Computer based online written test system "Tao Software"

Internship Project Report
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―In the name of ALLAH
The most Gracious the most Merciful‖

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I DEDICATE THIS REPORT
TO
MY GRANDFATHER WALI MUHAMMAD (late)
In recognition of their worth
An apology
A feeling bears on itself the scars of its birth;
It recollects as a Subjective Emotion for existence;
It retains the impress of what might have been, but is not.
If the fool will persist in his folly he would become wise.
WILLIAM BLAKE
“PROVERB OF HELL”

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Acknowledgements
All praise & thanks to ALLAH ALMIGHTY who enable to complete this project. After prophet MOHAMMED (S.A.W), I am greatly indebted to MY PARENTS & MY WHOLE FAMILY and my RESPECTABLE TEACHERS whose great efforts brought me at the stage. I am greatly thankful to SIR MATI-UR-RAB and IT Department of Pak Arab Fertilizer that they helped me a lot in understanding this project.
I really enjoyed the whole period of my Internship and I will never forget these memorable moments that I spent here in understanding this project.

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ABSTRACT
As flexible and online learning becomes more pervasive, there is a growing need for educators to consider modes of assessment using similar tools. Computer Based Test (CBT) is an effective solution for mass education evaluation. Though, a variety of e-assessment approaches and systems have been developed in recent times, yet lack of flexible timing functionality to automatically log-off candidates upon expiration of allotted time, result integrity comprise, as well as human error are major limitations of the existing platforms. It is also seen by some as an avenue toward greater accessibility for students with disabilities. Tao software is software of e-assessment. TAO is an open source e-Testing platform for building, delivering, and sharing innovative and engaging assessments online. TAO allows you to create on-line tests that can work for thousands of test takers. This Computer-Based Assessment software may be used at different levels. Test can be made online. Candidate’s log in ID and password is made online and candidate can log in through that id and can take test. After limited time, test will be expired and result will be showed on software automatically.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Motivation of the project 8
1.2. Background and Objective 8
1.3. Literature Survey 9
1.3.1. Contextual Issue Related to CBT 9
2. Installation and Execution
2.1. Things to know before installing TAO 12
2.2. Installation Modes 12
2.2.1. Automatic Installation 12
2.2.2. Manual Installation 15
2.3. How to use TAO 20
2.3.1. Items 20
2.3.2. Test 20
2.3.3. Test Takers 20
2.3.4. Groups 21
2.3.5. Deliveries 21
2.3.6. Results 21

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Part # 1
(Introduction)

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1.1 Motivation of the Project:
The paper and pen (manual) method of writing examination, which has been in existence for decades, may not be appealing for use because of the problems usually experienced including examination venue capacity constraints, lack of comfort for examination candidates, delay in the release of results, examination malpractices, cost implication of printing examination materials and human error. This brings about the need for automation of the examination system [1].
Over the years, there have been various automated examination systems that have been developed with one or more limitations. Some of these limitations include lack of
 Flexible timing functionality to automatically log-off candidates upon expiration of allotted time as a challenge
 Malpractice due to questions not randomly generated
 Not well secured application domain in terms of data security and integrity.
An online assessment however, is expected to offer several advantages for the institution and the learner. These include
 Time analysis of responses to the question level to better discriminate between candidates.
 Including video in questions, particularly for scenarios in authentic assessment.
 Question banks and randomization of questions and response orders to reduce cheating.
 Automated analysis of results from entire candidate troops.
 Immediate feedback can be given.
1.2 Background and Objective:
There have been a number of researches focusing on the development of automated examination systems and electronic learning information systems. Zhenming et al (2003) developed a novel online examination system based on a Browser/Server framework which carries out automatic grading for objective questions in computer related topics such as programming, Microsoft Windows operating systems and Microsoft Office applications. It was successfully applied to the distance evaluation of basic operating skills of students offering computer science in some Universities.
Lei (2006) presented a web-based educational assessment system by applying Bloom’s taxonomy to evaluate student learning outcomes and teacher instructional practices in real time. The system performance is rather encouraging with experimentation in science and mathematics courses of two local high schools. Emery & Abu (2006) developed an online website for tutoring and e-examination of economic courses.
This novel software tool was used for online examination and tutorial application of the syllabus of economic courses so as to ensure that students study all the concepts of economics. So, the proposed software is structured from two major modules, the first one was an online website to review and make self-test for all materials of economic course and the second part is an online examination using a large

