Fretwell Downing and Questionmark announce strategic partnership

For Immediate Release

Fretwell Downing and Questionmark announce strategic partnership

Perception and le systems linked using recently announced SCORM technology model from ADL

Fretwell Downing Education (FDE), part of the Fretwell Downing Group and developers of the le™ managed learning environment, has formed a new strategic partnership with Questionmark, the leading provider of testing and assessment software since 1988. As part of the partnership, the two companies have created an integrated solution that combines the strengths of FDE's pedagogical and management system, le, with the online testing capabilities of Questionmark Perception™.

The link between the systems is one of the first to use the latest AICC run-time API approach as used by ADL SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model), a framework that defines a web-based learning "content model". SCORM is designed to unify the current crop of emerging standards into a single reference model. As such it has been backed by most of the leading standards organisations including IEEE and AICC. SCORM V1.1 was released on January 16, 2001 (www.adlnet.org).

FDE le delivers learning materials via the Internet. It meets both pedagogical and management information system needs to provide a powerful online learning solution. Learners' progression through their programme, from application to learning outcome, is fully tracked. Learning materials can be delivered direct to the learner's home, workplace, or outreach centre, so that they can learn in their own place, at their own pace.

Questionmark Perception enables educators and trainers to write, administer and report on assessments via PCs, local area networks, the Internet and intranets. It includes comprehensive security functions calculated to make testing in online environments safer than ever before. A wide-ranging reporting system provides educators with powerful information to improve their assessments, training, and other surveys.

Commented FDE Marketing Director Liz Wallis: " It's important for us to be able to offer a package that includes state-of-the-art assessment to enable learning materials to be delivered conditionally upon test results anyplace, anytime. It means that assessments can be fired and results recorded within the le framework to build a complete picture of the student's progress. This has enables us to offer a powerful 'best of breed' solution to both our existing and new clients in the education sector."

Questionmark Managing Director John Kleeman commented: "We're very excited to have provided a link to le. FDE is a very well respected company with a substantial presence in the UK education market. Moreover, via their work for the Ufi, FDE have been pioneers in the use of the Java Script methods of integration now being used by SCORM. The integration of Perception is one of the first practical applications of this and a key to the way applications will work together in the future."

About Questionmark
Questionmark was founded in the UK in 1988 and was one of the first software companies to provide an authoring framework to create tests and assessments to run on PCs. Today the company offers a full range of software for the testing and assessment marketplace spanning Windows and web environments. Businesses, governments, and universities in over 40 countries now use Questionmark software.

More information on Questionmark Perception can be found on the Internet at http://www.questionmark.com/uk/. If you would like any other information about Perception, contact Vivienne Shaughnessy at Questionmark Computing, telephone: +44 (0)800 731 5895. Email: vivienne.shaughnessy@questionmark.co.uk

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