Blackboard Learning System - Vista 4.2-CE 6.2 Enterprise Content Interoperability Specification

Blackboard Learning System - CE and Vista Enterprise
Content Interoperability Specification

Application Pack 2for Vista (Release 4) and CE (Release 6)
CIS Version 3
Document version 4.2.0.0
© 2007 Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved.
Blackboard, the Blackboard logo, and Blackboard Portfolio are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Blackboard Inc. in the
United States and/or other countries.
WebCT, WebCT Vista , and other WebCT product names are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Blackboard Inc. in the
United States and/or other countries.
This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org).
This product includes software developed by the JDOM Project (http://www.jdom.org).
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Patents pending.

Contents
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT .......................................................................... 1

Intended Audience ............................................................................................................ 1
How to Use this Document ............................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 1: THE BLACKBOARD LEARNING SYSTEM CIS .......................... 3
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3
WebCT IMS Package Structure ........................................................................................ 4
Best Practices for Creating Manifests ............................................................................... 7
Creating the Metadata Section ...................................................................................... 8
Creating the Organizations Section .............................................................................. 9
Creating the Resources Section .................................................................................... 9
Creating the ContentObject Section .............................................................................. 10
XML Binding .................................................................................................................... 10
SchemaMetaData Element ............................................................................................ 10
Resource Element ......................................................................................................... 11
ContentObject Element ................................................................................................. 12
CHAPTER 2: CONTENT FILE SPECIFICATION ............................................. 14
Content File Manifest Elements ........................................................................................ 14
Best Practices for Creating a Content File Manifest ......................................................... 15
Content File Manifest Example ........................................................................................ 18
XML Binding .................................................................................................................... 19
CHAPTER 3: FILE SPECIFICATION ............................................................ 21
File Manifest Elements ..................................................................................................... 21
Best Practices for Creating a File Manifest ...................................................................... 22
File Manifest Example ...................................................................................................... 24
XML Binding .................................................................................................................... 25
CHAPTER 4: LEARNING MODULE SPECIFICATION ..................................... 32
Learning Module Manifest Elements ................................................................................ 32
Best Practices for Creating a Learning Module Manifest ................................................. 33
Learning Module Manifest Example ................................................................................ 40
XML Binding .................................................................................................................... 42
Organization Element ................................................................................................... 42
CHAPTER 5: QUESTION SPECIFICATION ................................................... 48
Question Manifest Elements ............................................................................................. 48
Best Practices for Creating a Question Manifest .............................................................. 49
Question Manifest Example .............................................................................................. 51
Best Practices for Creating Question QTI XML Files ...................................................... 52
Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements .............................................................. 52
Creating Calculated Questions ...................................................................................... 60
Creating Combination Questions .................................................................................. 71
Creating Fill in the Blank Questions ............................................................................. 80
Creating Jumbled Sentence Questions .......................................................................... 88
Creating Matching Questions ....................................................................................... 93
Creating Multiple Choice Questions ............................................................................. 105
Creating Paragraph Questions ....................................................................................... 117
Creating Short Answer Questions ................................................................................. 122
Creating True False Questions ...................................................................................... 137
XML Binding .................................................................................................................... 142
XML Binding for Manifest Elements ........................................................................... 142
XML Binding for Item Elements .................................................................................. 143
CHAPTER 6: ASSESSMENT SPECIFICATION .............................................. 156
Assessment Manifest Elements ......................................................................................... 156
Best Practices for Creating an Assessment Manifest ........................................................ 157
Assessment Manifest Example ......................................................................................... 159
Best Practices for Creating Assessment QTI XML Files ................................................. 160
Creating Quizzes ........................................................................................................... 160
Creating Surveys ........................................................................................................... 176
Creating Self Tests ........................................................................................................ 182
XML Binding for Manifest Elements ............................................................................... 188
About this Document
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
INTENDED AUDIENCE
The Content Interoperability Specification (CIS) 3.0 is intended for software developers converting
content to Blackboard Learning System - CE Enterprise/Basic or Blackboard Learning System - Vista
Enterprise, Application Pack 2, or from CE 6 or Vista 4, Application Pack 2to or from the following:
• third-party authoring tools.
• external repositories, such as libraries, learning context management systems (LCMS), content
management systems (CMS), learning object (LO) repositories, and e-Portfolios.
• commercial content systems.
IMPORTANT: This specification assumes that you are proficient with XML and are familiar with Vista or
CE functionality and the following IMS specifications:
• IMS Content Packaging (CP) specification
• IMS Learning Resource Meta-data specification
• IMS Question and Test Interoperability (QTI) specification
HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT

the Blackboard Learning System CIS 3.0 includes the following chapters:
• Chapter 1: the Blackboard Learning System CIS
• Chapter 2: Content File Specification
• Chapter 3: File Specification
• Chapter 4: Learning Module Specification
• Chapter 5: Question Specification
• Chapter 6: Assessment Specification
Chapter 1: the Blackboard Learning System CIS contains general information about describing and
packaging all learning objects supported by the Blackboard Learning System CIS 3.0. Chapters 2 and 3
contain information about describing and packaging files. Depending on where files are located and
whether they have managed Media Library links, files are described and packaged either by using the File
specification or by using the Content File and File specifications. For more information, read Chapters 2
and 3. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 are individual specifications for learning modules, questions, and assessments
1
About this Document
respectively. These individual specifications contain information that is specific to each learning object.
Each of these individual specifications can be read separately.
Depending on the type of learning object you want to convert, we recommend that you read Chapter 1:
the Blackboard Learning System CIS and then read the appropriate individual specification. For example,
if you want to describe and package a learning module, first read Chapter 1: the Blackboard Learning
System CIS and then read Chapter 4: Learning Module Specification.
IMPORTANT: the Blackboard Learning System CIS should be read in conjunction with the IMS CP
specification version 1.1.3, the IMS Learning Resource Meta-data specification version
1.2.3, and the IMS QTI specification version 1.2. Information about these specifications is
beyond the scope of this document. To download these specifications, go to the IMS
Specifications web site (http://www.imsglobal.org/specifications.cfm).
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Chapter 1: the Blackboard Learning System CIS
CHAPTER 1: THE BLACKBOARD LEARNING

SYSTEM CIS
INTRODUCTION
the Blackboard Learning System Content Interoperability Specification (CIS) 3.0 provides instructions
for describing and packaging learning objects into interoperable, distributable content packages that can
be transported between different CE 6.1 and Vista 4.1 learning contexts and installations. These packages
are called WebCT IMS content packages.
You can use the Blackboard Learning System CIS 3.0 to describe and package the following learning
objects:
• files
• learning modules that contain an action menu, heading, files, and assessments
• questions
• assessments, including quizzes, surveys, and self tests
the Blackboard Learning System CIS 3.0 implements the core elements of the following specifications:
• IMS Content Packaging (CP) specification version 1.1.3
• IMS Learning Resource Meta-data specification version 1.2.3
• IMS Question and Test Interoperability (QTI) specification version 1.2
the Blackboard Learning System CIS also defines a unique schema and namespace to represent the
system's base extensions to the IMS CP schema. These extensions are used when describing all learning
objects. In addition, the Blackboard Learning System CIS defines a unique schema and namespace for
each WebCT learning object it supports. The elements and attributes defined in the namespace for each of
these schema represent content-rich features that are not defined by the IMS CP schema.
Once packaged, learning objects can be transported between different learning contexts and installations
using the command line or the Import tool and the Export options in the Assessments, Learning Module,
and Question Database tools in the WebCT user interface. For information on importing content using
the command line, see the appropriate version of the Vista PowerLinks SDK: Programmer's Guide. For
information on using the user interface to export and import content, see the Online Help.
This chapter contains the following sections:
• WebCT IMS Package Structure: This section describes what a WebCT IMS content package consists
of and its basic structure.
• Best Practices for Creating Manifests: This section describes the best general practices for creating
manifests for all learning object supported by the Blackboard Learning System CIS 3.0.
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• XML Binding: This section contains narrative descriptions of the system's base extensions to the IMS
CP schema.
WEBCT IMS PACKAGE STRUCTURE

