It's here! The latest version of ExamView--Version 4.0 is now available.

We've been listening to your feedback over the past two years. Based on your comments and suggestions, ExamView has been significantly enhanced. I'm sure that you will find the new features to be on target to help you save even more time and improve student performance.

Please take a few minutes to learn about the new features. Several of the articles and sections in this newsletter focus on ExamView 4.0. However, the newsletter also contains useful tips and interesting articles for the previous versions of the program.

As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.

Sincerely,

President

• ExamView 4.0 is now available. Learn about the new features.

• ATTENTION MATH INSTRUCTORS Earn Extra Money over the Summer Working from Home!
  
  

• More publishers than ever are using ExamView. Find out who!

• The updated online store will be up and running soon.

• ExamView training is now available online.

• FSCreations and eInstruction offer innovative classroom solutions.

• This issue addresses questions about aggregating results from Internet tests, importing a class roster for online tests, file compatibility, and OS X.

• Want to become a power user? Check out the latest user tips to find out how to create an Internet test, save paper and money, and build dynamic practice tests.

• Tim Fahlberg from International Community School (Kirkland, WA) discusses how he uses ExamView 4.0 to help his math students perform at their best by creating "dynamic" tests and worksheets.

Question:
I received ExamView with my textbook. My sales rep said that I could share the program with my fellow instructors. Is this correct?

Answer:
No. When you receive ExamView from a publisher, you are licensed to use the program for that course only. Sharing the program with other instructors is strictly prohibited. FSCreations (the developers of ExamView) offers fully-licensed versions for individual instructors and schools.

Question:
Is there an easy way to aggregate student results taken from the emails received for Internet tests?

Answer:
Absolutely! When you build an Internet test with ExamView and publish it to your own website, student results arrive via email. Manually entering those results can be very tedious.

Check out the free Internet Results Utility (http://www.fscreations.com/download_updates.php). With this utility, you can simply "drag and drop" the result emails and the program will automatically build comprehensive reports including a complete item analysis. The results can then be easily exported to your favorite gradebook.

Question:
Is it necessary to manually enter my class roster each time I create an online test?

Answer:
When you create your first online test, you have two options: (1) manually enter your class roster or (2) import it from another source. For subsequent tests, you do not have to manually enter a roster.

For Internet tests published to the ExamView website, be sure to save the class roster after you create or import it. From this point on, simply click the Select button to choose a roster.

For local area network (LAN) tests:
- Create an online test using the Online Test Wizard
- Choose Class Roster from the Online menu and export the roster.
- For subsequent tests you create, choose to import the roster.

Question:
If I upgrade to a new version, will my existing test files be compatible?

Answer:
Yes, you will be able to use all of your old tests and question banks with the new version. For each new version, ExamView can read any file created by an earlier version. Even if you have ExamView 1.0 files, you will be able to use them with a new version.

Question:
Does ExamView work natively on Macintosh OS X?

Answer:
No, ExamView 4.0 (or any previous version) does not work in native OS X mode. However, ExamView will certainly run in Classic mode. Our development staff is currently reviewing the program to determine the requirements to update the software.

Question:
Can ExamView generate an item analysis for online tests?

Answer:
Beginning with ExamView 4.0, the program includes new reports that provide detailed item analysis information for local area network (LAN) tests.

If you publish Internet tests to your own website, you can download the Internet Results Utility to help you generate these reports.

For online tests published to the ExamView test-hosting site, you have numerous analysis reporting options.

by Tim Fahlberg, International Community School , Kirkland, WA

Let's face it. Teachers like you and I care deeply about improving student learning, so we work hard at creating and sharing good ideas, materials, and tools. That's why I'd like to share with you some information about ExamView, dynamic questions (a phenomenal new feature of version 4.0), bimodal questions, and graphs. I'm convinced that by using ExamView 4.0 you too will save time and dramatically improve the quality of your assessments, worksheets, and study guides.

State of the Art Test Generator Software
As a high school and college math/technology teacher for over 10 years I've had the opportunity to use a lot of software to help improve my teaching and student learning. I've investigated and/or tried most of the commercial test generator packages but generally found them expensive, dated, or lacking in one or more areas. At least this was true until I found ExamView, which has proved to be an excellent tool to create paper and online assessments, worksheets, and study guides. ExamView is an up-to-date, application with numerous features, a proven track record (distributed with thousands of textbooks in most subjects), and-important to me-advanced equation editing capabilities.

