THE INTERNET

The Internet is one of the fastest growing network technologies. It has

dramatically affected the educational world, and its use is increasing. Many

higher education institutions use the Internet because the Internet delivers

advanced multimedia to users directly. Internet users can have more control of

information than with any other media such as television, radio or video player.

Multimedia applications and educational technologies enhance students’

learning. When students are involved actively, a greater percentage of the material

is retained. The content table 2.1 (Todd, 1997) gives us the percentage

effectiveness of active learning.

What the students read 10 Percent

What the students hear 20 Percent

What the students see 30 Percent

What the students hear and see 50 Percent

What the students say 70 Percent

What the students say and do 90 Percent

Table 2.1 The effectiveness of active learning percentage

12

Developing multimedia contents for the Internet takes more effort and

time than for printing contents, but multimedia contents are more effective than

printed material in providing long-term education (Horton, 1994). This is the

power of multimedia contents on the Internet and is the reason why faculty

members want to develop multimedia content.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a survey on

distance learning in 1997-98. According to the release, almost 44 percent of all

higher education institutions offered distance-based courses (Lewis, et al., 1999).

Education through the web and online learning promises the delivery of

knowledge in education (Atkins, 1999). The percentage of two- and four-year

higher education institutions offering either certificate or degree programs by

distance technology was has increased from 690 degree programs in 1994-95 to

1,190 in 1997-98, and from 170 certificate programs to 330 (Lewis, et al., 1999).

Instructors and students face a new world which was hard to imagine just

few years ago. With the development of network equipment and an increase in

connection speed, instructors need less effort to manage homework, quizzes, and

tests that can be easily constructed, updated, or built on the Internet. These tests

on the Internet are well suited for student assessment and teacher evaluation

(Jung, et al., 1998).

Assessment of learning by students plays an important role in education.

Computerized testing on the Internet, whether used in distance learning program

13

or alongside more traditional teaching methods, will play a larger role in

measuring knowledge and validating training schemes (Jung, et al., 1998).

2.4 CURRENT METHODS OF THE FE REVIEW AND PRACTICE EXAM

A large number of universities have supported the Fundamentals of

Engineering (FE) or Professional Engineering (PE) exams’ review and practice

exam problems. To help students prepare for the test, several universities and

companies support Web-based audio and video presentation material, which are

offered at a high expense. The FE exam video review material offered by Great

Lake Press, Inc. costs $595 (http://www.glpbooks.com/glp/videos.htm), while the

video review course for FE morning section offered by the University of

Delaware also costs $595 (http://www.udel.edu/engg/outreach/FE_video.htm).

The cost of video review lectures offered by American Society of Mechanical

Engineering (ASME), Missouri University, Northwestern University,

Pennsylvania State University, Professional Publication Inc., range between $350

to $600. Most video review courses only cover the morning FE exam topics or

one part of afternoon testing section only (Potdar, 2000). Additionally, if the user

wants to practice the FE exam test, yet another fee is required to take a practice

test.

The Engineering Media Lab at the University of Oklahoma developed

material and content related to Fundamental of Engineering exam in 1988 to help

students review theory and practice tests related to the exam. All engineering

14

topics of review section and countless practice exam problems are available to

students free of change.

2.5 THE FE EXAM GENERATOR ON THE INTERNET

The FE exam generator was developed to create an unlimited number of

exam problems. The FE exam generator generates problems in random order and

has random variables assigned to the problems. The FE exam generator program

is designed to be of compact size, as the FE exam generator requires minimum

testing information. The FE exam generator works on the server hard disk, where

it can create, delete, or overwrite problem data.

Even though only a small number of faculty members developed content

for the FE exam generator, all instructors can share and develop exam problems

together. All engineering faculty members can use the FE exam generator as their

own testing program.

Any instructor can change, edit or update exam problems at any given

time. This is a flexible way to meet the requirements of the FE exam testing

program. Students will have a smaller chance of encountering unreasonable

problems.

For users, the FE exam generator saves all information that users need on

the server. The user does not need any additional material to use the FE exam

generator.

15

CHAPTER 3

THE FE EXAM ONLINE REVIEW SITE

3.1 INTRODUCTION OF THE FE EXAM ONLINE REVIEW SITE

This chapter focuses on the layout and organization of the FE exam online

review site. The FE exam online review site is designed and implemented for

Internet access to allow wide access and use. Students can access the FE exam

online review site without charge from the engineering media lab’s website at

http://www.eml.ou.edu/fie.

The FE exam online review site is divided into three parts: the

fundamentals morning session, the specific afternoon session, and practice exams.

The morning and afternoon site organization has the Basics, Examples, and

Problems sections. Furthermore each of these pages has various multimedia

elements such as charts, movie animation, graphics, equations, interactive

simulations, and 3-dimetional VRML models.

3.2 SITE LAYOUT

The organization of the FE exam online review is divided into the A.M.

and P.M. sections. The review site and content organization is similar to existing

review textbooks and manuals. Each FE review module has brief definitions,

examples, and six testing problems. There are twelve different science and

engineering topics covered in the A.M. section: Chemistry, Computers,

16

Dynamics, Electrical Circuits, Economics, Ethics, Fluid Mechanics, Mathematics,

Materials Engineering, Mechanics of Materials, Statics, and Thermodynamics.

The P.M. section reviews material that is specific for a given field of study,

including Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Industrial, Mechanical Engineering, and

General Engineering. Each of these topics is divided into subtopics called

modules. By organizing the content in terms of modules, users are able to access

and select the desired individual subtopics with no difficulty.

To improve user interaction, the file size for each page of a module was

optimized to be less than 100 kilobytes. This file size is suitable for even modem

network connection.

Furthermore, the horizontal and vertical size of the web page was

optimized to be viewed easily. The horizontal resolution of each page was set up

for 800 pixels, which allows users to view the modules without scrolling

horizontally. This makes viewing and reading the content easier.

3.3 SITE NAVIGATION

The FE review web site covers basic engineering and science topics on the

FE test, including a large number of sub modules pages that are linked to each

other as shown in Fig 3.1 The basic navigation menu allows the user move to the

desired page quickly and with a minimum of mouse clicks.

17

Fig 3.1 The FE exam online review main page

Each of the topics has three pages: Basics, Examples, and Problems. When

the user clicks a topic, these three modules are displayed with a top frame menu,

as shown in Fig 3.2. In general, the Basics page contains all the basic theories and

equations relevant to the modules. The Examples page provides two example

problems to improve the user’s comprehension, and the Problems page presents

six problems related to the particular module for the user to solve.