IMPORTANT: To become familiar with the structure of a WebCT IMS content package, we recommend
that you use the Vista 4.1 or CE 6.1 interface to create a sample learning object, export the
learning object, and then analyze the files in the exported package. For example, create a
sample learning module, export the learning module, download the content package to
your local computer, and analyze the files. For instructions on creating and exporting Vista
4.1 or CE 6.1 learning objects, refer to the Vista 4.1 or CE 6.1 Online Help.
Like an IMS content package, a WebCT IMS content package consists of a set of XML files (including
XML schema files) and physical files (for example, HTML, QTI, and image files). The XML and
physical files are incorporated into a single file for transportation, a Package Interchange File (PIF). A
PIF is a representation of a content package within an archive format, such as a zip, jar, cab, or tar file.
IMPORTANT: A WebCT IMS content package must be bundled as a single zip file.
The basic unit of packaging for WebCT IMS content packages is the standard IMS manifest file
(imsmanifest.xml). In a WebCT IMS content package, each learning object is represented as a
self-contained manifest file. Links between learning objects, such as a learning module linking to an
assessment, are represented by the resources section of the manifest.
In each learning object's manifest file, there is one resource element for each linked learning object.
Rather than using the resource element to reference embedded sub-manifests, the resource element
references the self-contained manifest file for the linked learning object. Embedded sub-manifests are not
used as this would cause a learning object's manifest to be duplicated if it is linked multiple times.
The use of embedded and self-contained manifest files is shown in the following diagram.
4
If only one learning object is selected for export, for example, one learning module, the root manifest
(imsmanifest.xml) in the content package is the manifest for the learning object.
The following example is a root manifest for a content package that contains one learning module called
Week One. The learning module contains links to a file called Planning Europe's Capital
Cities and an assessment called Capital Cities of Europe. The resource elements reference
self-contained manifests for the file and assessment.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<manifest identifier="40272"
xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imscp_v1p1"
xmlns:imsmd="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imsmd_v1p2"
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3"
xmlns:webctlm="http://www.webct.com/xsd/cislearningmodulev3">
<metadata>
<schema>webct.cis</schema>
<schemaversion>3.0.0</schemaversion>
<webct:SchemaMetaData>
<webct:Schema webct:name="IMS Content" webct:version="1.1.3" />
<webct:Schema webct:name="IMS MetaData" webct:version="1.2.3" />
<webct:Schema webct:name="webct.learningModule" webct:version="3.0.0" />
</webct:SchemaMetaData>
<imsmd:lom>
<imsmd:general>
<imsmd:title>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en-US">Week One</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:title>
5
</imsmd:general>
<imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:version>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">1.0</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:version>
</imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:educational>
<imsmd:learningresourcetype>
<imsmd:source>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">WebCT</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:source>
<imsmd:value>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">webct.learningModule</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:value>
</imsmd:learningresourcetype>
</imsmd:educational>
</imsmd:lom>
</metadata>
<organizations>
<organization identifier="40272_O"
structure="webct:VistaLearningModule">
<item identifier="40272_I1"
identifierref="40460"
isvisible="true" xsi:type="webctlm:LearningModuleItemType" webctlm:coType="webct.page">
<title>Planning Europe's Capital Cities</title>
<webctlm:ActionMenu />
</item>
<item identifier="40272_I2"
identifierref="40381"
isvisible="true" xsi:type="webctlm:LearningModuleItemType"
webctlm:coType="webct.assessment">
<title>Capital Cities of Europe</title>
</item>
</organization>
</organizations>
<resources>
<resource identifier="40460"
type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.page" xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
<file href="X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/40460.xml" />
</resource>
type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.assessment" xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
</resource>
</resources>
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.learningModule"
xsi:type="webctlm:LearningModuleType" webctlm:numbering="DECIMAL">
<webct:Name>Week One</webct:Name>
</webct:ContentObject>
</manifest>
If multiple top-level learning objects are selected for export, for example, two learning modules, the root
manifest is a container that references the manifest files of the two learning modules. All manifests for
learning objects (such as content files or assessments) within the learning modules are not referenced at
the root manifest level. These learning objects are referenced in the manifests for the learning modules.
The following example is a root manifest for a content package that contains two learning modules. The
resource elements reference self-contained manifests for the learning modules.

xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3">
<metadata>
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<imsmd:lom>
<imsmd:general>
<imsmd:title>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en-US">RootContent</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:title>
</imsmd:general>
<imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:version>
</imsmd:version>
/imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:educational>
<imsmd:source>
</imsmd:source>
<imsmd:value>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">webct.cis</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:value>
</imsmd:lom>
</metadata>
<organizations />
<resources>
type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.learningModule" xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
</resource>
type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.learningModule" xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
</resource>
</resources>
</manifest>
BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING MANIFESTS

An IMS CP manifest contains three main sections: Metadata, Organizations, and Resources. A CIS
manifest contains four main sections: Metadata, Organizations, Resources, and ContentObject. This is
shown in the following diagram.
The ContentObject section contains additional learning object features that are not covered by the IMS
CP and Meta-data specifications.
7
This section describes the best practices for creating the four main sections in a WebCT CIS manifest:
Metadata, Organizations, Resources, and ContentObject.
NOTE: This section contains general information that applies to all Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 learning
objects. For information on describing and packaging a specific Vista 4.1 or CE 6.1
learning object, see the appropriate individual specification.
Creating the Metadata Section

In all CIS manifest files, the webct.cis schema is used to represent the system's base extensions to the
IMS CP schema. Within the manifest's metadata element, you must specify the schema used by the
manifest. Within the schema element, you must specify the value webct.cis. Within the
8
schemaversion element, you must specify the value 3.0.0.
<metadata>
In all CIS manifest files, the SchemaMetaData element is used to specify other schemas that are also
used by the manifest file:
NOTE: The SchemaMetaData element is an optional element. If the SchemaMetaData element

is not used, the default schema versions and namespaces for the Blackboard Learning
System CIS 3.0 are used.
• To specify that the IMS CP schema is used, the Schema element must contain a name attribute with
the value IMS Content and a version attribute with the value 1.1.3.
• To specify that the IMS Meta-data schema is used, the Schema element must contain a name attribute
with the value IMS MetaData and a version attribute with the value 1.2.3.
<webct:Schema webct:name:"IMS Content" webct:version="1.1.3"/ >
<webct:Schema webct:name: "IMS MetaData" webct:version="1.2.3"/>
Creating the Organizations Section

In general, the Blackboard Learning System CIS uses the standard IMS organization elements where
appropriate. Certain learning objects, for example, learning modules, may extend it. For more
information, see the individual specification for each learning object.
Creating the Resources Section

When creating the resources section of the manifest, the Blackboard Learning System CIS extends the
IMS CP schema in the following two ways:
• The resource element references self-contained manifests. To indicate that a resource is a
self-contained manifest, for the type attribute of the resource element, specify a value of
webct.manifest.
• The coType attribute specifies the type of resource pointed to by the linked manifest. For the coType
attribute, specify the learning object type. In the following XML example, the resource points to a
self-contained manifest for a file (webct.page).
<resources>
<resource identifier="79615" type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.page"
xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
</resource>
</resources>
9
Creating the ContentObject Section

The ContentObject element is added at the end of the manifest to represent specific features that are
not defined by the IMS CP schema. For example, the ContentObject element is used in a learning
module manifest to define a numbering style for the table of contents. In the following XML example, the
ContentObject element specifies a decimal numbering style for the learning module's table of contents.
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.learningModule"
xsi:type="webctlm:LearningModuleType" webctlm:numbering="DECIMAL">
<webct:Name>Europe in the Twentieth Century</webct:Name>
</content:ContentObject>
NOTE: If multiple top-level learning objects are selected for export, the root manifest is a
container manifest and must not contain the ContentObject element. For example, if the
content package contains two learning modules, the root manifest must not contain the
ContentObject element. The ContentObject element must be included only in the
manifest for the learning object to which it applies.
The base ContentObject element is described in the section XML Binding. For each learning object, the
base ContentObject element is extended to represent features that are specific to that learning object.
For more information, see the individual specification for each learning object.
XML BINDING
The following is a narrative description of the elements defined in the CIS 3.0 XML schema. The
http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3 namespace for the CIS 3.0 XML schema is located in
cisv3.xsd. This file is included in the zip file of each content package exported from Vista 4.1 and CE
6.1 and is available on the Content Interoperability Specification download page.
SchemaMetaData Element
Description This element identifies a collection of schemas used.
Namespace http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3
Multiplicity Occurs zero or one time within a metadata element.
Elements • <Schema>
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Example <webct:SchemaMetaData>
Schema Element
Description This element is used to describe the schema used.
Multiplicity Occurs one or more times within the SchemaMetaData element.
Attributes • name (required). Data type=string.

• version (required). Data type=string.
Example <webct:Schema webct:name="IMS Content" webct:version="1.1.3" />
Resource Element
the Blackboard Learning System CIS has extended the base IMS resource element by adding the
coType attribute. The coType attribute specifies the type of resource pointed to by the linked manifest.
Attributes • coType (required). Indicates the learning object type. Data type=string. Values
are:
• webct.page: a file that has been added to a folder, learning module, or has
managed Media Library links.
• webct.file: a file in any location other than a folder or learning module
that does not have managed Media Library links
• webct.learningModule: learning module
• webct:question: question
• webct:assessment: assessment
11
Example <resources>
<resource identifier="79615" type="webct.manifest"
webct:coType="webct.page" xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
<file href="URN_X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/79615.xml" />
</resource>
</resources>
ContentObject Element
Description This element represents specific features of the learning object that are not defined
by the IMS CP specification.
Multiplicity For learning object manifests, occurs once and only once within a manifest
element.
NOTE: If multiple top-level learning objects are selected for export, the root
manifest is a container manifest and must not contain the
ContentObject element. For example, if the content package
contains two learning modules, the root manifest must not contain the
ContentObject element.
Attributes • coType (required). Indicates the learning object type. Data type=string. Values
are:
• webct.file: file
• isVisible (optional). Indicates whether the learning object is displayed. If not

present, the value is assumed to be true. Data type=boolean.
Elements • <Name>
Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.file">

<webct:Name>English_poets.html</webct:Name>
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Name Element
Description This element describes the name of the learning object. Data type=string.
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a ContentObject element.
Example <webct:Name>English_poets.html</webct:Name>
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Chapter 2: Content File Specification
CHAPTER 2: CONTENT FILE SPECIFICATION

NOTE: Depending on where files are located in the system and whether they have managed Media
Library links, they are described and packaged by using the File specification or by using
the Content File and File specifications. Files that are added to a folder or learning module,
or that have managed Media Library links are described and packaged by using the
Content File and File specifications. In chapters 2, 3, and 4 of this document, we refer to
these files as "content files". Files that are not in a folder or learning module and that do
not have managed Media Library links are described and packaged by using the File
specification. For more information, see Chapter 3: File Specification.
Blackboard's Content File specification provides the functionality to describe and package content files
into an interoperable, distributable package that can be transported between different learning contexts
and installations.
Chapter 1 of the Content Interoperability Specification (CIS) describes the basic structure of a IMS
content package and the system's base extensions to the IMS Content Packaging (CP) schema. These
extensions apply to all learning objects. For more information, see Chapter 1: the Blackboard Learning
System CIS. The Content File specification extends the CIS 3.0 XML schema and defines a unique
namespace (http://www.webct.com/xsd/cispagev3) and schema (webct.page) to represent
features that are specific to content files.
The Content File specification is made up of the following sections:
• Content File Manifest Elements: This section includes a diagram of the primary elements in a content
file manifest.
• Best Practices for Creating a Content File Manifest: This section describes the best practices for
creating the four main sections in a content file manifest.
• Content File Manifest Example: This section includes an example of a content file manifest.
• XML Binding: This section contains a narrative description of the CIS 3.0 Content File schema.
CONTENT FILE MANIFEST ELEMENTS

The following diagram shows the primary elements in a content file manifest.
14
BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING A CONTENT FILE

MANIFEST
15
To create a content file that can be transported between different learning contexts and installations, you
must create a self-contained manifest for the content file. This section describes the best practices for
creating the four main sections in a content file manifest: Metadata, Organizations, Resources, and
ContentObject.

