Authoring Manager Issues Resolved:
http://www.questionmark.com/go/kbsp5am

Server Issues Resolved:
http://www.questionmark.com/go/kbsp5sv  

I have not installed Service packs 1, 2, 3 or 4 yet – do I need to install them before I install SP5?
No. It is not necessary to install the prior service packs. The Service Packs will automatically check your Perception Server and Authoring Manager installations to verify if previous Service Packs have been installed. For more information, see the Knowledge Base article: “How do the new Perception Server 4.4 Service Packs work?”
http://www.questionmark.com/perception/help/v4/knowledge_base/miscellaneous/misc423.aspx  

What issues are resolved by Service Pack 5?
Service Pack 5 includes resolutions and performance improvements that issues in both Perception Server and Authoring Manager:

Authoring Manager Issues Resolved:
http://www.questionmark.com/go/kbsp5am

Server Issues Resolved:
http://www.questionmark.com/go/kbsp5sv

I have not installed Service packs 1, 2, 3 or 4 yet – do I need to install them before I install SP5?
No. It is not necessary to install the prior service packs. The Service Packs will automatically check your Perception Server and Authoring Manager installations to verify if previous Service Packs have been installed. For more information, see the Knowledge Base article: “How do the new Perception Server 4.4 Service Packs work?”
http://www.questionmark.com/perception/help/v4/knowledge_base/miscellaneous/misc423.aspx 

Current Web seminars include:

• Perception Orientation for those new to online assessments  
• Beyond Multiple Choice: Nine Ways to Leverage Technology for Better Assessments  
• From Item Banking to Content Harvesting: Authoring in Questionmark Perception  
• Introduction to Questionmark Live: Browser-Based Authoring for Subject Matter Experts

Sign Up for a Web Seminar

These types of resources give people the opportunity to contribute, discuss and consume knowledge. Embedding assessments into them offers an easy way to provide knowledge checks to reinforce learning and reduce forgetting. The benefits of doing this range from focusing learners' attention and giving them the opportunity to practice their memory recall to providing a seamless user experience that creates intrigue and helps participants identify what they need to focus on before they access learning material.

In most cases, embedding assessments in a blog or wiki is the same or very similar to using an iframe to embed an assessment in a regular web page. This involves two basic steps:

• Make a simple modification to the template file used by the assessment
• Add the iframe code containing to the desired assessment URL to your webpage
  

For an example of this, see Questionmark's quiz on writing test questions, which was posted to our blog using WordPress.

Questionmark Software Support Plan customers will find complete details about embedding assessments in the Questionmark Knowledge Base, which also includes specific instructions for embedding assessments using WordPress, E-Blogger, DokuWiki, Wikispaces, Sharepoint and Wetpaint.

Check out the following Questionmark knowledge base articles:

• Why would I want to embed an assessment in a wiki, web page or blog?
• Can I present an assessment within an iFrame?

What version of Perception is this service pack for?
This service pack is ONLY for Perception v4.4.

Where do I download Service Pack 4?
You will find two installation files for Service Pack 4 files (one for Perception Server and one for Authoring Manager) on the Questionmark website at: http://www.questionmark.com/communities/mydownloads.aspx

How do I install SP4?
See the this knowledge base article for installation instructions.

What issues are resolved by Service Pack 4?
Service Pack 4 includes resolutions and performance improvements that issues in both Perception Server and Authoring Manager. Click here for details.

What product enhancement is included in the Service Pack?
Adds support for Windows authentication of the shared repository database if you are using SQL Server 2005 as your database server. Please refer to this knowledge Base article for further information.

I have not installed Service Pack 1, Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 yet – do I need to install them before I install Service Pack 4?
No. It is not necessary to install the prior service packs. The Service Packs will automatically check your Perception Server and Authoring Manager installations to verify if previous Service Packs have been installed. If a previous Service Pack is not found, the latest Service Pack will automatically install any updates found in previous Service Packs ensuring that Perception Server and Authoring Manager remain up-to-date with the latest product enhancements and fixes. For more information, see the Knowledge Base article:  How do the new Perception Server 4.4 Service Packs work?

·         Delivering effective and reliable high-volume assessments

·         Making a move: Changing Institutional Online Assessment Systems

·         An Innovative Approach to Delivering Questionmark Assessments: thin clients, smart cards, virtual desktops and integrated systems

·         Distributed Authoring, Customised Question Types and Client Side Validation

There will also be Best Practice sessions on such topics as:

·         An Overview of Open Source Software for Learning, Education and Training  

·         Research Study: What do participants think about assessment issues and practices  

·         Item Analysis, Test Analysis and other techniques in Learning Measurement

Questionmark Live is available free of charge to Questionmark support plan customers, but anyone who wishes to may request a free 30-day trial.