Currently, I'm experimenting with putting study guides and practice tests online for my students. This allows me to take advantage of ExamView's automatic feedback capabilities. The program provides the flexibility to use my own website, the ExamView test-hosting solution, or Blackboard/WebCT. Any of these options are great because they provide immediate feedback about my students' performance.

ExamView 4.0's Dynamic Questions
While previous versions of ExamView have proven to be beneficial, I'm now experiencing the tremendous rewards of using the new ExamView 4.0 algorithmic capabilities. Using dynamic questions speeds assessment and worksheet production because it means that a single question can be used to dynamically create many questions of the same form by clicking a button. So, rather than having to create questions one by one, you can now either find a ready-made dynamic question (say from a textbook's question bank), or create one yourself and then use it one or more times to create similar questions containing different values, units of measure, and/or graphs and diagrams. And, the new graphs (Cartesian, Polar, Line) and pictures in ExamView 4.0 can also be created to change dynamically as part of a question.

Dynamic Answers and Solutions Too!
Algorithms can be used to create dynamic questions and complete dynamic solutions. Here are several examples that show dynamic questions in action. Notice how the question, answer, and solution all change each time the Calculate Values button is pressed. Imagine how much work this could save you since ExamView (and not you) automatically creates questions, answers, and solutions.

Easy Worksheet Creation
Need a custom worksheet but don't have the time to create one from scratch? Use dynamic questions! ExamView is great for creating tests, but it's also a wonderful tool for building worksheets. Simply select the questions you want. Then, duplicate those questions as many times as needed. Each time the program duplicates a question it calculates a new version. That's all it takes to create a worksheet.

You can save the worksheet, print it, or turn it into an online worksheet. Since you built the worksheet using dynamic questions, it takes one click to create a completely new worksheet. Imagine having an almost unlimited number of worksheets at your disposal? Cool eh?

New Bimodal Question Type
The new bimodal question type allows questions to be displayed either as Multiple Choice or as Short Answer questions. This feature is particularly useful to create a worksheet for students. Simply add one or more questions (dynamic questions are especially good). You can then toggle questions individually, or choose the option to convert all questions to short answer. Instantly, this feature turns a multiple choice worksheet into one that requires my students to show their work.

Graphs, Graphs, Graphs!
The new graphing tool is great! Before ExamView 4.0, it was necessary to copy and paste graphs into my tests. Now it's a snap to insert various types of graphs (Cartesian, polar, and number line). Simply select the graph type and set a few options to insert a graph. And, since the graphing tool is built into the program, you can easily create dynamic graphs.

How to Create a Dynamic Question:
Building a dynamic question in ExamView is similar to creating formulas in a spreadsheet program like Excel. Using special keywords and standard math notation, it's fairly straight-forward to create a dynamic question.

Follow these simple steps to create a dynamic question that looks like this:

Solve: 2x + 3 = 5 which is of the form ax + b = c
where a, b, and c are integers.

To keep things simple let's create equations where a, b, and c are each between 2 and 10 and make the solution, x, an integer.

1. Start ExamView and choose to create new question bank.
   
2. Choose to create a Numeric Response question.
   
3. Choose Algorithm Definitions from the Edit menu.
   
4. Click the New button in the Edit Algorithm Definitions window to display the window shown below.
   
   
   
5. Type a for the variable name, range(2,10,1) for the definition, and then click the OK button. You just created a new variable. Each time you calculate new values, the program will randomly select an integer value between 2 and 10 inclusive.
6. Repeat the steps to create two new variables (b and x) each with the same definition as variable a.
7. Click New once more to create a variable called c. Enter a*x+b for the definition and click OK.
   
   Your algorithm definitions should look like this:
   
   
   
   
8. Click the Done button to put away the Edit Algorithm Definitions window.
9. Enter the question as follows:
   - Type Solve:
   - Choose Variable from the Insert menu and insert variable a.
   - Type x+ and italicize the "x.
   
   Note that you are not inserting the variable x in the question. You'll insert it in the answer.
   - Insert the variable b.
   - Type = and insert the c variable.
   - Add spaces before and after the symbols + and =.
10. Verify that the equation in the Question area looks like one shown in the figure.
    