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database bank of questions through it the level of students can be evaluated immediately and some statistical evaluations can be obtained. The developed software offers the following features:
 Instructors could add any further questions to maximize the size of the bank of questions.
 Different examinations for each student with randomly selected questions from the bank of questions can be done.
 Different reports for the instructors, students, classes etc. can be obtained.
 Several students can take their exams simultaneously without any problem inside and outside their campus. The proposed software has been designed to work based on the client server architecture.
1.3 Literature Survey: In its broadest sense, e-assessment is the use of information technology for any assessment- related activity. This definition embraces a wide range of student activity ranging from the use of a word processor to on-screen testing. Due to its obvious similarity to e-learning, the term e-assessment is becoming widely used as a generic term to describe the use of computers within the assessment process. Various terms are used to describe the use of a computer for assessment purposes [2]. These include:
 Computer-Assisted Assessment or Computer-Aided Assessment (CAA)  Computer-Mediated Assessment (CMA)  Computer-Based Assessment (CBA)  Online assessment.
1.3.1 Contextual Issue Related To CBT:
The implementation of CBT occurs within a context that both supports and limits its use. In this section, we briefly address several of the contextual factors that surround CBT including [3]:
a) The technological capacity of schools to support CBT
b) Universal design applied to CBT
c) Perceived advantages and disadvantages of CBT
a) Technological Capacity in Schools
Access to computers and Internet capabilities have for some time been a stumbling block for the push to widespread use of computer-based and online assessments. For example, Becker (2006) questioned ―digital equity‖ in computer access, computer use, and state-level technology policies. He used data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to examine digital equity, and reported that ―students in rural schools or schools with high percentages of African American students were likely to have less access to computers‖ (p. 1). Becker did not examine whether having a disability had any impact on computer availability or use [4]
A nationally representative school-level survey on information technology conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (Gray, Thomas, & Lewis, 2010) reported several findings about the availability and use of technology in schools in the fall of 2008. The results generally indicated that computers with Internet access were available for instruction, and that the ratio of instructional computers

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with Internet access was 3 to 1. The large majority of computers in public schools were used for instruction. Schools also reported using a district network or the Internet to provide assessment results for teachers to individualize instruction or to inform instructional planning; nearly three-fourths provided online student assessments. Full-time technology staff members were available in about one-third of low poverty schools and one-fourth of high poverty concentration schools. The survey did not ask about availability of computers to students with disabilities, or about the use of computers for statewide testing.
b) Universal Design Applied to CBT:
Universal design of assessment generally means an approach that involves developing assessments for the widest range of students from the beginning while maintaining the validity of results from the assessment. Universal design also sometimes refers to multiple means of representation, action/expression, and engagement [5].
More recently, attention has been paid to applying the principles of universal design in a technology-based environment. For example, Russell, Hoffman, and Higgins (2009a) demonstrated that the principles of universal design could be applied to computer-based test delivery. Technology also can be used to more seamlessly link instruction and assessment. For example, Salend (2009) specifically identified a variety of technology-based approaches that might be used for classroom assessments—for example, curriculum-based measurement (CBMs) assessment probes, digitalized observations and portfolios, and self-monitoring tools [6].
Dolan et al. (2009) prepared a set of guidelines specifically for computer-based assessments. The principles address test delivery considerations, item content and delivery considerations, and component content and delivery considerations. A variety of topics relevant to computer-based testing and universal design is addressed in the component content and delivery considerations section of the guidelines (e.g., text, images, audio, video), with each organized according to categories of processing that students apply during testing [7].
c) Perceived Advantages and Challenges of CBT:
Many of the perceived advantages and challenges of CBT have been addressed in the literature [8]. Yet, most are not focused on students with disabilities. In examining perceptions and research on CBT, we identified several categories or ―themes‖ that can be used to organize the advantages and challenges of CBT:
 Economic: Factors that have cost implications.
 Systems implementation: Logistical, test security, and other factors that affect the capacity of local education agencies and state education agencies to implement CBT.
 Test administration/design: Factors that affect how students (and sometimes teachers) perceive and interact with the test.
 Accessibility: Factors that affect how accessible a test is to a wide range of students.