Within the manifest's metadata element, you must specify the schema used by the manifest. Within the
schema element, you must specify the value webct.cis. Within the schemaversion element, you
must specify the value 3.0.0.
<metadata>
If you want to specify other schemas that are used by the manifest, use the SchemaMetaData element:

System CIS 3.0 are used.
• To specify that the Content File schema is used, the Schema element must contain a name attribute
with the value webct.page and a version attribute with the value 3.0.0.
<webct:Schema webct:name="IMS MetaData" webct:version="1.2.3 />
<webct:Schema webct:name="webct.page" webct:version="3.0.0" />

A content file can be a single file, such as a text file, or it can be an HTML file that contains links to other
files. (When content files are packaged, all HTML and images files that are linked from the content file
are also included in the content package.)
If a content file is a single file, in the resources section of the manifest, the resource element contains a
link to a self-contained manifest for the file. The organizations section of the manifest contains an item
element with an identifierref attribute that specifies the resource identifier for the file's manifest.
This is shown in the following example.
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<organizations>
<organization identifier="79622_O">
<item identifier="79615_I" identifierref="79615" />
</organization>
</organizations>
<resources>
type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.file" xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
</resource>
</resources>
If the content file is an HTML file that contains links to other files, the resources section of the manifest
contains resource elements that reference self-contained manifests for the content file's root file and all
HTML and image files that are linked from the root file. Within the organizations section, the
organization element is used to indicate which of the files referenced in the resources section is the
root file, that is, the file from which all other files are linked. The organization element contains an
item element with an identifierref attributes that specifies the resource identifier for the root file's
self-contained manifest. This is shown in the following example.
<organizations>
<item identifer="79615_I" identifierref="79615" />
</organization>
</organizations>
<resources>
<resource identifier="79615" type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.file"
xsi:type="webct.ResourceType">
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
</resources>

If a content file is a single file, such as a text file, in the resources section of the manifest, the resource
element contains a link to a self-contained manifest for the single file. If the content file is an HTML file
that contains links to other files, the resources section of the manifest contains resource elements that
reference self-contained manifests for the content file's root file and all HTML and image files that are
linked from the root file (the actual physical files must be included in the Package Interchange File [PIF]).
The resource element must contain a type attribute with the value webct.manifest and a coType
attribute with the value webct.file.
<resources>
</resource>
</resources>
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At the end of the content file manifest, you must include the ContentObject element. For the coType
attribute, specify the value webct.page. To specify that the content file is created in HTML (as opposed
to plain text), include the useHtml attribute and specify the value true. Within the ContentObject
element, the Name element is the only element that must appear.
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.page">
<xsi:type="webct.page:ContentPageType webctpage:useHtml="true">
<webct:Name>Content File One</webct:Name>
NOTE: If a content package contains more than one top-level manifest (for example, more than
two top-level content files), the root manifest is a container manifest and must not contain
the ContentObject element.
CONTENT FILE MANIFEST EXAMPLE

xmlns:webctpage="http://www.webct.com/xsd/cispagev3">
<metadata>
<webct:Schema webct:name="webct.page" webct:version="3.0.0" />
<imsmd:lom>
<imsmd:general>
<imsmd:title>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en-US">Planning Europe's Capital Cities</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:title>
</imsmd:general>
<imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:version>
</imsmd:version>
</imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:educational>
<imsmd:source>
</imsmd:source>
<imsmd:value>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">webct.page</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:value>
</imsmd:lom>
</metadata>
<organizations>
18
<item identifier="79615_I" identifierref="79615" />

</organization>
</organizations>
<resources>
type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.file" xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
</resource>
</resources>
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.page" xsi:type="webctpage:ContentPageType"
webctpage:useHtml="true">
<webct:Name>Planning Europe's Capital Cities</webct:Name>
</manifest>
XML BINDING
This section contains a narrative description of the CIS 3.0 Content File XMLschema. The Content File
schema extends the base ContentObject element that is defined in the namespace for the CIS 3.0 XML
schema. The http://www.webct.com/xsd/cispagev3 namespace for the CIS 3.0 XML schema is
located is cisv3.xsd. The namespace for the Content File schema is located in cispage3.xsd. Both of
these files are included in the zip file of each content package exported from CE 6.1 and Vista 4.1 and are
also available on the Content Interoperability Specification download page. To go to the Content
Interoperability Specification download page, do the following:
1. Go to Behind the Blackboard (http://www.blackboard.com). From the download center,
2. Do one of the following:
• Click Vista 4 Download Center. The Vista 4 Download Center Login page appears.
• Click Campus Edition 6 Download Center. The Campus Edition 6 Download Center Login
page appears.
3. In the Email Address text box, enter your e-mail address.
4. In the Password text box, do one of the following:
• Enter your Vista password.
• Enter your CE 4 license key or CE 6 download password.
5. Click Submit. The Vista 4 Download Center or Campus Edition 6 Download Center page appears.
6. Click Documentation. The Vista 4 Documentation or Campus Edition 6 Documentation page
appears.
7. Under Programmer Documentation, click Content Interoperability Specification Version 3.0 for
CE 6.1 and Vista 4.1.
19
Namespace • http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3
• http://www.webct.com/xsd/cispagev3
Multiplicity For learning object manifests, occurs once and only once within a manifest
element.
NOTE: If multiple top-level learning objects are selected for export, the root
manifest is a container manifest and must not contain the
ContentObject element. For example, if the content package
contains ten top-level content files, the root manifest must not
contain the ContentObject element.
Attribute • coType (required). Indicates the learning object type. Data type=string. For a
content file, the value of the coType attribute must be set to webct.page.
• isVisible (optional). Indicates whether the learning object is displayed. If not
• useHtml (optional). Indicates whether the content file is created in HTML. Data
type=boolean.
Elements • <Name>
Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.page">

xsi type="webctpage:ContentPageType" webct:page:useHtml="true">
<webct:Name>English_Poets.html</webct:Name>
/webct:ContentObject>
Name Element
Example <webct:Name>English_poets.html</webct:Name>
20
Chapter 3: File Specification
CHAPTER 3: FILE SPECIFICATION

NOTE: Depending on where files are located in the systemand whether they have managed Media
Library links, they are described and packaged by using the File specification or by using
the Content File and File specifications. Files that are not in a folder or learning module
and that do not have managed Media Library links are described and packaged by using
the File specification. Files that are added to a folder or learning module, or that have
managed Media Library links are described and packaged by using the Content File and
File specifications. In chapters 2, 3, and 4, we refer to these files as "content files". For
more information, see Chapter 2: Content File Specification.
Vista and CE's File specification provides the functionality to describe and package an individual file or a
collection of files into an interoperable, distributable package that can be transported between different
learning contexts and installations.
In Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1, a file is more than just a collection of data. Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 also captures
information about the file, such as the author, description, and character set of the file.
Chapter 1 of the Content Interoperability Specification (CIS) describes the basic structure of a WebCT
IMS content package and the system's base extensions to the IMS Content Packaging (CP) schema. These
extensions apply to all learning objects. For more information, see Chapter 1: The Blackboard Learning
System CIS. The File specification extends CIS 3.0 XML schema and defines a unique namespace
(http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisfilev3) and schema (webct.file) to represent the features that
are specific to Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 files.
The File specification is made up of the following sections:
• File Manifest Elements: This section includes a diagram of the primary elements in a file manifest.
• Best Practices for Creating a File Manifest: This section describes the best practices for creating the
four main sections in a file manifest.
• File Manifest Example: This section includes an example of a file manifest.
• XML Binding: This section contains a narrative description of the CIS 3.0 File schema.
FILE MANIFEST ELEMENTS

The following diagram shows the primary elements in a file manifest.
21
BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING A FILE

MANIFEST
22
To create a file that can be transported between different Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 learning contexts and
installations, you must create a self-contained manifest for the file. This section describes the best
practices for creating the four main sections in a file manifest: Metadata, Organizations, Resources, and
ContentObject.

<metadata>

SystemCIS 3.0 are used.
• To specify that the IMS Content Packaging (CP) schema is used, the Schema element must contain a
name attribute with the value IMS Content and a version attribute with the value 1.1.3.
• To specify that the File schema is used, the Schema element must contain a name attribute with the
value webct.file and a version attribute with the value 3.0.0.
<webct:Schema webct:name="webct.file" webct:version="3.0.0" />

A file manifest must contain an empty organizations section.