    
    
11. Click in the Answer area.
12. Type x = and insert the variable x. (See the figure below.)
    
    
    
13. Now click (the Calculate Values toolbar button). You should see the highlighted variables (a, b, c, and x) change to numeric values - something like the figure below. Click several times to see the values change.
    
    
    
    Pretty cool, huh?
14. Now click Record and save your work.

Congratulations, you just created your first dynamic question!

Switch to the Test Builder, choose to create a new test, and add the question you just created to the test. Duplicate the question multiple times to create a number of similar questions for a quiz or worksheet. (Pressing Ctrl+D or Cmd+D repeatedly is the quickest way to do this.)

If you duplicated the question, one or more of the questions may have the same values. Using some of the more advanced algorithm features, you can set up a question to guarantee that the values are unique. Explore the comprehensive online help if you need assistance building dynamic questions.

The new features of ExamView 4.0 have saved me hours of work and have helped me significantly improve my assessments, worksheets, and study guides, thus improving my students' learning. Try ExamView 4.0 and I'm sure you'll have the same results!

Tim Fahlberg
International Community School
Kirkland, WA

ExamView 4.0 is Now Available

FSCreations has just released the latest version of ExamView. The dynamic content features and test layout options mark an extraordinary improvement in this program's capabilities.

New features include:
- dynamic (algorithmic) content
- bimodal question type
- test style gallery
- enhanced question selection
- graphing tool
- new look

Here's a quote from one of our beta testers…

Wow! I just had a chance to try the ExamView Pro 4.0 beta for a few minutes and I'm incredibly impressed.…

Years ago I bought another program … which had something similar to your dynamic questions but wasn't nearly as simple to use or powerful in what it could do.

I was also delighted to find your inclusion of the Graphing tools for Cartesian, polar, and number lines. Sweet!

(Note: If you purchased ExamView from FSCreations between January 1, 2003 and March 31, 2003, you are entitled to a free upgrade. Send your purchase information to sales@examview.com.)

Attention Math Instructors
Earn extra money over the summer working from home!

FSCreations is actively seeking math instructors to write dynamic (algorithmic) math test questions for Grades 1-12 during the summer months (and beyond).

FSCreations is actively seeking math instructors to write dynamic (algorithmic) math test questions for Grades 1-12 during the summer months (and beyond).

Requirements:

• Math and/or computer science degree
• Knowledge of ExamView 4.0
• Understanding of NCTM standards
• Ability to think logically
• Understanding of basic computer file management (copying, saving, renaming files;
  downloading files; sending/receiving email attachments, etc.)
• Windows-based computer with email/Internet access
• 20 hours per week time commitment (minimum)

If interested, please send an email with your resume attached to: linda_allen@fscreations.com

New Publishers Plan to Offer ExamView

The following new publishers plan to offer ExamView for use with selected textbooks. Contact your publisher to find out which textbooks will include ExamView as part of the instructor-supplement package.

• Elsevier Science (www.elsevier.com)
• Element K (www.elementk.com)
• William H. Sadlier, Inc. (www.sadlier.com)

ExamView Online Store

In the next few weeks, you will be able to purchase ExamView online and immediately download the program. No more waiting for the manual and disc to arrive. And, choosing this alternative will save you money. We're expanding the products and services we offer. Look for other great programs, such as MindPoint, at our online store in the coming months!

ExamView Training Available

Could you and your fellow instructors benefit from personalized ExamView training? Now there's a new alternative to onsite training. Using a program called WebEx, FSCreations can present customized training to any number of instructors online. The best part is the reduced cost since training is accomplished online. Send us an email (sales@examview.com) if you are interested in receiving more information about this training alternative.

If you prefer, we can also arrange for onsite training. It's another great way to help your instructors save more time.

FSCreations and eInstruction offer innovative classroom solutions

FSCreations has teamed with eInstruction to create unique assessment solutions for the classroom. eInstruction develops a hardware/software application called the Classroom Performance System (CPS). With more than 250,000 response pads sold, the company is changing how instructors get instant student performance data. Look for new, innovative products that combine ExamView and CPS.
Click here (www.einstruction.com) for more information about the CPS product.

by John Caggiano, Francis Asbury Elementary , Hampton, VA

Preparing Students for High-Stakes Tests
In this era of accountability and high-stakes testing, teachers and administrators need tools that can be used to individualize instruction. A comprehensive assessment system must also help students prepare for the myriad of tests they will encounter.