18

Fig 3.2 The Fe exam online review main page and modules listing

3.4 THE BASICS PAGE

The Basics page gives a complete overview of all relevant information.

The purpose of review this page is not to support an entire course. The page

content level is designed for junior, senior, or graduate-level users. All relevant

equations are given without the detailed derivations because the users are

expected to know these beforehand.

The Basics page includes movie animations with audio narration,

graphics, and simulation in addition to text to promote the user’s understanding.

19

To decrease download time, the Basic page does not open all multimedia contents

when the main page opens, but when the user clicks the link button a separate

browser window is displayed quickly. This allows the user to see main page

content and multimedia content at the same time.

Graphics are used in the Basics page, created or obtained using graphics

software, a digital camera or obtained from the web as shown in Fig 3.3. Web-

based graphics use two file formats which have a small file size with relatively

good quality. These two file formats are the Graphics Interface Format (GIF) and

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG).

Fig. 3.3 Computer graphics in the Basics page

The Basics page has interactive simulations which use a special format for

the Web page. To create simulations, the Macromedia Director and computer

graphics software are used together. The Director combines graphics, sound,

animation, text, and video to create streaming, interactive Web content as shown

in Fig 3.4. The Director Shockwave creates content for low-bandwidth delivery.

20

These simulations are used to visualize certain engineering phenomenon

as described in the corresponding theory on the Basic page. The simulation

programs are interactive, so users can edit or control parameters in the simulation

with suitable graphic features.

Fig 3.4 Simulation for torsion test

Also in the Basics page are 3D visualizations that are used to help users

with important concepts in the Basics page. Some concepts are not easy to

demonstrate with text; thus, the 3D models are useful to increase user

understanding. The Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is used to

describe 3D objects, as shown in Fig 3.5. The VRML is a platform-independent

21

file format for sharing 3D worlds on the Web. VRML worlds can be interactive

and animated and can include embedded hyperlinks to other Web documents. One

advantage of using VRML is that the user can control of the display objects by

moving, rotating, and zooming in and out.

Fig. 3.5 3D VRML model in the Basics page

Each Basics page has movie animations with sound narration to provide

visual illustration to the users. The animations are created using Macromedia

Flash. The movie has play, stop, and rewind buttons, as shown Fig 3.6. The flash

movies have relatively small file size with good quality graphics. When a user

22

resizes the movie it works without losing resolution. The flash movies also have

sound narration which is compressed in flash movie to keep a small file size. All

movies have a timeline indicator showing movie length and processing state.

Fig. 3.6 Flash Shockwave animation in the Basics page

3.5 THE EXAMPLES PAGE

After the basic review, the user can practice solving problems. The

Examples page has two example problems with complete solutions, as shown in

Fig 3.7. Each page in the review site has a link to each of the Basics, Examples,

and Problems pages. Thus, whenever a user wishes to refer back to a Basics page,

the user can easily return. The example problems are worked out in detailed steps,

and all the relevant theory and equations used are given in the Basic page.

Most example problems use corresponding images and diagrams together

to help the user understand problems easily. All solution steps are carefully

23

outlined to avoid any confusion and to present the clearest possible method. The

answers are colored red for quick identification.

Fig. 3.7 Example Page

24

3.6 THE PROBLEMS PAGE

The Problems Page has six problems for each module, as shown in Fig

3.8. When the user clicks on the image of problem or problem number, a new

problem window pops up. This window contains the problem in Flash Shockwave

format, which is a type of Flash movie that uses vector graphics. One feature of a

Shockwave movie is that is resizable without losing resolution or graphic quality.

Even though the initial window size is fixed, the user can resize it to any desired

size.

Fig 3.8 Problems Page

25

The problem shows corresponding pictures and four answers, as shown in

Fig 3.9. The answers buttons have links that refer to three wrong pages and a

correct answer page. Each linked page has a “Back” button to go back to the

previous page. The answer page is displayed with corresponding graphics and the

process of the solution, as shown in Fig. 3.10.

26

Fig. 3.9 Problem and four answers in the Problems Page

Fig. 3.10 Answer page in the Problems Page

27

CHAPTER 4

FE EXAM GENERATOR SYSTEM

4.1 INTRODUCTION OF THE FE EXAM GENERATOR SYSTEM

The FE examination is divided into a four-hour morning session and a

four-hour afternoon session. There are 120 questions to be answered in the

morning section and 60 questions in the afternoon section. Engineering students

who take FE test have to solve all problems within given time (Potter, 1998).

Students need a large number of problems to prepare well for the FE exam.

The FE exam generator part of the online review web site generates exam

problems. Whenever the FE exam generator generates exam problems, all

problem variables, problem order, correct and wrong answers are created. To

create exam problems, the FE exam generator operates on the Internet. The FE

exam generator also generates problems’ variables, test review record files, and

exam problems on the server. These files keep track of all exams for each

individual user including exam topics, number of exam problem, and exam score.

The FE exam generator does not require any additional textbooks,

notebooks, video player, or CD-ROMs. The problems in the FE exam generator

are based on basic engineering concepts and the form of problems are similar to

the actual FE exam. This FE exam program is designed for student self-study and

instructors to help their students as part of their review process to prepare for the

FE exam.

28

Developing new problems is challenging for any instructor. Furthermore,

once used, they cannot be reused without modification. This becomes ever more

critical when trying to develop an Internet-based review system and paper-based

tests. To solve this, a problem generator program has been created that generates

random exam questions, variables, order, correct and wrong answers on different

engineering topics.

To better prepare students, the Engineering Media Lab at the University of

Oklahoma, has developed an Internet-based review program for the FE that can

be used by engineering students who want to prepare for the test.

4.2 THE PROCEUDURE OF THE FE EXAM GENERATOR SITE

To start the FE exam test, the user needs to open the Engineering Media

Laboratory (EML) main Web page (http://www.eml.ou.edu), and choose the link

“Engineering Exam.” The Web–page that appears is the main page for FE online

review program. The practice exam section has four choices: Fundamental-

morning test, Mechanical, Industrial test, and Demo test.

The Fundamental-morning test has twelve different topics exam problems.

A user can choose to take test in all twelve topics, a single topic, or a user-

selected test. In the afternoon Mechanical and Industrial practice tests, a user can

choose the number of the problems. The Demo test gives only a sample test for

demonstration purposes.