Within the resources element, the resource element references the actual physical file described by
23
the manifest. This file must be included in the Package Interchange File (PIF). The resource element
must contain a type attribute with the value webcontent.
<resources>
<resource identifier="79615_R"
type="webcontent">
<file href="URN_X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/79615.html" />
</resource>
</resources>

At the end of the file manifest, you must include the ContentObject element. For the coType attribute,
specify the value webct.file. Within the ContentObject element, the only element that must appear
is the Name element. The Title, Author, DateCreated, Description, Keywords, CharacterSet,
and Path elements are optional elements that are used to describe the file.
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.file" xsi:type="webctfl:FileType>
<webctfl:Title>English Poets</webctfl:Title>
<webctfl:Author>Alice Garcia</webctfl:Author>
<webctfl:DateCreated>2004-05-18T09:49:05</webctfl:DateCreated>
<webctfl:Description>A short biography of some of the greatest English poets
of the nineteenth century, along with examples of their work.</webctfl:Description>
<webctfl:Keywords>"19th century poets", "English poets", Blake, Browning</webctfl:Keywords>
<webctfl:CharacterSet>utf-8</webctfl:CharacterSet>
<webctfl:Path>Poets</webctfl:Path>
two top-level files), the root manifest is a container manifest and must not contain the
FILE MANIFEST EXAMPLE

xmlns:webctfl="http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisfilev3">
<metadata>
<webct:Schema webct:name="webct.file" webct:version="3.0.0" />
<imsmd:lom>
<imsmd:general>
<imsmd:title>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en-US">English_Poets.html</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:title>
</imsmd:general>
24
<imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:version>
</imsmd:version>
</imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:educational>
<imsmd:source>
</imsmd:source>
<imsmd:value>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">webct.file</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:value>
</imsmd:lom>
</metadata>
<organizations />
<resources>
type="webcontent">
<file href="X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/79615.html" />
</resource>
</resources>
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.file" xsi:type="webctfl:FileType>
<webctfl:DateCreated>2004-0704T12:35:26</webctfl:DateCreated>
<webctfl:Description>A short biography of some of the greatest English poets
of the nineteenth century, along with examples of their work.</webctfl:Description>
<webctfl:Keywords>"19th century poets", "English poets" Blake, Browning,
Byron</webctfl:Keywords>
</manifest>
XML BINDING
This section contains a narrative description of the CIS 3.0 File schema. The File schema extends the base
ContentObject element that is defined in the namespace for the CIS 3.0 XML schema. The
http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3 namespace for the CIS 3.0 XML schema is located in the file
cisv3.xsd. The namespace for the File schema is located in cisfile3.xsd. Both of these files are
included in the zip file of each content package exported from Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 and are also available
on the Content Interoperability Specification download page. To go to the Content Interoperability
Specification download page, do the following:
1. Go to Behind the Blackboard (http://www.blackboard.com). open the download center.
page appears.
25

appears.
Namespaces • http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3
• http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisfilev3
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a manifest element.
Attributes • coType (required). Indicates the learning object type. Data type=string. For a
file, the value of the coType attribute must be set to webct.file.
• isVisible (optional). Indicates whether or not the learning object is displayed. If
not present, the value is assumed to be true. Data type=boolean.
Elements • <Name>
• <Title>
• <Author>
• <DateCreated>
• <Description>
• <Keywords>
• <CharacterSet>
• <Path>
26
Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.file"

xsi:type="webctfl:FileType>
<webctfl:DateCreated>2004-05-18T09:49:05</webctfl:DateCreated>
<webctfl:Description>A short biography of some of the greatest
English poets of the nineteenth century, along with examples of
their work.</webctfl:Description>
<webctfl:Keywords>"19th century poets", Byron</webctfl:Keywords>
Name Element
Description This element represents the file name of the file, including the file extension. Data
type=string.
Example <webct:Name>English_Poets.html</webct:Name>
Title Element
Description This element represents the title of the file. Data type=string.
Namespace http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisfilev3
Multiplicity Occurs zero or once within a ContentObject element.
Example <webctfl:Title>English Poets</webctfl:Title>
Author Element
Description This element represents the author of the file. Data type=string.
27
Example <webctfl:Author>Alice Garcia</webctfl:Author>
DateCreated Element
Description This element represents the date and time that the file was created. Data
type=dateTime.
Example <webctfl:DateCreated>2004-05-18T09:49:05</webctfl:DateCreated>
Description Element
Description This element contains a description of the file. Data type=string
Example <webctfl:Description>A short biography of some of the greatest

English poets of the nineteenth century, along with examples of
their work.</webctfl:Description>
Keywords Element
Description This element contains keywords used to search for the file. Data type=string.
28
Example <webctfl:Keywords>"19th century poets", "English poets", Blake,

Browning, Byron</webctfl:Keywords>
CharacterSet Element
Description This element represents the character set of the file. Data type=string. The following
table includes the characters sets and the aliases that Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 supports.
Name Export Aliases
Arabic (ISO-8859-6) iso-8859-6 8859_6, iso-8859-6:1987, iso-ir-127,

iso_8859-6, iso8859-6, ecma-114, asmo-708,
arabic, csisolatinarabic, ibm1089, ibm-1089,
cp1089, 1089
Arabic (Windows 1256) windows-1256
Baltic (ISO-8859-4) iso-8859-4 8859_4, iso_8859-4:1988, iso-ir-110,

iso-8859-4, iso8859-4, latin4, l4, ibm914,
ibm-914, cp914, 914, csisolatin4
Baltic (Windows 1257) windows-1257
Central European (ISO-8859-2) iso-8859-2 iso-8859_2, ISO_8859-2, iso_8859_2,

iso_8859-2:1987, iso-ir-101, iso_8859-2,
iso8859-2, latin2, l2, ibm912, ibm-912, cp912,
912, csisolatin2
Central European (Windows 1250) wdinwos-1250
Chinese Simplified (EUC_CN) euc-cn gb2312, euccn, gb2312-80, gb2312-1980
Chinese Traditional (Big5) big5 csBig5
Cyrillic (ISO-8859-5) iso-8859-5 8859_5, iso_8859-5:1988, iso-ir-144,

iso_8859-5, iso8859-5, cyrillic,
csisolatincyrillic, ibm915, ibm-915, cp915,
915
Cyrillic (Koi8-R) koi8-r koi8, cskoi8r
29
Name Export Aliases
Cyrillic (Windows 1251) windows-1251 ansi-1251
Greek (ISO-8859-7) iso-8859-7 8859_7, iso_8859-7:1987, iso-ir-126,

iso_8859-7, iso8859-7, elot_928, ecma-118,
greek, greek8, csisolatingreek, ibm813,
ibm-813, cp813, 813, sun_eu_greek
Greek (Windows 1253) windows-1253
Hebrew (ISO-8859-8) iso-8859-8 8859_8, iso_8859-8:1988, iso-ir-138,

iso_8859-8, iso8859-8, hebrew,
csisolatinhebrew, ibm916, ibm-916, cp916,
916
Hebrew (Windows 1255) windows-1255
Japanese (EUC-JP) euc-jp eucjis, x-eucjp, csEUCPkdFmtjapanese, eucjp,

Extended_UNIX_Code_Packed_Format_for
_Japanese, x-euc-jp
Japanese (IBM-33722) IBM-33722 ibm-33722, ibm33722, 33722
Japanese (Shift_JIS) shift_jis shift-jis, x-sjis, ms_kanji, csShiftJIS, pck
Korean (EUC-KR, KSC5601) euc-kr ksc5601, ks_c_5601-1987, ksc5601-1987,

ksc5601-1987, ksc_5601, 5601, csEUCKR
Korean (ISO-2022-kr) iso-2022-kr csiso2022kr
Thai (Windows 874) window-874
Thai (IBM874) ibm-874 ibm874, cp874, 874
Turkish (ISO-8859-9) iso-8859-9 8859-9, iso-ir-148, iso_8859-9, iso8859-9,

latin5, l5, ibm920, ibm-920, cp920, 920,
csisolatin5, ISO_8859-9:1989
Turkish (Windows 1254) windows-1254
Unicode (UTF-8) utf-8 utf_8
Western European (ISO-8859-1) iso-8859-1 iso-8859_1, iso-ir-100, 8859_1, ISO_8859-1,

819, csISOLatin1, IBM-819,
ISO_8859-1:1987, latin1, cp819, ISO8859-1,
IBM819, ISO_8859_1, l1
30
Name Export Aliases
Western European (Windows 1252) window-1252
Example <webctfl:CharacterSet>utf-8</webctfl:CharacterSet>
Path Element
Description This element describes the path of the file, relative to the template folder in the File
Manager tool in Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1. Data type=string. The following example
represents that the file English_Poets.html is saved in the Poets sub-folder
within the template folder.
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.file"
xsi:type="webctfl:FileType>
An empty Path element represents that the file is saved in the root of the template
folder.
NOTE: At the section level, the template folder is renamed the Section
Content folder. If you export content from a section, the Path
element describes the path of the file relative to the Section
Content folder.
Example <webctfl:Path>Poets</webctfl:Path>
31
Chapter 4: Learning Module Specification
CHAPTER 4: LEARNING MODULE

SPECIFICATION
The Learning Module specification provides the functionality to describe and package an individual
learning module or a collection of learning modules into an interoperable, distributable package that can
be transported between different learning contexts and installations. Each learning module can contain an
action menu, headings, files, and assessments.
Chapter 1 of the Content Interoperability Specification (CIS) describes the basic structure of a IMS
content package and the base extensions to the IMS Content Packaging (CP) schema. These extensions
apply to all learning objects. For more information, see Chapter 1: The WebCT CIS. The Learning
Module specification extends the CIS 3.0 XML schema and defines a unique namespace
(http://www.webct.com/xsd/cislearningmodulev3) and schema (webct.learningModule) to
represent the features that are specific to Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 learning modules.
The Learning Module specification includes the following sections:
• Learning Module Manifest Elements: This section includes a diagram of the primary elements in a
learning module manifest.
• Best Practices for Creating a Learning Module Manifest: This section describes the best practices for
creating the four main sections in a learning module manifest.
• Learning Module Manifest Example: This section includes an example of a learning module manifest.
• XML Binding: This section contains a narrative description of the CIS 3.0 Learning Module schema.
LEARNING MODULE MANIFEST ELEMENTS

The following diagram shows the primary elements in a learning module manifest.
32
BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING A LEARNING

MODULE MANIFEST
33
To create a learning module that can be transported between different Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 learning
contexts and installations, you must create a self-contained manifest for the learning module. This section
describes the best practices for creating the four main sections in a learning module manifest: Metadata,
Organizations, Resources, and ContentObject.