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Part # 2
(Installation & Operation)

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2.1 Things to know before installing TAO:
TAO is an open source e-Testing platform for building, delivering, and sharing innovative and engaging assessments online. The minimum system requirements for installing TAO are PHP 5.3 or higher, MySQL 5.0 or higher and an Apache server (recommended version: 2.2.9, other version should work).
2.2 Installation Modes:
Under all Windows operating systems, you will have the ability to install the TAO platform using the Automated Installation mode. This mode is recommended when installing TAO with just basic technical information [9].
Alternatively, you can perform a manual installation on your server or desktop. To do so, you need to download the ―TAO sources‖ package from the TAO website. The ―TAO sources‖ package contains the source codes and files of the TAO application. These source files need to be uploaded into the appropriate Apache server folder and set into MySQL workbench in order to run TAO.
2.2.1 Automated Installation:
If your IT environment meets TAO’s system requirements, follow the instructions below. Please note that the TAO Automated Installation is only available for Microsoft Windows operating systems.
The Automated Installation consists of the following steps:
Step 1: Download the TAO windows exe package on tao.lu
Step 2: Run the TAO window exe package
Step 3: Check the application and database servers’ port
Step 4: Start the application and database servers
Step 5: Access to the application through local host
Step 6: Change the default administrator password
Step 7: Test the Installation
Download the TAO windows exe package on tao.lu

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2.2.2 Manual Installation:
Once your software stack is ready, i.e., PHP, Apache and MySQL servers installed, we can choose to install TAO either on a remote server, or on your desktop. After locating the TAO platform .zip/.tar file you will need to extract the software before installing and configuring TAO. Most file managers can extract the TAO files for you.
1. Download the TAO platform .zip/.tar file
To get the ―TAO sources‖ package, visit the TAO website Download section and look for the latest version of TAO. Once the download is complete, locate the path of the downloaded file in order to extract the TAO sources files.
2. Extract or uncompress your files in your server web folder
Open the ―TAO sources‖ package with preferred file manager and extract the TAO files. Depending on your operating system, we can use either WinZip/WinRAR on Windows, or command line tar -xf on Linux/Unix, and Ez7z on Mac OS X.
Locate web folder (usually named htdocs or www) and extract the TAO files into this folder. The web folder is the directory that the web server software (Apache) looks for files to serve on your domain. Anything you want web-viewable needs to be inside this web folder. When done, start installing TAO by following the instructions below.
3. Launch the web installation
Once we have extracted the TAO sources package into your web folder, we have to start our application and data servers first (Apache and MySQL). Then, we can launch the TAO platform installation by entering the web server URL address concatenated with the extracted folder name and ―/tao/install/‖ in our web browser. This leads us to the TAO Installation Process screen.
The Configuration Checker scans the computer and checks for conditions that prevent a successful TAO platform installation. The Configuration Checker retrieves the status of application server, your database server and multiple components required (i.e. PHP, Jason module, etc…) to ensure appropriate system settings for TAO.
The main screen of TAO Installation Process will check your system environment. If a component is missing or does not match the requirements listed in the chapter ―

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Figure (a) System configuration check, main screen
Things to know before installing TAO” and a red vertical line indicator is displayed next to the requirement statement, then we cannot continue the TAO installation process.
Figure b. System configuration check, helper
There is a helper for each component statement; to open it, we have to click on the question mark next to the component item line. This can help us to fix some issues before continuing with the next step

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of TAO Installation Process.
Figure c. System configuration check, system ready to be installed
Once the green vertical line indicator is displayed, this mean our system is ready for installation. This also means that our computer environment is functional and is aligned with TAO requirements, and then we can proceed with the next step of the installation process.
4. Follow the instructions
TAO Installation Process includes multiple steps of configuration. First, we have to set up your TAO host configuration; second, we have to enter TAO database server information and finally we have to enter the details of the TAO super user (login name and password) to access and manage TAO platform.
4.1 . Host configuration
The TAO host configuration page allows you to configure custom host entries. In order to start TAO, we have to host all TAO files on a single web server. Then, we can set up the name of the domain where we can access our TAO platform through the configuration files of our web server.

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Once you get the address of your TAO platform instance, you need to enter it on the host configuration page. Next, select the interface language for TAO and the working environment where TAO is deployed.
Figure e. Host configuration page, language interface selection
The languages available are listed in the drop-down menu. More languages will be added as TAO continues to grow.
Figure f. Host configuration page, working environment selection

