WebTeach: web tools for teachers and students

The authors present the WebTeach system, currently used at the Engineering Faculty, University of Florence, Italy. The system is composed of three parts: WebCheck, a web database interface for test management; WebTest, a multiple-choice quiz generation system; and WebWrite, a collaborative Web publishing tool. WebCheck is used for managing subscriptions to tests and publication of results. It allows teachers to organize exam sessions and students to consult the results of their tests by a web interface. Most of tests are generated using WebTest, which is a suite of Perl libraries and front-end applications for the generation and automatic evaluation of multiple-choice quizzes. Web Write is an implementation of the TWiki system, which appears as a web site where all pages can be edited using a simple syntax, resembling e-mail text. WebWrite is used for publishing didactic material and will become the generic interface-managing tool of the WebTeach system. This system is also used for teaching to jailed students.