While searching for such a tool, my research uncovered a program called ExamView that seemed to produce the information I needed. As part of the test-taking process, this program gathers detailed data to produce various item analyses reports. It seemed that these reports would certainly aid in the disaggregation of assessment data. As a result, this information would have a direct impact on classroom instruction. However, as my teachers and I soon realized, this program was capable of so much more.

Building the Question Banks
I first began using ExamView while an assistant principal at a middle school (grades 6, 7, and 8). An important goal was to find a way to help teachers better focus on specific standards. Using ExamView, we wrote questions that correlated to the learning objectives for each 9-week session. After fine-tuning the questions, we then created grade-level tests to administer on a quarterly basis.

Once you enter questions into ExamView, it's easy to create paper tests. For the first grading period, we used the program to create hard-copy assessments. Teachers liked the fact that the question banks can be organized and stored electronically in one central location. They also marveled at the ease of creating a professional-looking assessment in a matter of seconds.

Delivering Tests Online
The second marking period, we decided to administer the quarterly assessments via ExamView's online testing feature. Wow! The teachers were absolutely elated.

To begin with, the software is designed to make it easy enough for anyone to publish a test to the Internet. Once you construct a test, you simply choose Publish Internet Test from the File menu. The program then walks you through a series of five user-friendly screens that allow you to personalize your test (i.e., choose the test options, specify a class roster, designate a test password, etc.).

After publishing the test to the Internet, students access the test by going to the ExamView testing center website (www.evtestcenter.com). Students select the test, enter a password, and then take the test online. The test is automatically graded and the results stored for later analysis. It's that easy.

Getting Results
Upon completion of the testing cycle, teachers can access the results and reports through ExamView's Instructor Center website. Besides the time saved from not having to grade the assessments, teachers also appreciate the fact that they are able to view detailed reports at school or at home. Rather than having to disaggregate testing information by hand, teachers are now able to simply print their students' results. They use the detailed reports to plan re-teaching lessons and create individualized remedial lessons.

Using ExamView for quarterly assessments prompted a teacher brainstorming session to explore other ways to help students. As a result, teachers used the program to create self-graded, practice tests stored on our school's web site. Students are able to access these tests at home. And, since the program provides feedback for incorrect responses, students are able to focus on the areas that need improvement. We have received wonderful feedback from our community on this feature of the program.

Combining the practice tests with the quarterly assessments gave our teachers invaluable tools to make a difference. In this era of high-stakes testing, information is a key factor to effectively helping our students achieve higher levels of performance.

In just one year, the Social Studies scores at Benjamin Syms Middle School went from 55% of students passing the statewide criterion-referenced test to 85% passing. The collaboration that resulted from the use of ExamView was a critical factor in achieving this success. The information provided by the program allowed teachers to make sound instructional decisions. An added benefit was the outstanding dialogue that took place among teachers while reviewing both chapter tests and quarterly assessments.

Conclusion
I cannot say enough about what this program has done for our school. We continue to find more and more uses for ExamView each year. I have yet to come across another piece of assessment software that is as teacher-friendly and flexible as this program. I recommend it without any reservations!

John Caggiano
Francis Asbury Elementary
Hampton, VA

1) Delivering practice tests online - Over the past few years, the number of instructors who publish tests to their own website has increased dramatically. While paper tests are still the predominant delivery method, online delivery is quickly gaining momentum.

As access to computer labs increases, more instructors are using online tests for regularly scheduled tests. However, many schools do not have the computer resources to support this option.

While you may not be able to take advantage of the online testing features in your classroom, you might want to explore another use of this technology-online practice tests. Over the past few years, the availability of the Internet has become almost universal. Students have access in the home and many other locations, such as their school or the public library.

How can you help your students using the World Wide Web? One way is to create practice tests and publish them to the Internet. Students can take these self-graded tests at their convenience as they prepare for a test or quiz. If the student answers incorrectly, you can include a page reference or specific feedback to help them focus their efforts. Students are excited by the technology and benefit from the personalized feedback.

If you have your own website and already post course material there, then publishing an Internet test and making it available from your website is a snap. To publish an online test: (1) create the test, (2) choose the Publish Internet Test option, (3) copy the HTML files to your website, and (4) create a link. It's that simple.

