Introduction
Freelance learning has become a norm in the current internet has revolutionised the academic world, it has given rise to a twist in the way student evaluation is done. Online testing has evidently become a common way of evaluation. These are the tests that are done and graded online. In this case, the examiner communicates with the examinee via the internet. The tests are uploaded to the website where they are accessed by the examinees. The answers, in whichever format, are submitted online. If grading is being done online, it is usually a snap exercise giving results readily. The examiners may organise answers into the system that grade all incoming tests, for an MCQ kind of test. Essays type of answers may be organised to be read easily (Hostos n.d.).
How websites work
Some factors must be present to facilitate the administration of online testing. The tests are first prepared locally in the computers before they are uploaded to the website as web pages. Computer programming languages such as Html is used to create web pages that may be used for this purpose. An understanding of the basic terms such as the domain name, web hosting, I.P. address name, servers and DNS propagation/delay terms will be instrumental in getting work to the online test stage.
All communication on the internet is through the I.P. address. Each website is identified with a unique domain name also known as URL. A web host is the provider of necessary space for the website. There is a fee payable to the domain registry for the domain name known as the hosting fee. The browser requests for a page from the internet that is then delivered to the webserver (Online Education Database 2011).
Creating a website
A web page is a simple text file that contains both text and Html tags that style the text on the screen. A deep understanding of the programming language is of uttermost importance at this stage. For example, Programs that can create simple text files such as a notepad or word is used to create the test in ordinary text format. This is then encrypted in the code language and formatted using the Html tags. The saved files can be opened by browsers (browsers have a way of opening locale files). This allows pre-viewing of the pages as they will appear. Using software such as Html editor, these pages, which are the tests, are uploaded to the space provided by the Webhosting company.
The website is then made visible to browsers by submitting the URL to search engines. The course material can be accessed on the site thereafter via browsing. The tests are usually designed in an interactive format. That is to mean that responses can be made by a simple click on a tab that will do the submitting (Squidoo 2011).
Moodle
A software package designed to generate internet-based courses and web site. It is an open resource that is installed in the machine and accessed via a URL. This is a learning management system that allows an online space for particular people to create and pool learning activities and resources to suit their needs like a school. This online space is what is referred to as courses and it is categorised by criteria into smaller classifications (Moodle Support 2010c). Moodle has many activities that support synergy. Through these Moodle activities, the participants do something such as answer a quiz or a test or participate in forums. This is facilitated by the Moodle quiz and lesson modules. The same question may be posed to different students at different times allowing for authentic assessment of the learners’ knowledge. The activities can be added to suit a specific purpose. The trainer, having more authority technically, adds resources to the Moodle course for the learners. The trainer has a greater capability to edit courses and may restrict the learners to what they should see. The main tool for uploading content into a course is the resource. The content may comprise plain or rich text, links or uploads. Grading is done online for all the necessary activities and added to the grade book. Various skills can be tested over Moodle depending on third party modules and plugins (Moodle Support 2010d). The trainer may create all the familiar forms of assessment for the students. Descriptive text and graphics may also be used for essays. A trainer makes a final assessment of the student. At his disposal is the power to regulate the opening and closing periods of the site. This means that the use and effectiveness of Moodle narrow down to what the learning community wants to benefit from it (Moodle Support 2010a).
Blackboard
Blackboard is an academic suite that provides free hosting of online training. The students get to access this material via the blackboard URL and submit assignments as well as sit for several kinds of tests from anywhere. Blackboard has a quiz tool that allows the examiners to design quizzes and tests. A proctor is used to sign off the student taking a test to curb cheating. The creation of test questions by the test manager is the first stage of the online testing process. The questions may be structured in different ways such as true/false, multiple choices, multiple answers, ordering, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and essay. The trainer will be required to choose options for providing feedback by the students and the questions and answer format and the way scoring will be done. Assessments and feedback can be used as tools to improve subsequent learning. The test is thereafter availed to the content area with the test options. The test may be started or stopped several times within the time of the test. Thereafter, the trainer grades the tests and provides the grades to the students as feedback. The grading may be done manually then modifications and regulations can be done to the results. The student then gets to know his/her performance by viewing his grades. Statistical analysis of the performance may be done online (Using Blackboard Tests n.d.).
References
Hostos, n.d. Blackboard online exams & quizzes, workshop manual, 2008, Web.
Moodle Support, 2010a. Moodle support for online tests, Web.
Moodle Support, 2010b. Teaching FAQ, Web.
Moodle Support, 2010c. Teaching with Moodle, Web.
Online Education Database, 2011. Advantages of Taking Online tests, Web.
Squidoo, 2011. Advantages of Online Examination Software, Web.
Using Blackboard Tests, n.d., Web.