<metadata>

is not used, the default schema versions and namespaces for the WebCT CIS 3.0 are used.
• To specify that the IMS Content Packaging (CP) schema is used, the Schema element must contain a
name attribute with the value IMS Content and a version attribute with the value 1.1.3.
• To specify that the Learning Module schema is used, the Schema element must contain a name
attribute with the value webct.learningModule and a version attribute with the value 3.0.0.

In the organizations section of the manifest, within the organization element, there is one item
element for each heading and learning object in the learning module. Headings are used to organize the
links in a learning module's table of contents. The order in which the item elements appear represents the
following:
• the order in which the headings and links to the learning objects appear in the learning module's table
of contents
• the order in which the learning objects appear when you use the navigation buttons on the learning
34
module's action menu

This is shown in the following XML example.
<organization identifier="116943_O" structure="webct:VistaLearningModule">
<item identifier="116943_I1">
<title>First heading in the Table of Contents</title>
<webctlm:ActionMenu/>
<item identifier="116943_I2" identifierref="116952" isvisible ="true"
xsi type="webctlm:LearningModuleItemType" webctlm:coType="webct.page">
<title>First Link in the Table of Contents</title>
</item>
<item identifier="116943_I3" identifierref=116967" isvisible ="true"
xsi type="webctlm:LearningModuleItemType" webctlm:coType="webct.assessment">
<title>Second Link in the Table of Contents</title>
</item>
<item identifier="116943_I4" identifierref="116983" isvisible ="true
<title>Third Link in the Table of Contents</title>
</item>
</organization>
ActionMenu Element
The ActionMenu element that appears as an immediate child element of the organization element
represents the default action menu of all learning objects in a learning module. The bookmarks, notes,
and compile attributes of the ActionMenu element determine whether links to the Bookmarks, Notes,
and Create Printable View tools appear on the default action menu of all learning objects in a learning
module.
The following diagram shows a learning module with a default action menu that contains links to the
Bookmarks, Notes, and Create Printable View tools.
35
The following XML example represents a default action menu that contains links to the Bookmarks and
Notes tools. Unless these links are overridden by the action menu of an individual learning object, links to
these two tools will appear on the action menu of all learning objects in the learning module.
<webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:bookmarks="true" webctlm:notes="true" webctlm:compile="false"/>
</organization>
Within each item element, the ActionMenu element represents the learning object's action menu. If the
item's ActionMenu element contains no attributes or elements, the learning object has the default action
menu of the learning module.
The following examples represents a file that has the default action menu of the learning module.
<title>File_1</title>
</item>
36
If an individual learning object in a learning module has an action menu that contains links to different
tools than those that appear on the default action menu, this is represented by the attributes of the item's
ActionMenu element.
The following XML example represents a learning module that contains a file and an assessment. As
represented by the ActionMenu element that is an immediate child element of the organization
element, the default action menu for the learning module contains links to the Bookmarks and Notes tools
(<webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:bookmarks="true" webctlm:notes="true"
webctlm:compile="false"/>). As represented by the ActionMenu element nested within the first
item element, the content file has an action menu that contains a link to the Create Printable View tool
only (<webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:bookmarks="false" webctlm:notes="false"
webctlm:compile="true"/>. As represented by the ActionMenu element nested within the second
item element, the assessment has the default action menu of the learning module
(<webctlm:ActionMenu/>).
<title>File_1</title>
<webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:bookmarks="false" webctlm:notes="false"
webctlm:compile="true"/>
</item>
<title>Quiz_1</title>
</item>
<webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:bookmarks="true" webctlm:notes="true"
webctlm:compile="false"/>
</organization>
ActionMenuItem Element
The ActionMenuItem elements nested within an ActionMenu element that is an immediate child
element of the organization element represent the links to learning objects that appear on the default
action menu of all learning objects in the learning module. The coType attribute of the
ActionMenuItem element specifies the type of learning object that is linked. For example, if the value
of the coType attribute is webct.page, this represents a link to a file that has been added to a folder,
learning module, or has managed Media Library links.
The following diagram shows a learning module with a default action menu that contains links to an
assessment and a content file.
37
The following XML example represents a default action menu that contains links to two learning objects:
an assessment and a file. Unless these links are overridden by the action menu of an individual learning
object, links to these two learning objects will appear on the action menu of all learning objects in the
learning module.
<webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:bookmarks="true" webctlm:notes="true" webctlm:compile="false">
<webctlm:ActionMenuItem wectlm:identifier="117017_I2" wectlm:identifierref="115507"
webctlm:coType="webct.assessment"/>
<webctlm:ActionMenuItem wectlm:identifier="117017_I1" wectlm:identifierref="115452
webctlm:coType="webct.page"/>
</webctlm:ActionMenu>
</organization>
If an individual learning object in a learning module has an action menu that contains links to different
learning objects than those that appear on the default action menu, this is represented by the
ActionMenuItem element nested within an item's ActionMenu element.
The following XML example represents a learning module that has a default action menu that contains a
link to a content file (<webctlm:ActionMenuItem wectlm:identifier="117071_I4"
wectlm:identifierref="115482 webctlm:coType="webct.page"/>). The action menu for the
38
quiz in the learning module overrides that link (<webctlm:ActionMenuItem

wectlm:identifier="117071_I2" wectlm:identifierref="115482
webctlm:overridden="true" webctlm:coType="webct.page"/>) and contains a link to an
assessment only (<webctlm:ActionMenuItem wectlm:identifier="117071_I3"
wectlm:identifierref="115507 webctlm:coType="webct.assessment"/>).
<organization "117071_O" structure="webct:VistaLearningModule">

<title>Quiz_1</title>
<webctlm:ActionMenu>
<webctlm:ActionMenuItem wectlm:identifier="117071_I2"
wectlm:identifierref="115482 webctlm:overridden="true"
<webctlm:ActionMenuItem wectlm:identifier="117071_I3"
wectlm:identifierref="115507 webctlm:coType="webct.assessment"/>
</item>
<webctlm:ActionMenuItem wectlm:identifier="117071_I4" wectlm:identifierref="115482
</organization>

Within the resources element, there is one resource element for each learning object that is linked in
the learning module.
Each resource element contains a link to a self-contained manifest for the learning object. The
resource element must contain a type attribute with the value webct.manifest. The coType
attribute must specify the type of resource pointed to by the linked manifest. As shown in the following
XML example, to specify that the resource points to a self-contained manifest for an assessment, specify
the value webct.assessment
<resources>
<resource identifier="79615" type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.assessment"
xsi:type="webct:ResourceType>
</resource>
</resources>

At the end of the learning module manifest, you must include the ContentObject element. For the
coType attribute, specify the value webct.learningModule. For the numbering attribute, specify the
numbering style of the table of contents.
In the following XML example, the ContentObject element specifies a decimal numbering style for the
table of contents.
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.learningModule" xsi:type="webctlm:LearningModuleType
webctlm:numbering="DECIMAL">
<webct:Name>Week Two Learning Module</webct:Name>
39
Within the ContentObject element, the only element that must appear is the Name element.
one learning module), the root manifest is a container manifest and must not contain the
LEARNING MODULE MANIFEST EXAMPLE

xmlns:webctlm="http://www.webct.learningModule/xsd/cislearningmodulev3">
<metadata>
<imsmd:lom>
<imsmd:general>
<imsmd:title>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en-US">Week Four Learning Module</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:title>
</imsmd:general>
<imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:version>
</imsmd:version>
</imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:educational>
<imsmd:source>
</imsmd:source>
<imsmd:value>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">webct.learningModule</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:value>
</imsmd:lom>
</metadata>
<organizations>
<title>Content File 1</title>
<! -- As shown by the ActionMenu element below, the component action menu for Content
File 1 contains links to the Bookmarks and Create Printable View tools. (When
the bookmarks and compile attributes are not present, their values are
"true".) As shown by the ActionMenuItem element below, the component action menu
overrides the link to the content file that is on the learning module's default
action menu and instead contains a link to another content file. -->
<webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:notes="false">
<webctlm:ActionMenuItem webctlm:identifier="117259_I2"
webctlm:identifierref="115482" webctlm:overridden="true"
40
webctlm:identifierref="117186" webctlm:coType="webct.page"/>
</item>
<! -- As shown by the ActionMenu and ActionMenuItem elements below, Content File 2 uses
the default action menu of the learning module. -->
</item>
webctlm:identifierref="115482" webctlm="overridden="true"
</item>
<item identifier="117259_I9" identifierref="117313" isvisible ="false"
<title>Quiz 1</title>
<webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:bookmarks="false" webctlm:notes="false"
webctlm:compile="false">
</item>
<! -- As shown by the ActionMenu element below, the default action menu for the learning
module contains links to the Bookmarks, Create Printable View, and Notes tools. (If
the bookmarks, compile, or notes attribute is not present, the attribute value is
"true".) The default action menu also contains a link to a content file. -->
<webctlm:ActionMenuItem webctlm:identifier="117259_I11" webctlm:identifierref
="115482" webctlm:coType="webct.page"/>
</organization>
</organizations>
<resources>
<resource identifier="117303" type="webctmanifest" webct:coType="webct.page"
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
<resource identifier="117313" type="webctmanifest" webct:coType="webct.assessment"
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
41

