Numbas

Numbas is an open-source system for creating SCORM-compliant exams which run entirely in the browser, developed by Newcastle University's School of Maths and Stats.

Features

• Can be run on anything that has a web browser.
• Compatible with IE8+, Firefox 3+, Chrome, Safari, Opera, iPhone, Android, etc.
• Implemented entirely in client-side javascript - requires no plugins, no installation on client's machine, no communication with servers.
• Interacts with LMSs such as Blackboard and Moodle through SCORM. Very detailed session data are recorded.
• Extensive support for questions of a mathematical nature; answers to questions can be mathematical expressions.
• Mathematics display is pure $\LaTeX$, using MathJax.
• Rich content such as videos, interactive graphs easily added.
• Questions can be fully randomised.
• Write questions using simple markup with any text editor.
• Easily extensible.

How it works

1. Download and extract Numbas package: contains source files and Python scripts to compile exams.
2. Write exam: plain text file in a JSON-like format, with Textile/HTML for content markup. Shouldn't be any harder than writing a LaTeX document.
3. Compile exam: creates directory or zip file containing standalone exam. Ready to run straight-away.
4. Upload to LMS for session tracking, or run standalone.

Libraries used

• jQuery - jquery.com - page manipulation, UI.
• Sarissa - sarissa.sf.net - cross-browser XML support
• MathJax - mathjax.org - maths display \[ \begin{aligned} \nabla \times \vec{\mathbf{B}} -\, \frac1c\, \frac{\partial\vec{\mathbf{E}}}{\partial t} & = \frac{4\pi}{c}\vec{\mathbf{j}} \\ \nabla \cdot \vec{\mathbf{E}} & = 4 \pi \rho \\ \nabla \times \vec{\mathbf{E}}\, +\, \frac1c\, \frac{\partial\vec{\mathbf{B}}}{\partial t} & = \vec{\mathbf{0}} \\ \nabla \cdot \vec{\mathbf{B}} & = 0 \end{aligned} \]
• JSXGraph - jsxgraph.uni-bayreuth.de - interactive graphs and geometry

Question types supported

• Number entry
• Text entry - match set pattern
• JME - enter mathematical expression
• Multiple choice - choose one from a list, several from a list, or grid of choices

All question types can be randomised.

Demo

• Maths Sample Questions (Source)
• Interactive Graphs (Source)
• Exam with tutorial videos

Future Developments

• Trapping student input for carry-over marks.
• Adaptive feedback and marking.
• More question types.

Website

www.ncl.ac.uk/math/numbas

Contact

Email: numbas@ncl.ac.uk

Twitter: @nclnumbas

Source code

www.github.com/numbas