Re: course notes, HW solns, etc online

[Aaron Titus <titus@MAILAPS.ORG>]

This doesn't help for past materials, but here is a suggestion for
future exams, etc.

I began using LaTeX this past fall semester.  Now, all of my exams and
quizzes (and solutions) are written in LaTeX.  There is a document
class called "exam" which allows you to write a test (using multiple
choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions).  You write the
question and specify the answer within the question.  Then when LaTeX
compiles the test, it will print the test and the answer key on
separate pages.  It will also produce multiple versions of a test.
Since the output is pdf, you can easily post the files on-line.

This is a one-step process that will greatly simplify the organization
and production of your exams.

AT


On Thursday, February 13, 2003, at 11:15 AM, Dr. Dan MacIsaac wrote:

> ...our school is gradually moving more deeply into using Black Board (a
> web-based course system) to support regular courses, hence more of my
> peers and I are struggling with the effort of putting traditional paper
> materials online rapidly.  Black Board has individual password
> protected access so we're not immediately worried about the issue of
> open web distribution of solutions, exams etc, though this is a clear
> long term problem).  We are trying to develop or recreate solutions for
> quickly scanning documents into .pdf and posting them; something with a
> photocopier-like hopper for loading and scanning problem set solutions.
>    My dept is motivated enough to purchase a station
> (computer+peripherals) dedicated to this alone.
>
> I've been looking at (fantastically expensive, much-too-high
> resolution) scanners with sheet feeders.  At the same time, I notice
> that there are some similarly priced all-in-one
> FAX/printer/low-volume-photocopier devices being marketed with the
> hopper I want.  I think FAX scan resolution exceeds my needs, and I
> don't need high definition colour photo scanning.  We could also use a
> low-volume copier.
>
> So my questions are: Does anyone have considerable experience getting
> notes and HW solns from multiple faculty into .pdf format for
> webposting?  How do you do it?  What do you think of a dedicated PC
> with one of these all-in-one devices as a station for this purpose?
> What all-in-one model/manufacturer do you recommend?
>
> Dan M
>
> Dan MacIsaac, Assistant Professor of Physics, SUNY-Buffalo State
> College
> 222SCIE BSC, 1300 Elmwood Ave , Buffalo NY 14222 USA 716-878-3802
> <macisadl@buffalostate.edu>  <http://PhysicsEd.BuffaloState.edu>