MapleTA: A Smart Quiz System for Math, Science and Engineering
Paul Kates, Mathematics Faculty CTE Liaison
University of Waterloo, Dec 15, 2014
Overview
- what MapleTA can do now
- what MapleTA can do next year
What is MapleTA?
- a mathematically intelligent assessment system
- supports multiple question types
- algorithmic templates for questions
- grade management
- integrated with D2L (LEARN at UW, 2014)
Mathematically intelligent
- many systems can't tell that 1/2 = 0.5
- MapleTA accepts numbers, expressions, formulas, functions, matrices, etc.
- power of Maple to create and grade questions (e.g., statistical
distributions, MathML rendering, plots)
- uses algorithmic variables
What are algorithmic variables?
- variables can be assigned random values
- set range of x to be [-1,1] in 0.01 increments
- pick out a function/... from a list of functions/...
- create a matrix with a certain rank
- generate a set of plots
- impose conditions e.g.
- x > y or (x+y > 0)
- rank != 0
- algorithmic variables can be used anywhere in the question and the feedback
- diagram labels can also be algorithmic values
Algorithmic variable example
Assignment/Quiz types
- Homework: grade and feedback at completion of quiz
- Anonymous: same but grade not recorded
- Study Session and Mastery Assignments: grade and feedback after each question
- Proctored: requires hands-on authorization
- Adaptive Assignment: (coming) success/failure moves to different question group
Uses of MapleTA
- skill assessment, development, mastery
- pre-qualification
- pre-class warmup/check
- post-class review, post-module assessment
- independent self-study
- test, exam practice
- supervised tests, exams
MapleTA at UW
- free for UW students and courses
- chemistry subjects: chem 120 Phys & Chem Prop of Matter
- chem 123 Chem Reac,Equilibria,Kinetics
- chem 262(L): Organic Chem for Engineering (and L lab course)
- chem 265(L): Organic Chemistry 2 (and L lab course)
- chem 266: Basic Organic Chemistry 1
- math subjects: calculus, linear algebra, algebra, DE, finance, statistics
- engineering subjects: circuits (ECE 140, GENE 140, MTE 120)
- Math Readiness Test: Fall 2014: 1700 math students, 1700 engineering students
Content Development and Management
- you create and own the content
- modify shared content
- help, training and admin provided by Sean Scott (MATH) and Paul Kates (CTE)
- questions are stored in central repositories, per subject
- courses inherit the relevant repository content
Lessons Learned
- within a repository, questions are organized by topic
- information fields include Author, Origin, Course, question Type, Difficulty,
and Keywords
- a tag on each question allows us to tell exactly where it came from when used
in an assignment
Lessons Learned cont'd
- preparing students in how to enter their answers is crucial
- guidance and training needed for instructors
- assignment policy consequences
- remarking assignments
- easy to access help
Student comments
- generally positive
- like availability of online systems in general
- wide range of login times and places
- motivated to keep trying for answer – persistance rewarded
- like immediate feedback – building confidence
- miss seeing intermediate steps in answer – a matter of partial credit
/