29

Fig. 4.1 The starting page for the FE exam practice testing

For the morning practice exam, the user clicks “Start Practice Exam,” as

shown in Fig 4.1, and then the logon page appears as shown in Fig 4.2. The logon

page performs two functions. First, the logon program checks if the user is

already registered and makes a log file for the current practice. Second, for new

users, the logon program makes a new database record by requesting information

from the user. The new user register page is shown in Fig 4.3. A guest does not

need fill out the form, but students who use this web site as part of class work

need to fill out all of the forms provided. Multiple people can take test at the same

30

time because the FE generator works through the Internet. Even though different

users can take the test at the same time, the FE exam generator can report the

students’ record that are required by the instructor.

31

Fig 4.2 User logon page

Fig 4.3 New user registration form

32

After user logon, basic user information and a log file for test data control

are saved in a database on the web server. The FE exam generator main page

comes with a review testing record, which is shown in Fig 4.4. Currently, up to

ten exams are saved by the database server.

The generating exam system has different options: a twelve topics test, a

single topic test, and a user select topic test with variable number of problems. A

user can choose the testing option by user time or weakness of topics. The user

can make his or her own test with five, ten minutes, or any convenient time test.

The Demo test is also suitable for a short time test, but it is fixed at five problems

in ten minutes.

The FE problem generator is considerably different from the traditional

test, which is only given by instructors. The FE exam generator fully supports

user demand such as choice of topics and number of problems. Users can choose

topics where they are weak so they can focus their review. The number of

problems can be set, which gives the user more flexibility. The actual morning FE

exam test takes four hours test and has 120 questions. Many users who want to

take FE exam test may not have many chances to take full test before the actual

FE test. Under this kind of circumstance the user can use the FE exam generator,

by setting up the topics and numbers for his or her own purpose. The user can

fully control testing time and topics.

The FE exam generator has an assessment option. The instructor can give

random or fixed test to the specific users who are registered for the FE exam test

33

as course work. When the user inputs the fixed test code for a fixed test, all users

have the same exam problems, but for the random test, all users get different

exam problems under the same topics. After the test, the test score is reported to

the administrator account immediately. The test score is saved for up to ten recent

exams in both the user account and instructor account. The instructor can check

the score individually or a group of students.

34

Fig 4.4 The FE exam generator main page

35

The actual web page with the problems also has a section for answers and

timer. The FE generator generates problems at the same time for all different

users, so all users see different problems, as shown in Fig 4.5. The FE test is a

time-constrained test; hence, monitoring the time while practicing is important to

simulate real test condition. The exam generator sets up a timer, which begins

when the main testing page loads. This timer continuously shows the time, and

the exam generator gives a warning “time up” at the end of test time.

Each problem page has five problems, and the navigation buttons are

located the top of page and bottom of the page. This navigation menu helps access

different problem pages easily. The answer page uses radio buttons and looks

similar to the actual test.

36

Fig 4.5 Different problems for the test and timer

37

After solving all problems, the user can check the score and the correct

answers. When the user clicks the “Score check,” the score of the test is displayed

immediately with score, correct answers and user answers as shown in Fig. 4.6.

Fig 4.6 The user score and correct answers reporting

38

CHAPTER 5

ADMINISTRATION AND ASSESSMENT

5.1 ADMINISTRATION PAGE

The FE exam generator is created for exam problems generation, but it

also has a useful administration function for instructors, as shown in Fig. 5.1. This

page is made only for instructors, so it requires security programming. The server

side program PERL is used. PERL programming itself does not support adequate

security programming, so Windows NT server security and a database is also used

to improve security.

Fig. 5.1 The main administrator page

39

5.2 NEW USER ACCOUNT MANAGER

The account manager has four sub-options: Add a new user account, Edit

a user score, Delete a user account, and User comments. These four options help

the instructor to manager specific user and guest accounts. Even though the FE

exam generator works wit h any server environment, it is not an error-free

program. The account manager is prepared to give more specific account

management.

In the Add a new user account function, the instructor can also input or

modify the user information into the database server directly if needed. When the

administrator inputs user information, he or she can set up the user as an

administrator. The user register page does not have this option.

In the Edit a user account function, the instructor can edit all existing user

information and upgrade user authorization. The instructor can change the user

authorization from guest to a registered user. After changing a registered user’s

administration, the user will have full control of the FE exam testing system.

In the Delete a user account function, the instructor can delete user

account and information on the database server. The FE exam generator

automatically deletes old guest accounts which have not been used in more than

one month. The instructor can delete unneeded user information directly.

The Users’ comments function has two options: one is the evaluation of

the web site and the other is for user opinion and suggestions such as incorrect

40

problems or difficulty in using the FE exam generator. The administrator needs to

know users’ opinions to reduce the difficulty of using the FE exam generator.

5.3 USER SCORE REPORT

Reporting user scores is important for both the instructor and users

because it is an effective way to evaluate a user’s skill or knowledge level

compared to the expected skill or knowledge. The user score report shows all user

scores or individual scores, as shown in Fig. 5.2. When the user or instructor

views the score, both the average score and grade are shown. The comparison of

the average score and user score helps indicate the users’ knowledge level or skill

to the instructor and the user.

Fig. 5.2 Score reporting page

41

Editing the user score function allows the instructor to modify the user

score when unrealistic variables in the exam problems were given in the exam or

when instructors want to give partial credit or a bonus.

Fig. 5.3 Score editing page

The security of the score data file is important. To manage the user score,

the FE exam generator makes three database files: one is text-based on database at

administrator score account, another is at the user score account, and the third is

ODBC database file.

42

5.4 E-MAIL COMMUNICATION WITH USERS

Instructors routinely use email to send notices to the users such as

incorrect problems notice, a new time schedule, or a new change in the FE exam

generator system. When a user registers, the course number is required for the

student users. Some class course work information needs to go to the registered

student users. The E-mail function uses this information to send email to the

proper users. The instructor can send email to a single user, all users or selected

users, as shown in Fig. 5.4.

Fig. 5.4 Sending E-mail to users

43

5.5 TEST MANAGEMENT

The Test management function is a special function for the FE exam

generator system. The instructor can generate the test by choosing topics and the

number of questions, as shown in Fig. 5.5. When the instructor creates the test, a

test password is created so that the students can access that test without generating

a new test. To increase security for the test, the password uses a nine-digit random

number. The random exam generator is the main feature for the FE exam

generator, but it produces tests with differing degree of difficulty for the user. The

fixed test gives all users the same test questions and variables.