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You can choose between Production and Development environment when installing TAO. The development environment is recommended for software and database developers who contribute to the improvement of the TAO platform and want to design specific components for TAO. When TAO components are tested and completed, they are moved to the production environment.
The production environment is the live environment where final users enter their data, query information, perform assessments and run their reports and designers can model their items and tests.
4.2 Database configuration:
You have to configure the database connection in order to start TAO. If there is no instance of a database management system on your server or desktop, you have to install it. Here we will need to enter the database type, hostname, user name, user password for the database we have set up. If we select the option ―Overwrite‖, the installation program will overwrite any existing TAO database with a new and clean TAO database.
4.3 Super user creation:
The super user in TAO has an administrator role for managing the TAO platform; the super user has the full right of designing new items, managing tests libraries, scheduling assessments campaign, importing users and even more operations in TAO platform.
You need to create a super user login in order to access TAO. To do so, you have to enter the details of the person in charge of managing TAO; you also have to give to this person a login name and a password.
4.4 TAO platform deployment
Once the super-user has been created, we’ve reached the final step of the TAO Installation Process. To complete the Installation Process, we have to press the button ―Deploy‖ on the ―Deployment‖ page. This will make TAO platform available for general use. During the deployment phase, all information provided in the previous steps is taken into account to build the final installation package and to automatically set up the TAO platform.
Once your installation process has completed, and no errors or issues occurred during this step, a successful installation message is displayed; click on the Finish button to complete the TAO Installation Process.
5. Test the installation
Use your web browser to test the installation by entering the URL of your web domain concatenated with the instance of TAO platform in your browser’s navigation address bar. A welcome page will be displayed giving you access to TAO Back Office, TAO Delivery Server and TAO Workflow Engine.

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2.3 How to use TAO:
Generally six portions or tabs are there to use this software [10].
 Items
 Tests
 Test-takers
 Groups
 Deliveries
 Results
2.3.1 Items: Create, preview and organize individual items before including them in your tests. Choose from 17 different interaction types, including:  Single choice  Multiple choice  Text entry  Slider  Hotspot Import & Export Items: Import any items that are compliant with the QTI (Question and Test Interoperability). Conversely, you can also export items from TAO and re-use them in other QTI-compliant tools. If your needs go beyond what the QTI standard allows, you can develop powerful and sophisticated item types using the TAO Open Web Item format. 2.3.2 Tests: In this section we Build and manage tests using items that you have previously created or imported. 2.3.3 Test-takers: In this section we Register our test-takers, manage their personal data, and assign them to groups. Default properties of the test-takers are their name and the language of the test interface. You can customize these records by adding any data you need, such as date of birth, gender, etc. In addition to

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creating test-takers individually by manually entering their corresponding data, you can mass-create test- taker records by importing them from a CSV file. 2.3.4 Groups: Add test-takers to groups to assign tests, and measure group performance. Grouping test-takers enables you to specify populations with particular characteristics. You define these characteristics by adding your own group descriptors. In TAO, tests are assigned to groups. 2.3.5 Deliveries: Here we control how to publish and deliver tests. Select the test you want to deliver to your group(s) of test-takers. Publish it to make it available online. We can define a delivery by  Select the delivery dates.  Specify how many times test-takers are allowed to repeat a test.  Select the group(s) that will take the test. You can exclude individual test-takers even if they are part of the group. 2.3.6 Results: In this section we Store, manage, and analyze test results with ease. We can view the performance of any individual test-taker – whether it’s on a single test or across a range of tests.

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References [1] https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&uact=8& sqi=2&ved=0CE4QFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ijstr.org%2Ffinal- print%2Faug2013%2FComputer-based-Test-Cbt-System-For-University-Academic-Enterprise- Examination.pdf&ei=- d7RU4f1BoTC7AbqlIEw&usg=AFQjCNF9YOWtPIH03QP4IZTBvjFEjrNLhw&sig2=CT5lJAx
vzkytkXCxnSuHHg&bvm=bv.71667212,d.bGE[2] h ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-assessment
[3] https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8& sqi=2&ved=0CCIQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cehd.umn.edu%2Fnceo%2Fonlinepubs% 2Fsynthesis78%2Fsynthesis78.pdf&ei=-d7RU4f1BoTC7AbqlIEw&usg=AFQjCNG- gCrLgnoVTuGuPItHNlMmwMnaRA&sig2=WyCw06_UrhshrTR0jfv08Q&bvm=bv.71667212,
d.bGE
[4] ww w.eed.state.ak.us/nclb/pdf/Statewide_System_of_Support.pdf - 2009-03-26
[5] h ttp://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/FormativeAssessmentResources.htm
[6] h ttp://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_testing.aspx?PageReq=CI_TESTING_EOCT
[7] h ttp://www.doe.in.gov/eca/pdf/2009-10_ECA%20_Kick-off_Memo.pdf
[8] h ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-assessment
[9] https://www.google.com.pk/webhp?tab=ww&ei=G768U_iXKdLT4QTau4HoAg&ved=0CBAQ1
S 4#q=tao+testing+manual&safe=active
[10] h ttp://127.0.0.1/TAO/tao/Main/index?structure=tests&ext=taoTests#

Computer based online written test system "Tao Software"

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