Learn More about Questionmark Live
Access Questionmark Live or Request a 30-day Trial

The conference will include:

• Training with the Questionmark Techs - Learn valuable skills!
• Case Studies - Hear from experienced Perception users
• General Sessions - Learn about new features and influence product development
• Networking Opportunities - Industry specific discussion and evening events

Register for the Conference

Here's what's in store for people who attend a briefing this year:  

• Explore blended delivery options, both online and offline
• Find out about enhanced translation management capabilities
• Learn about scalable test delivery
• Experience enhanced delivery to smart phones, PDAs, laptops and other devices
• See a new browser based authoring tool for subject matter experts
• Discuss how assessments can integrate with other learning and HR technologies

Who should attend:  

• Anyone new to online assessment
• Existing Questionmark Users
• Anyone who wants to learn more about managing and delivering assessments online

The Breakfast Briefings will take place on the following dates: 

• Manchester, May 12
• London, May 13
• Edinburgh, May 19

Register for a Breakfast Briefing

Go there for news, commentary, tips on best practices, how-to's, links to thought leaders, info on learning industry trends and all things assessment-related.

You can get blog updates via RSS or email. Just visit the blog and sign up, or check in whenever you like: http://blog.questionmark.com

We have always believed in promoting best practices in assessment and enjoy lively dialogue about the important role assessments play in measuring learning and improving performance. The blog gives us yet another way to keep the conversation going!

Stay connected with us and with the wider testing and assessment community. Ask questions, post comments and take the opportunity to spark discussions.

See you on the blog!

Includes tips for discouraging cheating and protecting intellectual property

LONDON – March 31, 2009 – A newly released white paper from assessment technologies and services provider Questionmark takes a fresh look at ways to keep tests secure.

“Delivering Assessments Safely and Securely” explains how matching security measures to the stakes of an assessment can provide appropriate protection at reasonable cost. Over-engineering low-stakes assessments can waste money and time, while under-engineering high-stakes assessments can undermine people’s confidence in the validity of the results. So the paper suggests different security solutions and testing environments for a wide spectrum of assessments, from low-stakes satisfaction surveys to high-stakes licensure exams. It is available for free download from the Questionmark website.

“So many technologies and standards have changed since we first published this paper six years ago,” remarked Questionmark CEO Eric Shepherd. “Back then we did not worry about people using their phones to text, or photograph content, nor were there so many ways to deliver quizzes, tests and exams. We used to think that testing centres were the only way to go to deliver high stakes tests - how 90s! The updated paper takes into account these and other developments—like the increased use of bandwidth-intensive content such as video.“

About Questionmark:
Questionmark provides technologies and services that enable organisations to measure knowledge, skills and attitudes securely for certification, regulatory compliance and improved learning outcomes. Questionmark solutions enable reliable, valid and defensible assessments by empowering subject matter experts through collaborative authoring, accommodating participant needs with blended and multilingual delivery and informing stakeholders through timely reporting and meaningful analytics.

The Questionmark Perception assessment management system, available as a licensed, hosted or subscription-based solution, enables organisations to create, administer and report on surveys, quizzes, tests and exams. Complete details are available at www.questionmark.com.

Here's what's in store for people who attend a briefing this year:

• Explore blended delivery options, both online and offline
• Find out about enhanced translation management capabilities
• Learn about scalable test delivery
• Experience enhanced delivery to smart phones, PDAs, laptops and other devices
• See a new browser based authoring tool for subject matter experts
• Discuss how assessments can integrate with other learning and HR technologies

Who should attend:

• Anyone new to online assessment
• Existing Questionmark Users
• Anyone who wants to learn more about managing and delivering assessments online

The Breakfast Briefings will take place on the following dates:

• Manchester, May 12
• London, May 13
• Edinburgh, May 19

• Authoring Manager has been modified to allow Windows authentication of authors connecting to a shared repository. 
• New date filter option in Survey Report:  In addition to filtering results on the date an assessment was taken, SP3 adds the capability of filtering results based on dates stored in special fields. For more info go to: http://www.questionmark.com/perception/help/v4/knowledge_base/reporting/repo424.aspx 
• A new QMWISe method has been added that will allow users to use a web service to query the question information in the repository and return the correct answer choice for a question. 
• Scoring Tool now includes the first and last name of a participant when their score is being marked using the Scoring Tool. This is to assist the marker with identifying the participant. 

I have not installed Service Pack 1 or 2 yet – do I need to install them before I install Service Pack 3?
It is not necessary to install the prior service packs. The Service Packs will automatically check your Perception Server and Authoring Manager installations to verify if previous Service Packs have been installed. If a previous Service Pack is not found, the latest Service Pack will automatically install any updates found in previous Service Packs ensuring that Perception Server and Authoring Manager remain up-to-date with the latest product enhancements and fixes.  For more information, see the Knowledge Base article: “How do the new Perception Server 4.4 Service Packs work?”
http://www.questionmark.com/perception/help/v4/knowledge_base/miscellaneous/misc423.aspx