\documentclass[twocolumn]{article}
\usepackage{url}

\title{Web-based digital examination for specific learning areas}
\author{ Sander van Veen, Tadde\"us Kroes \\
         \emph{University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Science (FNWI)} \\
         Sander.vanVeen@student.uva.nl, Taddeus.Kroes@student.uva.nl }

\begin{document}

\maketitle
\begin{abstract}

\end{abstract}

% features:
% - innovatie op het gebied van "cheating"
% - (verticale) schaalbaarheid door gebruik van stateless webservers en grid
%   computing

% voordelen t.o.v. bijv. wintoets:
% - benutten van voordelen van computergebruik boven schriftelijke afname
% - specialisering op vakgebieden
% - centrale database met webinterface (daardoor 
%   besturingssysteem-onafhankelijk)
% - uitwisseling van toets(vrag)en tussen gebruikers
% - automatische nakijkmodule

\section{Introduction}

% - Introduction to the problem: the absence of proper examination
%   software with support for specific learning areas.
% - Paper composition

An examination is an assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge
and skills in a topic. An exam may be administered orally, on paper or on a 
computer. However, even in the current computer based age, most of the exams
are still administered on paper or orally. This raises the first question: What
is the reason of the lack of computer based exams? 

According to foo\footnote{bar}, there is. 
% can all topics administered on a computer? 

\section{The problem}
% - Extended definition of the problem with some concrete examples

%Scholen doen alles schriftelijk => veel werk, geen standaard waar leerlingen
%wel behoefte aan hebben. Ook afkijken blijft een probleem.
%Kennis moet gedeeld worden, zo ook goede toetsvragen (wanneer is een vraag "goed"?).
%Specialistische vakgebieden zijn niet goed te toetsen op papier, bijv:
%programmeren is lastig schriftelijk, test kennis niet goed en kost veel tijd om
%na te kijken, veel handiger en leerzamer zou zijn om op de pc te werken.
%dit is ook van toepassing op niet-ict vakken, zoals scheikunde (structuurformules,
%ruimtelijke tekeningen etc.).

Auditing answers written on paper generates a lot of work. Teachers often spend
time deciphering various student's handwritings and drawings. After that, they
have to add up the obtained points for each question to determine a grade, which
is sensitive for human errors. 

Besides auditing, creating an exam is one of the other time consuming tasks.
Since there is no official standard for the format of an exam, teachers create
exams in their own distinctive manner. For example, an enthousiastic biology
teacher could create an extensive 4-paper test with images, schemes and 30
separate questions, but lack to order the questions by subject so that students
have difficulty understanding the connections between questions. Or a lazy
computer science teacher, who has no intention of auditing complex coding
questions, might just make up a bunch of simple multiple choice questions.
Students are likely to be confused having to deal with all these different ways
of examination, they are not sure what to expect, until they have made an old
exam from the same teacher. However, these old exams are often the same as the
current exams, so the students could get high grades without actually
understanding the meaning of the questions. They just write down the answers
given by other students (who have already made the exam before).

As a result, students often have to wait a long time for their grades. In
today's world of technology, we'd expect that computers would help us conquer
the shortcomings of primitive methods. 

% For example, an average PC can calculate the grades for an entire class in
% less than a second, without any errors. A keyboard always reads the same input
% for a key, independent of the handwriting of the person typing. Finally, a 

\section{Conceptual solution}
\begin{itemize}
	\item Demands that the solution should meet
\end{itemize}

\section{Existing E-Learning software}
\begin{itemize}
	\item Explain how existing ELO's and examination applications are short
	      of the above demands
\end{itemize}

\section{Realized solution}
\begin{itemize}
	\item Our solution to the problem (web application), how does this
	      meet the specified demands?
	\item How we add value above the existing ELO's
\end{itemize}

\section{Conclusions and future work}
\begin{itemize}
	\item Conclusion: our solution is not just another ELO, it's a new concept
	      that completes the digital learning experience.
\end{itemize}

\section{References}
%\begin{itemize}
%	\item \url{http://www.exam-software.com}
%\end{itemize}

\end{document}