</resource>
</resource>
</resources>
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.learningModule" xsi:type="webctlm:LearningModuleType"
webctlm:numbering="DECIMAL">
<webct:Name>Week Four Learning Module</webct:Name>
</manifest>
XML BINDING
This section contains a narrative description of the schema for the Learning Module specification. The
Learning Module specification extends the namespace for the CIS 3.0 XML schema. The
http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3 namespace for the CIS 3.0 XML schema is located in the file
cisv3.xsd. The namespace for the Learning Module schema is located in cislearningmodule3.xsd.
Both of these files are included in the zip file of each content package exported from Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1
and are also available on the Content Interoperability Specification download page. To go to the Content
1. Go to Behind the Blackboard (http://www.blackboard.com). and open the download center.
page appears.
appears.
Organization Element
42
The CIS has added the ActionMenu element to the base IMS organization element.
Description This element describes the structure of the learning module.
Namespace • http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imscp_v1p1
• http://www.webct.com/xsd/cislearningmodulev3
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within an organizations element.
Attributes • identifier (required). An identifier that is unique within the manifest. Data
type=ID.
• structure (optional). Describes the shape of an organization. Data type=string.
For a learning module, the value of the structure attribute must be set to
webct:VistaLearningModule.
Elements • <item>
• <ActionMenu>
Example <organization identifier="115443_O"

structure=webct:"VistaLearningModule">
<item identifier="108619_I1" identifierref="70907"
webctlm:coType="webct.page">
</item>
</organization>
Item Element
The CIS has added the coType attribute to the base IMS item element within the organization
element.
Description This element describes each heading and learning object in the learning module.
Namespace • http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imscp_v1p1
Multiplicity Occurs one or more times within an organization element.
43
Attributes • coType (required). Indicates the type of learning object in the learning module.
Data type=string.
NOTE: If the item is a heading, the coType attribute is not used.

Values are:
• webct.file: a file in any location other than a folder or learning module
that does not have managed Media Library links
Elements • <title>
• <ActionMenu>
NOTE: If the item is a heading, the ActionMenu element is not used.
Example The following XML example represents a file in the learning module called File
1.
<item identifier="108619_I1" identifierref="70907"

webctlm:coType="webct.page">
<title>File 1</title>
</item>
The following XML example represents a heading in the learning module called
Heading 1.
<item identifier="108619_I2">
<title>Heading 1</title>
</item>
Title Element
Description This element describes the title of an <item>. Data type=string.
Namespace http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imscp_v1p1
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within an item element.
44
Example <title>File 1</title>
ActionMenu Element
Description The ActionMenu element has different functions depending on where it appears:
• If the ActionMenu element is an immediate child element of the
organization element, it represents the default action menu of all learning
objects in a learning module.
• If the ActionMenu element is nested in the item element, its represents the
action menu of an individual learning object in the learning module.
Namespace http://www.webct.com/xsd/cislearningmodulev3
Multiplicity • Occurs once and only once as an immediate child element of an

organization element.
• Occurs once and only once within an item element.
Attributes • identifier (optional). An identifier that is unique within the manifest. Data
type=string.
• bookmarks (optional). This attribute specifies whether a link to the Bookmarks
tool appears on the action menu. Data type=boolean. If not present, the value is
assumed to be true.
• notes (optional). This attribute specifies whether a link to the Notes tool appears
on the action menu. Data type=boolean. If not present, the value is assumed to
be true.
• compile (optional). This attribute specifies whether a link to the Create
Printable View tool appears on the action menu. Data type=boolean. If not
present, the value is assumed to be true.
Elements • <ActionMenuItem>
Example <webctlm:ActionMenu webctlm:bookmarks=:"true"

webctlm:notes="false" webctlm:compile="false">
45
ActionMenuItem Element
Description The ActionMenuItem element has different functions depending on where it

appears:
• If the ActionMenuItem element is in an ActionMenu element that is an
immediate child element of an organization element, it represents a link to a
learning object on the default action menu of the all learning objects within a
learning module.
• If the ActionMenuItem element is in an ActionMenu element that is nested in
an item element, it represents a link to a learning object on the action menu of a
individual learning object in a learning module.
Namespace http://www.webct.com/xsd/cislearningmodulev3
Multiplicity Occurs zero or more times within an ActionMenu element.
Attributes • identifier (required). An identifier that is unique within the manifest. Data
type=string.
• identifierref (required). A reference to an identifier in the resources section.
Data type=string.
• overridden (optional). This attribute specifies whether the link (which appears
on the default action menu) is overridden on the action menu of an individual
learning module. Data type=boolean. If not present, the value is assumed to be
false. If the value is set to true, the link will not appear on the action menu of
the individual learning object.
• coType (required). Indicates the type of learning object that is linked on the
action menu. Data type=string.
Example <webctlm:ActionMenuItem webctlm:identifier="108619_I5"

webctlm:identifierref="70961"
webctlm:overridden="true"
webctlm:coType="webct.assessment"/>
46
Namespaces • http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3
learning module, the value of the coType attribute must be set to
webct.learningModule.
• isVisible (optional). Indicates whether the learning object displays. If not

• numbering (required). Indicates the numbering style of the table of contents in
the learning module. Data type=string. Values are:
• DECIMAL: decimal numbering style. For example, 1., 1.1., 1.2., 2.
• ROMAN: roman numbering style. For example, i., i.a., i.b., ii.
• NO_FORMAT_SPECIFIED
• tableOfContents (optional). Indicates whether the learning module's table of

content displays. If not present, the value is assumed to be true. Data
type=boolean.
Elements • <Name>
Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.learningModule"

xsi:type="webctlm:LearningModuleType webctlm:numbering="DECIMAL"
webctlm:tableOfContents="false">
<webct:Name>Week Two Learning Module</webct:Name>
Name Element
Example <webct:Name>Week Two Learning Module</webct:Name>
47
Chapter 5: Question Specification
CHAPTER 5: QUESTION SPECIFICATION

The Question specification provides the functionality to create and package an individual question or a
collection of questions into an interoperable, distributable package that can be transported between
different learning contexts and installations.
Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2 support the following questions types:
• calculated
• combination
• fill in the blank
• jumbled sentence
• matching
• multiple choice
• paragraph
• short answer
• true false
To package questions, WebCT implements the core elements of the IMS Content Packaging (CP)
specification version 1.1.3 and uses the CIS 3.0 XML schema. Blackboard has added custom XML
elements to provide some features that are not defined by the IMS CP specification. Chapter 1 of the
Content Interoperability Specification (CIS) describes the basic structure of a IMS content package and
the base extensions to the IMS Content Packaging (CP) schema. These extensions apply to all learning
objects. For more information, see Chapter 1: The WebCT CIS.
This section includes the following:
• Question Manifest Elements: This section includes a diagram of the primary elements in a question
manifest.
• Best Practices for Creating a Question Manifest: This section describes the best practices for creating
the four main sections in a question manifest.
• Question Manifest Example: This section includes an example of a question manifest.
QUESTION MANIFEST ELEMENTS

The following diagram shows the primary elements in a question manifest.
48
BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING A QUESTION

MANIFEST
To create a question that can be transported between different learning contexts and installations, you
must create a self-contained manifest for the question. This section describes the best practices for
creating the four main sections in a question manifest: Metadata, Organizations, Resources, and
ContentObject.
49
<metadata>

is not used, the default schema versions and namespaces for the CIS 3.0 are used.
<webct:Schema webct:name="IMS Content" webct:version="1.1.3"/>
<webct:Schema webct:name="IMS MetaData" webct:version="1.2.3/>

A question manifest must contain an empty organizations section.

Within the resources element, the resource element specifies the question's QTI XML file. This
element must contain a type attribute with the value ims_qtiasiv1p2.
NOTE: For information on creating QTI XML files for the nine question types supported by Vista
4.2 and CE 6.2, see Best Practices for Creating Question QTI XML Files.
<resources>
<resource identifier="117678_R" type="imsqtiasiv1p2">
<file href="URN_X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/117678_R.xml"/>
</resource>
</resources>
The resource contains a link to a QTI XML file for the question.
If the question contains an image, the resources element also contains a resource element describing
the image file. The resource element must contain a type attribute with the value webct.manifest.
50
<resources>
<resource identifier="117678_R" type="imsqtiasiv1p2">
<file href="URN_X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/117678_R.xml"/>
</resource>
<resource identifier="118570" type="webct.manifest">
<file href="URN_X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/118570.xml"/>
</resource>
</resources>

At the end of the question manifest, you must include the ContentObject element. For the coType
attribute, specify the value webct.question. Within the ContentObject element, the only element
that must appear is the Name element.
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.question">
<webct:Name>Multiple Choice Question 1</webct:Name>
NOTE: If a content package contains more than one top-level manifest (for example, two or more
question manifests), the root manifest is a container manifest and must not contain the
QUESTION MANIFEST EXAMPLE