To improve the students’ FE exam score, the instructors need to know the

students’ weaknesses such as weaknesses in a specific topic or use of exam time.

The FE exam is time-constrained test, so time control in a managed test is crucial.

Fig. 5.5 Exam generation for the fixed test

44

For assessment, the instructor needs to set up a test and then evaluate the

scores. The FE exam generator generates exam problems and can set up tests, as

shown in Fig 5.6. This page is designed for assessment, so security programming

is used to keep score data safe. For the exam security, the instructor can user the

“Test state” which has two options: Activate and No. When the instructor sets up

the Test state as “Activate,” the users can access the exam problems and take the

test. When the instructor sets up the Test state as “No”, no one can access the

exam test. While the test state is “No”, the users can take test and receive a score,

but the score is not reported to the administrator scoreboard.

Fig. 5.6 Exam management for the fixed test

45

5.6 USER COMMENTS

The FE exam generator is an interactive program and thus users and

instructors can send messages or comments to each other. After the practice test,

users can anonymously send comments to the instructor, such as their opinions of

exam problems or to report incorrect problems. These comments are good

reference in order to meet the needs of the users.

Fig. 4.6 Comments message box

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CHAPTER 6

PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENS OF THE FE EXAM GENERATOR

6.1 PRINCIPLES OF THE FE EXAM GENERATOR

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam requires a wide knowledge

of engineering topics, and formulating many different problems for all

engineering topics is difficult for instructors. Many web-based test sites choose

exam problems from a fixed set of problems, but this FE generator program uses a

set of problem templates which can generate an almost infinite number of

different problems.

When a user accesses the program, the FE generator randomly picks

problem templates from a database. The problem’s format is similar to actual FE

exam questions, which are in a multiple-choice format. A server-side program

(CGI PERL script) is used to generate the exam problem order and different

variables for each different user. Even though the variables are generated by the

computer, all the variables are formulated by equations, one of which is the

correct equation and three of which are commonly mistaken equations. The FE

generator program puts these variables into exam problem templates to generate

both wrong and right answers. To develop these problems, many different FE

handbooks, textbooks, and National Council of Examiners for Engineering and

Surveying (NCCEES) sample books were referenced.

47

Computer graphics are commonly used to help illustrate practice problems

and aid comprehension. The main problems page and problem templates were

created using Flash and Flash Generator programs to hold computer graphics,

text, and sound effectively with small file size. Flash Generator can also

dynamically fill the placeholders with content from a data source to create a

dynamic web page (Flash Generator 2 Manual, 1999). The Flash program is used

for the exam problem design tool since this program has the flexibility of vector

graphics and works well in low bandwidth. The resolution of generated computer

graphic is adequate, but the file size is relatively small and the graphics are

viewed clearly since this computer graphic is designed for web page viewing. The

program uses vector graphics, thus it can be resized without losing any graphic

resolution. Once these templates and variables are created, the data is

automatically saved on the database server. The FE generator program is set up to

review records for ten previous tests, so the database saves each user’s new record

and nine old records.

PERL, CGI, Javascript and HTML are used to make the EF exam

generator system. When a user accesses the FE exam site, the user can choose

problem topics and the number of questions. The PERL program returns the

user’s choice to the database server to create the problem order and random

variables. The Flash Generator picks problem templates and creates exam

problems from given data from the database. PERL, CGI, and Javascript put

problem templates and variables into a HTML page. The HTML page contents

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are designed for all Internet browsers, so it works well in both Internet Explorer

and Netscape. The exam page appears within 20 to 50 seconds. When the user

takes the test again, the downloading time is shorter than the first time because the

Web browser does not need to download the same fonts again. Generally,

download time depends on the user’s network connection speed, but the generator

program is unaffected because it is designed for different speeds of connection.

Even if a user uses a slow modem connection, download speed does not create

serious problems since the FE exam generator system uses vector based graphics

and advanced streaming technology. While the user sees the first page of

problems, the following questions are still being downloaded.

The FE test is a time-constrained test, so managing testing time is

important for success on the test. After the FE generator generates problems, a

countdown timer is displayed. The timer continuously reminds the user of testing

time. The user thus can practice test under time pressure. The total time on the

timer is determined by the number of problems.

After the user submits the test, the test score and correct answers are

displayed immediately. This quick score report saves time and effort for the user

and administrator. The user can take the same topics test again or other topics test.

This practice test helps the user choose specific content areas for further practice.

A PERL program is utilized to manage the problem template, to generate

random variables and order of problems, and to control the FE exam generator

system. When the user logs into the FE exam site, a PERL program checks the

49

registered user or guest user and, if necessary, makes a new directory for the new

user. After completing the logon page, the user encounters the problem generator

page. The user can select topics and the number of problems. The FE generator

has one problem generator engine, but the PERL program returns different

parameters to the problem generator engine to make different problems for each

user, a different number of problems, and score distribution report. PERL

programming language was mainly used to develop the FE testing system. When

a user takes a test or registers a user account, the log files increases the number of

data files and the size of the database, and the large size of database decreases

data accessing speed. To solve this problem, PERL programming, ODBC, and

PERL DBI are used.

For assessment, instructors can give a random test or fixed test. The

random test gives all the users the same number of problems, but the problems

vary. One of the reasons the FE generator has fixed test option is to make the tests

more equitable for users who are taking the FE exam test for course work, since

random problems can give a somewhat different difficulty level. The FE random

exam test makes it difficult for users to cheat because every user has different

exam problems and a different problem order in the same topics. After the test, FE

exam generator makes a score report. The administrator can check the user’s

score and score graphs for all users or a single user.

The following block diagram shows the interrelationships and the actions

performed by the different programs for the FE exam generator, as shown Fig 6.1.

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Fig 6.1 Block diagram of the FE exam generator operation

51

6.2 COMPATIBILITY OF THE FE EXAM GENERATOR

The FE exam generator was implemented using Windows NT server 4.0

and Internet Information Service (IIS) 4.0 Web server. However, when the FE

exam generator was designed, transferring to other server systems was taken into

consideration. The FE exam generator can be transferred easily by copying the

complete site. This copy of the web site works with all different operation system

platforms and servers such as Macintosh, Unix, Apache server, or Netscape

enterprise server.

The FE exam generator was designed for any web server with a network

connection. Furthermore, the FE exam generator is made for the modem user, so

at high bandwidth it works with good performance and at normal bandwidth the

FE exam generator works without delays.

