Opus now includes the ability to track questions by specific topics. This can simply be a way to divide specific parts of the test or can be related to external syllabus topics.
The topics are set up in Publicaiton Properties on the Course tab.
Simply type the name for each topic into the Name box and then select the criteria the topic is to be judged on – you can choose a score vale or a percentage. Then use the Score box to specify the score the user must achieve in value or percentage terms. A checkbox is also provided to allow to specify whether the topic is critical to the course. If this option is set then failing the chosen topic will cuase the whole course to be failed irrespective of any other score the user migth achieve.
You can indicate which topic a question relates to by choosing it from a drop down list on the Question Properties.
You can then track how well the user is doing for a specific topic and assign topic critical questions by the usual process of tracking the scoring variables as specific to the topic.
There are a number of topic-specific variables which Opus keeps track of.
Q_TOPIC_ANSWERED_QUESTIONS: the number of questions answered
Q_TOPIC_CORRECT: correct count for the current topic
Q_TOPIC_CURRENT_VALUE: value of user’s answers for the active topic
Q_TOPIC_CRITICAL_PASS: set to false if the user gets a critical quesiton wrong
Q_TOPIC_CURRENT_PERCENT: current user score for this topic as a percentage
Q_TOPIC_CURRENT_POSSIBLE: maximum the user could still score for this topic
Q_TOPIC_CURRENT_VALUE: marks awarded so far for for this topic
Q_TOPIC_FINISHED: tracks whether all questions in a topic have been attempted.
Q_TOPIC_INCORRECT: incorrect count for the current topic
Q_TOPIC_NAME: holds the name of the topic as set in Publication Properties
Q_TOPIC_PASSED: can be checked to see if a topice has been passed or not.
Q_TOPIC_PASS_PERCENT: the percentage required to pass the topic, as set in Publication Properties
Q_TOPIC_PASS_VALUE: the actual marks required to pass the topic, as set in Publication Properties.
Q_TOPIC_VALUE_POSSIBLE: possible value of questions so far
Q_TOPIC_TOTAL_POSSIBLE: the total value of marks available in the topic
Q_TOPIC_VALUE_REMAINING: total value of unanswered questions left
Q_TOPIC_TOTAL_QUESTIONS: the total number of questions
Q_TOPIC_VALUE_TOTAL_REMAINING: the marks left in unanswered questions.
They are maintained as array variables so that different topics can be accessed
Note:
Array numbering always starts with 0 instead of 1 which may cause confusion.
Thus the percentage scored for the first topic you set up in the Publication Properties is stored in the variable TOPIC_VALUE_PERCENT[0] and the incorrect answers relating to the second topic would be in TOTAL_INCORRECT[1].