If you do not have your own website, ExamView offers a subscription service that automates the entire process. Simply create a test and click a few buttons.

Try online testing for just one of your classes. You'll soon discover how this technology can help your students achieve at a higher level.

2) Saving paper, saving money - It seems that saving money is on everyone's mind these days. Budget cuts due to lower tax revenue are a fact of life. ExamView can help!

If you deliver paper tests and online testing is not an option, you may want to check out these tips to reduce the amount of paper needed for your tests. Saving just one page per test can add up over a year.

By applying these simple techniques, I reduced a 50-question test (with several types of questions) from 6 pages to 4 pages. For an average class, that's 40-50 pages per test!

Tips for saving paper:

• After building a test, press Ctrl+M (or Cmd+M on the Mac). Use the options to change the number of columns used for Multiple Choice questions. By selecting 2 or 4 columns, you can change the amount of vertical space for each question. To save even more space, choose the Test Layout option and set the option to use "No columns" for Multiple Choice questions.
• Use the Replace Font option in the File menu to automatically decrease the font size for all questions. Leave the options as is except for the "Replace with" size. For example, you can change the font size to 10 pt. You'll be surprised how much space you can save with a smaller font.
• If you plan to deliver the same test to multiple classes, require students to write their answers on a separate sheet of paper. Using the Test Layout option, turn off the space for answers. To reduce cheating, print several different versions of the same test.
• Reduce the size of those larger pictures so that they require less space. Simply double-click on a question and then click on an image to resize it.

3) Using the ExamView Player and dynamic (algorithmic) questions -
It seems that there are never enough questions to thoroughly assist students in mastering a particular skill. With ExamView 4.0 you can solve this problem.

Using the dynamic content features, you can create questions that can be "recalculated" to generate any number of questions of the same form. These features can be used for simple math, algebra, calculus, chemistry, etc. and even non-math subjects (social studies, accounting, and so on.)

Here's a simple case…

Consider the question, Calculate 23 + 46. You can set up this question so that the two values are randomly generated within a range (let's say between 10 and 99). Then, duplicate it five times. Now imagine several other questions on this same topic (for example, Mary has 17 oranges and 23 apples. How many pieces of fruit does Mary have?).

Using these dynamic questions you can build an online test for your local area network (LAN) via the ExamView Player. While setting up the online options, you can choose to calculate new values each time a student opens a test. Now, each time a student takes the test, he/she gets a new set of problems. Imagine the possibilities for practice and re-teaching!

T-shirts for Tips! Share a tip or share a story about ExamView with our staff. Please email your ExamView user tip to info@examview.com

If we publish your suggestion we will send you a free ExamView logo shirt!

GENERAL

ERIC Assessment Library
http://www.ericae.net/ftlib.htm
Here you will find links to some of the best full-text books, reports, journal articles, newsletter articles and papers on the Internet that address educational measurement, evaluation and learning theory.

NCME Home Page
http://www.ncme.org/
The National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) is a professional organization for individuals involved in assessment, evaluation, testing, and other aspects of educational measurement.

Babel Fish Translation Service
http://world.altavista.com/
This Web site from the AltaVista search engine offers free translation to and from: Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

K-12

Web66 Home Page
http://web66.coled.umn.edu/
Just as U.S. Highway Route 66 was a catalyst for Americana, the World Wide Web is a catalyst that will integrate the Internet into K-12 school curricula. The Web66 project is designed to facilitate the introduction of this technology into K-12 schools.

Survival Guide for New Teachers
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/survivalguide/index.html
The Survival Guide for New Teachers is provided by the U. S. Department of Education. This site is designed to show how new teachers can work effectively with veteran teachers, parents, principals, and teacher educators. While you are there, be sure to visit their Help Desk: Resources for First-Year Teachers.

POST-SECONDARY

The American Distance Education Consortium
http://www.adec.edu/
The ADEC Website provides lots of information on Internet and electronic trends, satellite delivery, accessibility, and standards and plans.

Technology Tools for Today's Campuses
http://www.facultyconnection.org/
The goal of Technology Tools for Today's Campuses is to provide you with informative accounts of colleagues who have agreed to share with others their encounters with using technology in their classes. This collection of 72 articles, presented in seven sections, includes important and useful information that you can use in deciding if you want to use such tools as listservs, e-mail, the World Wide Web (WWW), or multi-user domains (MUDs) in your teaching.