6.3 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FE

EXAM GENERATOR

For hosting the FE exam generator, various system hardware and software

are required. The minimum system software and hardware requirements for FE

testing systems are listed in Table 6.1 (Macromedia Generator 2, 2000).

52

Operating Systems Requirements

Microsoft Windows

NT 4.0 Server (Service Pack 5) with Internet

Information Server 4.0 or Netscape iPlanet; Window

2000 with Internet Information Server 5.0; or

Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0 Workstation, with Personal

Web Server 4.0 with a minimum of 64 MB RAM,

48MB available disk space, and 64 MB space.

Solaris systems

Sun Sparc System running Solaris 2.6 or 7 with

Apache HTTP server 1.2.6 or 1.3.x or later, or

Netscape Enterprise 3.5 or later, with a minimum of

64 MB RAM and 80 MB available disk space, and

128 MB of swap space.

Linux systems

Red Hat Linux 6.1 with Apache HTTP server 1.3.9 or

later, with a minimum of 64 MB RAM and 80 MB

available disk space, and 128 MB of swap space.

Table 6.1 System requirements to host the FE exam generator

53

The FE exam generator main interface is HTML pages. Commercial

HTML authoring software such as Macromedia Dreamweaver, and Symantec

Visual Page were used to develop the HTML pages. To create acceptable

computer graphics, graphics software such as Macromedia Freehand, Flash, and

Adobe Photoshop were used. Practical Extraction and Report Language (PERL)

was employed as the primary web-based program language to retrieve

information from users and send response to users from the server. Notepad and

Sitepad text editors were used to edit the PERL scripts and Javascript.

The FE exam generator uses Macromedia Generator program to create

problem templates on the server. The generator is a server-based application that

dynamically changes graphics, animation, and sound using external data sources.

A Generator template has placeholders for text, graphics, and sound. Generator

can dynamically fill the placeholders with contents from a data source to create

exam problem templates. The data source was created by a PERL program.

6.4 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE FE EXAM

GENERATOR To develop FE exam test content for online use is more difficult and time-

consuming work than conventional test developing, but once it was done, the

online test system more flexible and can be used efficiently by thousands. The

contents can be easily changed, modified or reused for new tests and can give

more visual information to the users.

54

The online test system lacks the same test security as a written test in a

traditional classroom since it is difficult to prevent collaboration between students

at a remote location without proctoring (Lam and Gramoll, 1999). For system

security, the FE exam generator generates a new nine digits password whenever

users open exam problem; furthermore, the FE exam generator gives all different

problems or some similar problems with different order and variables under the

same topics. It makes each exam different, thus increasing test security.

Most professional exams are multiple-choice tests, such as Graduate

Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT),

and Fundamentals of Engineering exam (FE). The FE exam generator uses the

same kind of multiple-choice methods. It can help users to prepare for these tests.

These professional exams use a database to pick existing exam problems that are

not repeated, which requires a large database.

Even though exam problem developers spend a large amount of money,

time and effort, these exam problems are used once and cannot be reused.

However, the FE exam generator problem template can hold an unlimited number

of problems with small file size and can be reused with no parameters. The FE

exam generator has a small file size because it uses advanced file streaming

technology, vector graphic capability, and the problem template concept. For the

user, the FE exam generator does not require any additional hardware equipment,

software, plug-ins, or viewers for Web browsers. The Flash plug-in, which is the

55

only one required, is already built into most common Web browsers. The user can

use the FE exam generator on any given computer with an Internet connection.

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CHAPTER 7

POST PROJECT SURVEY AND CONCLUSION

7.1 POST PROJECT SURVEY

To obtain constructive feedback in the FE exam review and generator, a

survey was conducted at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. This is

important to the developer and instructor because the FE exam review and

generator are created for students. They can be the FE exam system users or

owners.

The comparison was between FE reference books, which are generally

used for preparing for the FE examination, and the FE online system. The sample

size of participants was small and consisted of students, who took the Engineering

senior design class. The participants were preparing for the FE exam for six hours

per week on average and they had an average experience of using the Internet.

(Potdar, 2000)

In the survey, the participants were asked to rate their responses for the

questions on five different scales: 1 represented Very Good, 2-Good, 3-Moderate,

4-Just Enough, 5-Scarce. The summary of the responses is shown in table 7.1.

S.No. Questions Book On-line review Responses received (%) Very

Good Good Moderate Just

Enough Scarce Very

Good Good Moderate Just

Enough Scarce

1 Material Coverage to prepare for the exam.

84 16 - - - 67 33 - - -

2 Sufficiency of topics 84 16 - - - 84 16 - - - 3 Quality of practice exams 50 50 - - - 84 16 - - - 4 Convenience of use 17 66 17 - - 84 16 - - - 5 Flexibility and ease of use 50 17 33 - - 84 16 - - - 6 Feedback medium to offer

answers to questions - - 84 16 - - -

7 Coverage of r elevant theory and equations

84 16 - - - 84 16 - - -

8 Use of multimedia such as animations, graphics

- - 100 - - - -

9 Quality of examples and practice problems

50 50 - - - 100 - - - -

10 Features such as chatroom, bulletin board

- - 67 33 - - -

11 Accuracy of Content 84 16 - - - 67 33 - - - 12 Completeness of content 84 16 - - - 84 16 - - - 13 Depth of content 84 17 - - - 84 16 - - - 14 Usefulness of Online timed

testing - - 100 - - - -

15 Usefulness of randomly generated test questio n s

- - 100 - - - -

16 Ability to view old tests - 84 16 - - 84 16 - - - 17 Overall benefit for exam

preparation 50 50 - - - 84 16 - - -

18 Usefulness of interactive web based education

- - 100 - - - -

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Table 7.1 Analysis of post project survey

58

Even though the book and the online system have the same purpose of

helping students’ study, the comparison was not easy because they are using

different modes of delivering information and contents to them. The survey

showed that students preferred to use online system because their responses were

generally either better or equal to that of preparing for an exam using the book.

The book was rated better than the online system in one of the survey

questions because the students considered that the FE exam system’s material

coverage was not as good as compared to the book. The FE exam reference book

was released more than fifteen years ago, and has been reviewed to provide

sufficient material to the students. Currently, The online learning system has less

material than the compared reference book. This deficiency will be overcome in a

short time as improvements are made. This is a new concept of delivering content

which was released a few years ago, as compared to the book system. The online

system can improve quality of contents and material coverage easily since

instructors can create, update, modify, and change the contents at anytime without

increasing printing costs.