<metadata>
<imsmd:lom>
<imsmd:general>
<imsmd:title>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en-US">Multiple Choice Question 1</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:title>
</imsmd:general>
<imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:version>
</imsmd:version>
</imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:educational>
<imsmd:source>
</imsmd:source>
<imsmd:value>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">webct.question</imsmd:langstring>
51
</imsmd:value>
</imsmd:lom>
</metadata>
<organizations />
<resources>
<resource identifier="117678_R" type="ims_qtiasiv1p2">
<file href="X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/117678.xml"/>
</resource>
<resource identifier="118570" type="webct.manifest">
<file href="X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/118570.xml"/>
</resource>
</resources>
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.question">
</manifest>
BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING QUESTION QTI

XML FILES
To create items that represent the nine question types supported by Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, Blackboard
implements the core elements of the IMS Question and Test Interoperability (QTI) specification version
1.2.
NOTE: A complete description of the IMS QTI specification is beyond the scope of this document.
To download this specification, go to the IMS QTI specification web site
(http://www.imsglobal.org/question/index.cfm).
The CIS also defines a unique namespace (http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment) and
schema (webct_qti.xsd) to represent the extensions to the IMS QTI schema. The elements and
attributes defined in the namespace represent content-rich features that are not defined by the IMS QTI
specification.
The following section describes the question fields and properties, and the corresponding metadata fields
and data elements, that are common to all Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2 question types. Each question type has its
own specific set of metadata fields and data elements. These are described in sections that describe how
to create each question type.
Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements

This section describes the question fields and properties that are common to all questions types.
52
Question Field or Metadata Field or Data Description

Property Element
Title title attribute of the The title attribute of the item element is an
item element optional attribute that indicates the title of a question.
If a title is not specified, the question is titled untitled.
Type wct_questiontype The wct_questiontype field is a required field that

metadata field indicates the type of question. In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2,
this field corresponds to the Type field on the
Question Database screen and on the screen in which
questions are created. This field must be set to one of
the following:
• calculated questions: WCT_Calculated
• combination questions: WCT_Combination
• fill in the blank questions:
WCT_FillInTheBlank
• jumbled sentence questions:

WCT_JumbledSentence
• matching questions: WCT_Matching

• multiple choice questions:
WCT_MultipleChoice
• paragraph questions: WCT_Paragraph

• short answer questions: WCT_ShortAnswer
• true false questions: WCT_TrueFalse
Category wct_questioncategory The wct_questioncategory field is an optional

metadata field field that indicates the category to which the question
belongs. In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, this field
corresponds to the category on the Question Database
screen. The question is placed in the category
specified. If a category is not specified, the question is
placed in the category Uncategorized Questions.
Used By wct_usedbyassessment The wct_usedbyassessment field is exported but

element should not be used for import. The field indicates the
assessments that use the question. In Vista 4.2 and CE
6.2, this field corresponds to the Used By field on the
Question Database screen.
53

Property Element
Section Designer objectives element The objectives element is an optional element that
notes field specifies notes about the question that are visible only
to the designer of the question. In Vista 4.2 and CE
6.2, this element corresponds to the Section Designer
notes field on the screen in which questions are
created.
The mattext element in material in the
objectives element has the following attributes:
• xml:space (optional). Defines whether or not the

whitespace is to be preserved. Possible values are:
• default
• preserve
• label (required). Must be set to

wct_designer_notes_label_1.
• texttype (optional. Default=TEXT/PLAIN).

Specifies whether the notes are formatted in plain
text or HTML. Possible values are:
• TEXT/HTML: the notes are formatted in
HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the notes are formatted in plain
text
• charset (optional. Default=US-ASCII). The
character set that is to be used to represent the text
string.
54

Property Element
Question text mattext element in the The mattext element contains the question text. This
first material element in element has the following attributes:
flow in the
presentation element • xml:space (optional). Defines whether or not the
• default
• preserve
• label (required). Data type=string. Possible

values are:
• For all question types, except calculated and
fill in the blank questions, the attribute must
be set to wct_question_label_1.
• For calculated questions, the label attribute
must be set to
wct_calc_questionTextType.
• For fill in the blank questions, the label

attribute must be set to
wct_fib_questionTextType.

Specifies whether the question text is formatted in
plain text or HTML. Possible values are:
• TEXT/HTML: the question is formatted in
HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the question is formatted in
plain text
string.
55

Property Element
Question text with material_webeq When the question text contains an equation, the
a Mathematical element in material_webeq element contains the question text.
Markup Language mat_extension in This element has the following attributes:
(MathML) material in flow in the
equation presentation element • xmlns:webct The namespace. Must be set to
http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment.
• label (required). Data type=string. Possible

values are:
• For all question types except calculated and
fill in the blank questions, the attribute must
be set to wct_question_label_1.
• For calculated questions, the label attribute
must be set to
wct_calc_questionTextType.
• For fill in the blank questions, the label

attribute must be set to
wct_fib_questionTextType.

Specifies whether the question text is formatted in
• TEXT/HTML: the question is formatted in
HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the question is formatted in
plain text
Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1 includes WebEQ™ Equation
Editor version 2.5, which supports equations in
MathML version 1.01 format. Information about
MathML version 1.01 is beyond the scope of this
document. For more information, go to the MathML
1.01 specification web site
(http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-MathML/)
The equation has the following attributes:
• height. The background height, in pixels, of the
equation.
• width. The background width, in pixels, of the
equation.
• size (optional. Default=18). The font size of the
equation.
• bgcolor. The background color of the equation.
56

Property Element
Format=hexadecimal color code.

• title. The title of the equation.
• controls (optional. Default=false). Specifies

whether the user can control the font size of the
equation. Possible values are:
• false: the user cannot edit the font size of
the equation
• true: the user can edit the font size of the
equation by right-clicking the equation
Image matimage element in The matimage element is an optional element that

material in flow in the contains an image that appears in the question. In
presentation element Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, this element corresponds to the
question's Image field. This element has the following
attributes:
• label (required). Data type=string. Must be set
to wct_question_label_1.
• uri (required). Contains the path to the image
from the root of the template folder.
NOTE: At the section level, the template

folder is renamed the Section
Content folder. If you export
content from a section, the uri
attribute describes the path of the
file relative to the Section
Content folder.
Scoring type decvar element in The following attributes must be included in the
outcomes in the decvar element:
resprocessing element
• vartype (required). Must be set to Decimal.
• varname (required). Must be set to SCORE.
57

Property Element
Scoring value setvar element in The value of each setvar element must be set to
respcondition in the between zero and 100 percent (0.0 and 100.0). In
resprocessing element the item, the sum of all setvar elements that have an
Action attribute that is set to Add, must be 100
For calculated question,
percent (100.0).
the setvar element is in
unit_eval in
NOTE: Paragraph questions do not include the
itemproc_extension setvar element.
in the resprocessing
element
58

Property Element
General Feedback mattext element in The itemfeedback element is an optional element

field material in flow_mat that contains feedback that appears when Students
in the itemfeedback view the graded question. In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, the
element element corresponds to the General feedback field on
the screen in which questions are created. The
itemfeedback element has the following attributes:
• ident (required). Must be set to

wct_general_feedback_ref_1.
• view (optional. Default=All). Defines to whom

the material can be presented.
The mattext element in material in flow_mat in
the itemfeedback element specifies the general
feedback that appears when Students view the graded
question. This element has the following attributes:
• default
• preserve
• label (required). Data type=string. Must be set

to wct_general_feedback_1.
Specifies whether the feedback is formatted in
• TEXT/HTML: the feedback is formatted in
HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the feedback is formatted in
plain text
string.
NOTE: For combination and multiple choice

questions, the itemfeedback element
is also used to specify answer
feedback. For more information, see
Creating the Itemfeedback Section in
the sections Creating Combination
Questions and Creating Multiple
Choice Questions.
59
Creating Calculated Questions

The following diagram shows the extension to the standard item element for calculated questions. XML
bindings for extensions to the presentation and resprocessing elements are described in the
section XML Binding for Item Elements.
60
61
Best Practices for Creating a Calculated Question QTI XML

File
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a calculated question QTI
XML file: Itemmetadata, Objectives, Presentation, Resprocessing, and Itemfeedback.
Creating the Itemmetadata Section
In the itemmetadata element within the qtimetadata element, the following metadata fields are used
to define calculated questions:
Metadata Field Description
wct_questiontype This field indicates the type of question. This field must be set
to WCT_Calculated.
wct_calc_questionText This field specifies the question text. Variables must be placed
within square brackets ([]).
wct_authorWebctGlid This field is exported but is not required for import. This field
contains a unique identifier for the author of the question.
wct_questioncategory This is an optional field that indicates the category to which the
question belongs. The question is placed in the category
specified. If a category is not specified, the question is placed
in the category Uncategorized Questions.
wct_usedbyassessment This field is exported but should not be used for import. The
field indicates the assessments that use the question. This field
corresponds to the Used By field on the Question Database
screen.
wct_authorFullName This field is exported but is not required for import. This field
specifies the first and last name of the author of the question.
Creating the Objectives Section
Calculated questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section
Designer notes field. This element is common to all question types. For more information, see Common
Metadata Fields and Data Elements.
Creating the Presentation Section
Calculated questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage elements to specify question
62
text, equations, and images respectively. These elements are common to all question types. For more
information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, within the presentation
element, in the flow element, in the mat_extension element, the following elements are used to
defined calculated questions:
Element Description
calculated This element specifies the formula used to calculate the

question's answers.
formula This element contains the formula used to calculate the

question's answer. Variables must be place within square
brackets ([]).
var This element contains a variable declaration for one of the

variables in the formula element. There must be one var
element for each variable in the formula. It has the following
attributes:
• name: The variable name.
• min: The minimum value of the variable.
• max: The maximum value of the variable.
• precision: The number of the decimal places of the

variable. Possible values are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
calculated_set This element contains the calculated_var and answer

elements for a calculated answer. It has the following
attribute:
• index: The number of the calculated answer. (The index
is zero-based, thus the first answer is 0, the second answer
is 1, and so forth.)
calculated_var A variable in the answer set. There must be one

calculated_var element for each variable in the formula.
It has the following attributes:
• name: The variable name.
• value: The value of the variable.
answer There must be one answer element in each

calculated_set element. It has the following attribute:
• value: the calculated answer based on the values in the

calculated_var elements
63
Element Description
variable This element is used to define the variable. It specifies where

the variable appears in the question text. It has the following
attributes:
• label (optional). Data type=string.
• name: The name of the variable.
• precision: The number of decimal places of the

variable. Possible values are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
localizable_mattext This element is used to specify that the word is rendered

according to the locale setting. For calculated questions, the
element can contain one of the following words:
• answer
• units
This element has the following attributes:
• xmlns:webct The namespace. Must be set to

