Questionmark Unveils Perception Version 3

For Immediate Release

Questionmark Unveils Perception Version 3

Testing and Assessment Leader Enhances Product Usability and Scalability

LONDON - 7 November, 2001 -- Leading testing and assessment software provider Questionmark™ has released Version 3 of Questionmark Perception™, a major upgrade incorporating hundreds of changes designed to make the product easier to use and more scalable. Non-programmers can now create and import questions or assessments, establish security parameters, and report on test results from a single application.

Topic-based prescriptive feedback, six additional question wizards, topic-based pass/fail prerequisites, pre-packaged item banks and assessments, question meta-tags, and more powerful reports head the list of new features. 

The software enables users to create and import questions or assessments from a single scalable application that can be used easily by non-programmers. Prescriptive feedback allows students to learn from formative assessments or be directed to powerful learning experiences with diagnostic assessments. 

"We developed Version 3 in response to requests from authors, subject matter experts, administrators, and participants who have helped us enhance the assessment platform," commented Questionmark President Eric Shepherd. "Now that assessment at a distance is more important than ever, we are pleased to introduce so many major new features. Questions and assessments are now easier to create and deploy and easier to transfer between Perception installations. Creating reports is easier too. This new platform empowers non-programmers to produce even more effective assessments and more comprehensive reports."

New question wizards include drag and drop, matching, Likert scale questions that ask respondents to strongly agree through to strongly disagree; ranking, true/false, yes/no, and select-a-blank questions, plus Macromedia Flash questions that easily incorporate dynamic stimuli.

Assessment packages called Qpacks make it possible to put an assessment, its questions, templates, and graphics, into a single, compressed file. Another Perception user can then import the archive file, which is ideal for publishers who want to create and sell material in Perception format. 

Authors can now use meta-tags to identify and select questions according to their level of difficulty, approval status, and other distinguishing features. They can then create item banks by using the tags to sort large numbers of questions.

Topic-based scoring enables administrators to pinpoint participants' knowledge about specific subjects. It is possible to set a prerequisite score for specific topics and define what happens when participants either achieve or fall below that score. Different score ranges can be assigned by topic, and it is possible to provide prescriptive feedback for certain kind of assessments. Topic scores and outcomes can be shared with participants, displayed in statistical reports, and passed to other applications. 

As in Version 2, Perception can import and export questions to and from external files formatted according to the QTI XML standards. The software also allows people who use databases in SQL Server or Oracle format to edit question or assessment databases directly in these formats. Perception complies with AICC standards and SCORM. New database architecture in Version 3 makes Perception more scaleable and flexible, allowing more functionality. Other features include assessment monitoring, time limit management, MathML support, comment boxes, question-by-question delivery, improved reporting and analysis, more versatile security settings, easier server configuration, e-mail broadcast capability, easier analysis in spreadsheet or statistics programs, and a new browser-based Enterprise Manager that combines all administrator functions within one user interface. 

Version 3 has nine families of reports to aid the analysis of assessments quickly and easily. Users can create and modify report templates to present just the information they need. Drill down survey reports for Level 1 assessments, gap analysis reports to spot knowledge gaps, transcripts, caching reports, and item analysis reports are just a few that have been enhanced. 

About Questionmark
Questionmark has been producing testing and assessment software since 1988. Perception allows people to create question files without programming experience or knowledge of HTML. Users can create multiple question banks from which to assemble tests and surveys, organizing questions into topics and sub-topics. They can shuffle questions and answers for each participant and preview sessions to see how they will appear post-deployment. They can present questions with videos, graphics and a wide variety of styles. Participants receive feedback as specified by the test author. Answers are saved to a file for scoring and analysis in a variety of report formats. 

Businesses, governments, schools, colleges, and universities in more than 50 countries use Questionmark software. Questionmark has more than 1,100 customers using Perception, with approximately 9,000 authoring systems installed, and system shipped have been configured with approximately 3,000,000 participants. Typical applications include exams, quizzes, study aids, diagnostic tests, pre-course skills assessments, and course evaluations. Questionmark is actively involved with the IMS Global Learning Consortium and supports open standards. 

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