The key points of responses were that the use of online tests, randomly

generated questions, multimedia tools, and user interactivity was visual as

beneficial, and helped all the participants to prepare for the exam effectively.

59

7.2 CONCLUSION

Making better testing systems has been a challenge for instructors and

educational system developers. Even though a large amount of time, effort and

money has been spent, most testing systems merely choose exam problems from a

fixed existing database. Unlike this traditional style, the FE exam generator is a

new paradigm in exam testing systems in that it uses the concept of dynamic

problem generation to prepare students to take the FE exam and to monitor their

learning.

This research shows how the FE exam generator program helps both users

and instructors. The system takes advantage of electronic media and network

systems, computer graphics software, PERL script, Javascript, and HTML. The

FE generator works in different operating systems such as Windows, Macintosh,

and Unix.

The FE exam is an important test for engineering students and faculty

members. The Engineering Media Lab at the University of Oklahoma has

developed the FE/EIT online tutorial and the FE exam generator program to help

students to review and practice the exam.

The FE exam generator has a large number of exam problems and practice

testing system. Students need a large number of test problems and practice testing

program to prepare the FE exam. The exam generator is designed to generate a

wide variety of problems and also to simulate the real test. The FE exam

60

generator supports test scoring, grading, elapsed time checking, and recording of

user data.

The FE exam generator can be updated at any time when needed. The

contents of the exam problems can be updated and edited to keep up with the

ever-changing requirements of this test.

The FE exam generator is designed for collaboration. All engineering

faculty members can use the FE exam generator for a variety of purposes.

Specifically, any engineering faculty member can be an administrator for the FE

testing system. The administrator can set up his or her own the FE exam test to

record students’ scores.

The FE generator system can be used for other engineering courses as

well. There are two ways to get the FE exam generator system. First, just copy the

FE exam generator to a new instructor’s Internet server, and use the FE exam

generator system for the new instructor’s own testing system. The new instructor

only needs to develop relevant content to make a new course. Another easy way

to the new instructor is that any engineering faculty member can get permission

from the FE exam generator administrator, and use the FE exam generator

directly as part of his or her own courses. The FE exam generator can give

authorization to the faculty members or registered users, as a result the to the

faculty members can create their own classroom application and score reports.

The cost of implementation is minimal. Most of the primary software that

were used to develop main generator programming, such as PERL compiler,

61

Internet Information Service (IIS) 4.0, and plug-ins, are free to download from the

Internet.

The FE exam generator has data security. To provide security of the FE

exam generator, the FE exam generator keeps two text databases, and a Microsoft

Access file. First text database saves each user’s directory and second database

saves the instructor’s directory. This algorithm increases data security and safety.

The FE exam generator has good database management. When the data

record is large, the sorting and processing time becomes slower. Administrators

can shift to commercial database programs such as Microsoft MS-SQL server or

Oracle. The FE generator program can move to these databases by changing only

a few lines of source code.

The FE exam supports an assessment option. For assessment, the FE exam

generator has powerful features for faculty members because the FE exam

generator can generate new administrator accounts. Any faculty member with

permission to use the FE exam generator system fully use the FE exam generator

as his or her own assessment tool. The registration process is short and simple.

Even less computer literate faculty members can use the FE exam generator

easily. All administrators can have the same control of the FE exam generator.

The FE exam generator developed for this research is suitable for

implementation now, but there is room for improvement. When the FE exam

generator generates variables, the computer uses the equations set up for each

problem to generate three distractors and one correct answer, but unexpected

62

distractor variables may appear. Also, the number of problem templates, currently

are about 400, which is not enough to show significantly different exams again

and again to the users. Even though the generator generates and changes

parameters and variables for the exam problems, users still will see similar

problems. The FE generator will be even more effective when it has a greater

variety of problem templates

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URL:http://www.glpbooks.com/glp/videos.htm, “Video Review Courses for Civil

FE & PE Exams,” Great Lakes Press, Inc. dated Oct 24, 2000.

URL:http://www.udel.edu/engg/outreach/FE_video.html, “Fundamental of

Engineering Review course,” College of Engineering, the University of Delaware,

dated Oct 24, 2000.

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APPENDIX A

Main PERL program file for data manager # db_manager.pl use Win32::ODBC; print "Content-type: text/html\n\n"; require $root_path.'list/perl-lib/cgi-lib.pl'; # get from sign on page, always run if ($should_i_authenticate eq "yes") { &authentication; } elsif ($form_data{'submit_view_question'} eq "View") { &display_old_exam; &three_frames_scores; exit; } elsif ($form_data{'my_account'} eq "Check my account") { &student_my_edit_htm; exit();} elsif ($form_data{'edit_my_account'} eq "Save infomation") { &save_user_edit_info; exit();} else # generate menu page (after log on page) { if ($checkuser eq "admin") {&Display_Previous_Exams_List_admin;exit;} else{&Display_Previous_Exams_List; exit;} } ####################################### ## Basic Paths for use in all modules ### ####################################### sub Set_Paths { # session_username come from logon and then past through form_data $session_username = &find_user_directory;

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# Fix the path to user's directory, i.e. guest $path_user_dir = $root_path."users/".$session_username;

# Create each directory for user tracking, used in all subroutines $change_path_user = $path_user_dir."/r".$fixtime; $fixdir = $session_username."/r".$fixtime;

$user_directory = "users/".$session_username; $admin_rootpath =$root_path."list/perl-lib/test_record/"; $path_user_info_dir = $root_path."users/"; $fixed_test_record_dir = $root_path."users/user_score/"

.$session_username; $fixed_test_record_dir_session = $fixed_test_record_dir."/r".$fixtime; } ########################################### # Generate Questions # ########################################### sub gen_question { # seeds and activates the random generator functions in perl needed!! srand();

# Fix the time and date for directory reference "Imporantant" for security $fixtime = &get_date(0); &Set_Paths; &delete_old_exam_dir;

#Create session folder inside the user folder mkdir($change_path_user,0777); # HTML page for table of answers (radio buttons) open(ANS, ">".$path_user_dir."/answer.htm");

# file to hold all correct answers for later use open(CORR, ">".$change_path_user."/correct_ans.txt");

# creates basic answer HTML page to hold answer table

&create_ans_file($new_counter, $fixtime, $ques_total);

