Evaluation Application

[Guest]

Hello,

I'm developing a web application intended to test students on several
subjects. This tests and their questions are stored properly on a database.

I need to have a time limit either for each question or for the entire test.
I have found some javascript scripts that can help in this matter.

But I need help in implementing a robust time control in the web
application: avoiding users to close the Internet Explorer window and
starting all over, in case they do this, to start on the question they were
before and not losing track of the time (if they closed it on purpose for
five minutes, they should lose this time of their total available), something
like this.

Any ideas of the things I should consider while implementing this system?
Any examples you know available on the web, to analize the functionality of
the application.

Thanks

 

[darrel]

Any ideas of the things I should consider while implementing this system?

Just an idea, but when the page first loads with the question, grab the
server time and set that as some sort of session variable. Then check
against that on submission to determine the time left.

If you want to update the time for the end-user, perhaps have an iframe with
an aspx page that reloads itself every 15 seconds or so checking against the
stored session variable and counting down from that.

-Darrel

 

[bradley]

www.brainbench.com provides timed evaluation exams. You can see the current
elapsed time count down as you read the page. The problem with a client side
timer is that it is dependent on the client's clock which can be slow or
even manipulated. For example, a student needing some time for a question
could roll the clock back a minute or two, if they have rights to modify the
desktop settings. Therefore you will need to also track the time started and
completed on the server side as well.

 

[Jeffrey Todd]

Check out this article - it explains all of your options for managing state:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnpag/html/DIforWC-CH05.asp

One option that would work for your scenario (reviving a session after a
browser restart) is to store state in a database (SQL Server), or in
cookies.

-HTH

 

[Guest]

Thanks a lot. I will consider your idea on my solution

 

[Guest]

Thanks a lot.

www.brainbench.com provides timed evaluation exams. You can see the current
elapsed time count down as you read the page. The problem with a client side
timer is that it is dependent on the client's clock which can be slow or
even manipulated. For example, a student needing some time for a question
could roll the clock back a minute or two, if they have rights to modify the
desktop settings. Therefore you will need to also track the time started and
completed on the server side as well.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the MS Link.

Check out this article - it explains all of your options for managing state:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnpag/html/DIforWC-CH05.asp

One option that would work for your scenario (reviving a session after a
browser restart) is to store state in a database (SQL Server), or in
cookies.

-HTH