Online Math Assessment Using WAMAP

1. Online Math AssessmentUsing WAMAP David Lippman, Pierce College WAMAP webmaster IMathAS lead developer Transition Math Project Summer Institute August 23, 2006

2. What is WAMAP / IMathAS IMathAS: Internet Math Assessment System • Web-based math assessment engine • Algorithmically generated questions • Computer grading of numerical and math expression questions • 1500+ existing questions from arithmetic through calculus • Accurate math and graph display • Light course management system features WAMAP: Washington Math Assessment & Placement • Free IMathAS web hosting for Washington schools • Funded by TMP

3. Uses For Courses: • Homework • Quizzes • Tests • Take-home tests • Practice tests • Beginning/end of quarter diagnostics Other: • Diagnostic assessments • Placement testing

4. Benefits • Instant feedback • Students can self-identify areas of weakness and do immediate additional practice or review • Encourages students working together while discouraging cheating

5. Student Demo www.wamap.org Username: demo Password: demo • Registration • Enrollment • Forums • Take Test • Question Types

6. Diagnostic & PlacementCustomizations • Pierce Diagnostic login www.pierce.ctc.edu/dlippman/diag • Pierce Placement login www.pierce.ctc.edu/dlippman/imathas/placement/placement.php

7. Feedback “As we move to mandatory skills-based assessments for our below college-level courses, we will be able to easily administer, monitor, and assess how students are doing across the discipline and, if other schools participate, across multiple schools” -David Whittaker Cascadia CC

8. Instructor Demo • Create new course • Add text item w/ math & graphs • Add assessment • Categorization • Grade book • List Students • Copy course items • Shift course dates

9. Comparisons • Blackboard Blackboard contains more advanced course management features, but lacks user-friendly math and graph display, has limited ability to ask randomized questions, and cannot automatically grade math expression answers. • iLrn, MyMathLab, etc. WAMAP’s assessment system is very similar to many of these systems, but does not include tutorials or links to textbook materials. • Webassign WAMAP is very similar to Webassign, but is free, and (in my opinion) is a bit easier to write custom questions in. Webassign does include a much larger existing question set, but many of the questions are not randomized.

10. Primary Advantages • Cost It’s free! • Updates and improvements WAMAP is continually updated and improved based on user input, and is not locked to a vendor’s update cycle. The smaller user base also allows quicker response to problems and requests. • Customization Because WAMAP is open-source, it can be easily customized to meet your needs at a much lower cost than commercial solutions.

11. Want to use it? • Log in to www.wamap.org • Click on the “Information for Instructors” link • Click on the “New Instructor Account Request” and send in your info. Your account will be set up in a few days or less. • Read the Getting Started in IMathAS guide to get familiar with the system.