# creates basic problem HTML page to hold answer table

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&create_prob_file($fixdir, $path_user_dir, $ques_total); # generate problems and write solutions in 1.txt open(input2, ">".$change_path_user."/1.txt"); print input2 "name, value\n";

# current total problems generated for test $CurProbNum = 0; # Set Electrical @randECnum = [];

# number of questions and total number to choice from @randECnum = set_randques2($EC_ques_num, $EC_ques_pool); # loop on each electrical problem possible for ($counter=0; $counter<$EC_ques_num; $counter++)

{ $CurProbNum = $CurProbNum+1;

# four answer choices, random position @randans = set_randques2(4,4); @ANS[0, 1, 2, 3] =

&ec_questions($randECnum[$counter]+1, $CurProbNum,$fixdir);

#sec prob, total problem, directory $qnum = $randECnum[$counter]+1;

# actual problem number in section print input2 "ec".$qnum."a, $ANS[$randans[0]]\n";

# qnum is actual electrical problem in database print input2 "ec".$qnum."b, $ANS[$randans[1]]\n";

# qnum is needed to relate variables in flash file print input2 "ec".$qnum."c, $ANS[$randans[2]]\n"; print input2 "ec".$qnum."d, $ANS[$randans[3]]\n"; #generate the answers radio buttons, write answers to Input2 file &con_embed(\@ANS,\@randans,$CurProbNum,$randECnum[$counter]+1); } close(input2);

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# finish answer HTML page

print ANS "</table></blockquote>\n"; print ANS "<input type=submit value=\"score check\"

name=\"get_score\">\n"; print ANS "<input type=hidden name=\"ques_total\"

value=\"$ques_total\">\n"; print ANS "<input type=hidden name=\"auth_user_name\"

value=\"$user_name_check\">\n"; print ANS "</form></center></BODY></HTML>\n"; close(ANS); close(CORR); } ################################################################### Make Problems Frames # ################################################################## sub three_frames_problems {

print "<html><head><title>Practice_Test</title></head>\n"; print "<frameset framespacing=0 FRAMEBORDER=\"no\" BORDER=0

cols=\"*,150\">\n"; print "<FRAME marginwidth=1 marginheight=1 name=\"quest\"

src=\"$user_directory/problem.htm\">\n"; print "<FRAME marginwidth=5 marginheight=5 name=\"probs\"

src=\"$user_directory/answer.htm\">\n"; print "</frameset>\n"; print "</html>\n"; } ################################################################### Make Problem and Answer Frame # ################################################################## sub create_prob_file { # create only, post latter after actual questions are generated (see create_ans_file)

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local ($path, $path_user_dir, $ques_total) = @_; open(PROBS, ">".$path_user_dir."/problem.htm"); # HTML page for holding flash generator with problems print PROBS "<html><head><title>Untitled Document</title></head>\n"; print PROBS "<body bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\">\n"; print PROBS "<object classid=\"clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-

444553540000\" codebase=\"http://active.macromedia.com/flash2/cabs/swflash.cab#version=4,0,0,0\" width=480 height=1100>\n";

print PROBS "<param name=\"SRC\" value=\"../main".$qt.".swt?source=$path\">\n";

print PROBS "<embed src=\"../main".$qt.".swt?source=$path\" pluginspage=\http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/\ type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=480 height=1100>\n";

print PROBS "</embed></object></body></html>\n"; close(PROBS); } ################################################################### Compare Answers # ################################################################## sub compare_answers {

$fixtime = $form_data{'fixtime'}; &Set_Paths;

$probcounter = 0; open(TEMP, $change_path_user."/correct_ans.txt") ||

die ("Could not open the file 558"); while(<TEMP>){ $probcounter ++; } close(TEMP); $ques_total = $probcounter; #user answers and score still have not been recorded, do it here open(USER, ">>".$change_path_user."/user_ans.txt");

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# create and write just the user answers for ($i=1; $i<=$ques_total; $i++) #read in each line { $NumTemp = "P".$i; &numeric_to_character($form_data{$NumTemp});

# pull answer from submitted form, use $temp print USER "$i, $temp\n"; } #end of for

close(USER); if ($form_data{'fix_test_record'} eq "fix_test_record_yes") { open(USER, ">>".$fixed_test_record_dir_session."/user_ans.txt");

# create and write just the user answers for ($i=1; $i<=$ques_total; $i++) #read in each line { $NumTemp = "P".$i; &numeric_to_character($form_data{$NumTemp});

# pull answer from submitted form, use $temp print USER "$i, $temp\n"; } #end of for close(USER); } else{} open(CORR, $change_path_user."/correct_ans.txt");

# read in only, written when problems were generated open(USER, $change_path_user."/user_ans.txt");

# create and write just the user answers $score = 0;

# used in POINTS file writing to server

for ($i=1; $i<=$ques_total; $i++) #read in each line { $line=<CORR>;

# assigns the line from the file to the variable $line

chop $line; @fields=split(/ /, $line);

# are are always two items per line in this file $line2=<USER>;

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# assigns the line from the file to the variable $line chop $line2; @fields2=split(/ /, $line2);

# are are always two items per line in this file if ($fields[1] eq $fields2[1]) { $score++; } } #end of for close(CORR); close(USER); &Update_Exam_List($score, $ques_total); #update data record that has list of all exams, needs score from above &create_score_file($fixdir, $ques_total); # creates basic score HTML page (saves as file to post later) } ################################################# # Update Exam List # # Change the score of the exam from 0 to the actual score # ################################################## sub Update_Exam_List {

local($myscore, $q_total) = @_; # passes only the new score

$when_modified = &get_date(1); &Set_Paths; open (DATABASE, $path_user_dir."/".$data_file) || &file_open_error ("$path_user_dir/$data_file", "Modify item", __FILE__, __LINE__); $count = 1; while ( $line = <DATABASE>) {

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chop $line; @check = split (/ /, $line); @examlist[$count-1] = $line; $count++; } close (DATABASE); open (EXAMLIST, ">".$path_user_dir."/".$data_file)

$new_row = $myscore/$q_total\|$fixtime\|$when_modified\ |$session_username\|$session_group\| \n";

print EXAMLIST $new_row;

$count=1; while($count <= @examlist) { print EXAMLIST "@examlist[$count-1] \n"; $count ++; if ($count == 10){goto ENDLIST;} } ENDLIST: close (EXAMLIST); } ################################################################### Make Score Frames # ################################################################## sub three_frames_scores { print "<html><head><title>FIE Test Score</title></head>\n"; print "<frameset framespacing=0 FRAMEBORDER=\"no\" BORDER=0

cols=\"*,150\">\n"; print "<FRAME marginwidth=1 marginheight=1 name=\"quest\"

src=\"$user_directory/problem.htm\">\n"; print "<FRAME marginwidth=5 marginheight=5 name=\"probs\"

src=\"$user_directory/score.htm\">\n"; print "</frameset>\n"; print "</html>\n";

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} ################################################################### Perform Authentication # ################################################################## sub authentication { $session_file = "$form_data{'session_file'}";

$session_file =~ s/\///g; ($session_file, $session_username, $session_group,$session_first_name, $session_last_name, $session_email) = &GetSessionInfo($session_file, $this_script_url, *form_data); } ########################################### sub GetSessionInfo { local($session, $main_script, *in) = @_; local($session_file, @fields); local(@fields); if ($session eq "") { require "$auth_lib/auth-extra-lib.pl"; @fields = &VerifyUser($main_script, *in); } # End of if else { $session =~ /(\w*)/; $session = $1; $session_file = "$session.dat"; open (SESSIONFILE, "<$auth_session_dir/$session_file"); while (<SESSIONFILE>) { chop; @fields = split(/\|/); } close (SESSIONFILE);

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unshift(@fields, $session); } # End of else # return the array of fields; @fields; } # End of GetSessionInfo ################################################################### Changing Numeric to Characters # ################################################################## sub numeric_to_character { local($ques) = @_; $temp = ""; # set to blank, no answer selected if ($ques eq "0") { $temp = "A"; return $temp; } if ($ques eq "1") { $temp = "B"; return $temp; } if ($ques eq "2") { $temp = "C"; return $temp; } if ($ques eq "3") { $temp = "D"; return $temp; }

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} ############################################ # Display Old Exam # ############################################ sub display_old_exam # get all previous exam records and search each line { &Set_Paths; open(DATAFILE, $path_user_dir."/".$data_file); # Need to get folder name (fixtime) to access correct previous tests while(($line = <DATAFILE>)) { chop($line); @fields = split(/\|/, $line);

if ($fields[$index_of_fixtime] eq $form_data{'item_to_modify'}) #item_to_modify comes from radio button that was picked

{ $fixtime = $fields[$index_of_fixtime]; # Assign fixtime } } close (DATAFILE); &Set_Paths; # make new path ###### important $probcounter=0; open(TEMP, $change_path_user."/correct_ans.txt"); while(<TEMP>){ $probcounter ++;} close(TEMP); $ques_total = $probcounter; &create_prob_file($fixdir, $path_user_dir, $ques_total); # creates basic problem HTML page to hold generator file (saves as file to post later) &create_score_file($fixdir, $ques_total); # creates basic score HTML page (saves as file to post later)

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} ############################################################# # Delete old Exams files and directories from server # ############################################################# sub delete_old_exam_dir { open (FILE, "$path_user_dir/"."checkdir.dat"); $temp2 = <FILE>; @check = split (/ /, $temp2); close(FILE); $count = 7; @filelist = sort(@filelist); while($count <= @filelist-1) {

$temp3 = 1; while($temp3 <= @check) { if(@check[$temp3 - 1] eq @filelist[$count-1]) { goto PASS; } else{$temp3 ++;} } unlink(glob("$path_user_dir/"."@filelist[$count -1]/"."*.txt")); rmdir("$path_user_dir/"."@filelist[$count -1]"); PASS : $count ++; } }

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APPENDIX B

Typical PERL programs file for statics problems

############################################################ # Static-QUESTION-LIB.PL ############################################################ sub st_questions { use Math::Trig; local($qnum, $CurProbNum, $fixdir) = @_; local($pi); $pi=atan2(1,1)*4; # pi constant # writing to 1.txt file in user folder, header material for each question #in the path Demo dosen't need "/", because doesn't have user folder print input2 "q".$CurProbNum.", ../list/statics/st".$qnum.".swt\n"; print input2 "prob".$CurProbNum.", ".$fixdir."\n"; goto "Label".$qnum; Label1: $st1v1 = int(rand(10))+10; # kilogram 10 to 20 $st1v2 = 5*int(rand(6))+10; # degrees, 10 to 40 $st1v2r = $st1v2*$pi/180.0; # radians print input2 "st1v1, $st1v1\n"; print input2 "st1v2, $st1v2\n"; $temptan=sin($st1v2r)/cos($st1v2r); $A = int($temptan*1000)/1000; $B = int($temptan*1000)/1000 +0.102; $C = int(sin($st1v2r)*0.90*1000)/1000; $D = int($st1v1/60*1000)/1000;

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&check; return ( $A, $B, $C, $D ); exit; Label2: $st2v1 = 5*int(rand(5))+20; # angle1, 20 to 45 $st2v1r = $st2v1*$pi/180.0; # radians $st2v2 = 5*int(rand(6))+30; # angle2, 30 to 60 $st2v2r = $st2v2*$pi/180.0; # radians $st2v3 = int(rand(20))+15; # weight, 15 to 35 print input2 "st2v1, $st2v1\n"; print input2 "st2v2, $st2v2\n"; print input2 "st2v3, $st2v3\n"; $temptan1=sin($st2v1r)/cos($st2v1r); $temptan1=sin($st2v2r)/cos($st2v2r); $A = int( $st2v3/( cos($st2v2r)*$temptan1+sin($st2v2r) )*100 )/100; $B = int( $st2v3/( sin($st2v2r)*$temptan1+sin($st2v2r) )*100 )/100; $C = int( $st2v3/( sin($st2v1r)+sin($st2v2r) )*100 )/100; $D = int( $st2v3/( cos($st2v1r)*$temptan2+sin($st2v2r) )*100 )/100; &check; return ( $A, $B, $C, $D );

exit; } sub dr

{ #degree to radian

local ($degree) = @_; local ($radian); $radians = atan2(1,1)*$degree/45; } sub acos

{ atan2( sqrt(1 - $_[0] * $_[0]), $_[0] )

}

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sub asin {

atan2( $_[0], sqrt(1 - $_[0] * $_[0])) }

# check the same variables for one problem sub check {

if ($A==$B){$B = $A * 0.8;} elsif ($A==$C){$C = $A * 0.8;} elsif ($A==$D){$D = $A * 0.8;} elsif ($B==$C){$C = $B * 0.8;} elsif ($B==$D){$D = $B * 0.8;} elsif ($C==$D){$D = $C * 0.8;} else {} }