• default
• preserve
• texttype: (optional. Default=TEXT/PLAIN). Specifies

whether the word is formatted in plain text or HTML.
Possible values are:
• TEXT/HTML: the word is formatted in HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the word is formatted in plain text
• charset: the value must be set to US-ASCII
Creating the Resprocessing Section
Calculated questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define scoring for
the question. These elements are common to all question types. For more information, see Common
Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, within the resprocessing element in the
itemproc_extension element, the following elements are used to define calculated questions:
64
Element Description
calculated_answer This element specifies information about the question's

answers. It has the following attributes:
• respident: The value must match the ident attribute
of the response_num element in the presentation
element.
• precision: The number of decimal places or significant
figures to which the answer sets are calculated.
• precisionType: Specifies whether the answer sets are
calculated in decimal places or significant figures.
• Decimal: decimal places
• SigFig: significant figures
• tolerance: The answer tolerance value.
• toleranceType: Specifies whether the answer tolerance

is calculated in units or as a percent. Possible values are:
• Unit: answer tolerance is calculated in units
• Percent: answer tolerance is calculated as a percent
unit_eval This element specifies the units for the answer value. It has
the following attribute:
• space: Specifies whether or not spaces count in the units
part of the answer. Possible values are:
• Yes: spaces count in the units part of the answer
• No: ignore spaces in the units part of the answer
Creating the Itemfeedback Section
Calculated questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the General
Feedback field. This field is common to all question types. For more information, see Common Metadata
Fields and Data Elements.
XML Example of a Calculated Question With an Equation
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<questestinterop xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/ims_qtiasiv1p2">
<item title="Square Root Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:3840892000:28225:
D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>
<vocabulary uri="webct_imsqti_metadatav1p0.txt" vocab_type="text/plain" />
65


<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_questiontype</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>WCT_Calculated</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_calc_questionText</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>What is {Equation:eqn=<math><mrow><msqrt><mrow><mi>α</mi>
</mrow></msqrt></mrow></math>,height=31,width=35,size=18,bgcolor=#FFFFFF,title=
eqn_1,controls=false}, where a = [x]? Calculate your answer to three decimal
places.</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_questioncategory</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>Calculated Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_usedbyassessment</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry></fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>

<objectives view="Author">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_designer_notes_label_1" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN"
charset="US-ASCII">A question for the math mid-term</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>

<mat_extension>
<webct:calculated xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" label=
"calculated">
<webct:formula>sqrt([x])</webct:formula>
<webct:var webct:name="x" webct:min="25.0" webct:max="68.0" webct:precision="0" />
<webct:calculated_set webct:index="0">
<webct:calculated_var webct:name="x" webct:value="52.0" />
<webct:answer webct:value="7.211102550927978" />
</webct:calculated_set>
66
</webct:calculated>
</mat_extension>
<mat_extension>
<webct:material_webeq xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" label=
"wct_calc_questionTextType" texttype="TEXT/HTML">What is {Equation:eqn=<math>
<mrow><msqrt><mrow><mi>α</mi></mrow></msqrt></mrow></math>,height=31,
width=35,size=18,bgcolor=#FFFFFF,title=eqn_1,controls=false}, where a =
</webct:material_webeq>
</mat_extension>
<mat_extension>
<webct:variable xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" webct:label=""
webct:name="x" webct:precision="0" />
</mat_extension>3
<mat_extension>
<webct:material_webeq xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" label=
"wct_calc_questionTextType" texttype="TEXT/HTML">? Calculate your answer to three
decimal places.</webct:material_webeq>
</mat_extension>
<matbreak />
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />

<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/square_root.jpg" />
<matbreak />
</material>
<response_num ident="CALC" rtiming="No" rcardinality="Single" numtype="Decimal">
<material>

<mat_extension>
<webct:localizable_mattext xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment"
xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">answer</webct:
localizable_mattext>
</mat_extension>
</material>
<render_fib charset="US-ASCII" encoding="UTF-8" fibtype="String" prompt="Box" rows="1"
columns="20" maxchars="20" maxnumber="1" minnumber="1">
<response_label ident="A" rshuffle="No">
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_num>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
<decvar vartype="Decimal" varname="SCORE" defaultval="0.0" />
</outcomes>
<itemproc_extension>
<webct:calculated_answer xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" respident=
"CALC" webct:precision="3" webct:precisionType="Decimal" webct:tolerance="0.0" webct:
toleranceType="Percent">
<setvar varname="SCORE" action="Add">100.0</setvar>
</webct:calculated_answer>
67
<unit_eval xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" webct:space="Yes">

<conditionvar xmlns="">
<varequal xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/ims_qtiasiv1p2" respident="UNITS"
case="Yes" />
</conditionvar>
</unit_eval>
</itemproc_extension>
<respcondition continue="Yes" title="genFeedback">
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
<feedback feedbacktype="Response" linkrefid="wct_general_feedback_ref_1" />
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>

<itemfeedback ident="wct_general_feedback_ref_1" view="All">
<flow_mat class=" ">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_general_feedback_1" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">The square root of a number <i>n</i> is a number that, when
multiplied by itself, equals <i>n</i>.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
XML Example of a Calculated Question Without an Equation

<item title="Travel Time Calculated Question " ident="WCT:ASM0:3560360000:28225:
D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_Calculated</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_calc_questionText</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>If a car is travelling [x] miles per hour, how many hours will it take
the car to travel [y] miles? Calculate your answer to two decimal places.
</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Calculated Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
<material>
68

charset="US-ASCII">This question was included on the Math 101 exam.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>

<mat_extension>
<webct:calculated xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" label=
"calculated">
<webct:formula>[y]/[x]</webct:formula>
<webct:var webct:name="y" webct:min="120.0" webct:max="124.0" webct:precision=
"0" />
<webct:var webct:name="x" webct:min="40.0" webct:max="60.0" webct:precision=
"0" />
<webct:calculated_var webct:name="y" webct:value="120.0" />
</webct:calculated>
</mat_extension>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_calc_questionTextType" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">If a car is travelling </mattext>
<mat_extension>
webct:name="x" webct:precision="0" />
</mat_extension>
69

charset="US-ASCII"> miles per hour, how many hours will it take the car to travel
</mattext>
<mat_extension>
webct:name="y" webct:precision="0" />
</mat_extension>
charset="US-ASCII"> miles? Calculate your answer to two decimal places.</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/car.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>

<response_num ident="CALC" rtiming="No" rcardinality="Single" numtype="Decimal">
<material>
<mat_extension>
xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">answer
</webct:localizable_mattext>
</mat_extension>
</material>
<response_label ident="A" rshuffle="No">
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_num>

<response_str ident="UNITS" rtiming="No" rcardinality="Single">
<material>
<mat_extension>
xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">units
</mat_extension>
</material>
<response_label ident="A" rshuffle="No" />
</render_fib>
</response_str>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<itemproc_extension>
<webct:calculated_answer xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" respident=
"CALC" webct:precision="2" webct:precisionType="Decimal" webct:tolerance="0.0"
webct:toleranceType="Percent">
<unit_eval xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" webct:space="No">
<varequal xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/ims_qtiasiv1p2" respident="UNITS"
case="No">hours</varequal>
</conditionvar>
70

</unit_eval>
</itemproc_extension>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">To calculate the number of hours, divide the distance travelled
by the rate of speed.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
Creating Combination Questions

The following diagram shows the extension to the standard item element for combination questions.
XML bindings for the extension to the presentation element are described in the section XML Binding
for Item Elements.
71
Best Practices for Creating a Combination Question QTI XML

File
72
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a combination question QTI
to define combination questions:
qmd_questiontype This field is exported but is not required for import. It indicates
the type of question (for standard IMS QTI question types).
layoutHorizontal This field is exported but is not required for import. (The
structure of combination questions is derived from the
structure of multiple choice questions. The
layoutHorizontal property was inherited from multiple
choice questions. Combination questions always appear in
vertical layout, regardless of whether the property is set to
false or true.)
wct_questiontype This field indicates the type of question. It must be set to

WCT_Combination.
wct_authorWebctGlid This field is exported but is not required for import. It contains
a unique identifier for the author of the question.
screen.
wct_authorFullName This field is exported but is not required for import. It specifies
the first and last name of the author of the question.
Combination questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section
Designer notes field. This field is common to all question types. For more information, see Common
73
Combination questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage elements to specify
question text, equations, and images respectively. These elements are common to all question types. For
more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, the following elements
are used:
Element Description
mattext element in material in the Each mattext element contains an answer. The element has
flow element the following attributes:
• default
• preserve

wct_cmc_single_answerx (where x is the number of
the answer). (The index is zero-based, thus the first
answer is 0, the second answer is 1, and so forth.)
whether the answer is formatted in plain text or HTML.
• TEXT/HTML: the answer is formatted in HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the answer is formatted in plain text
• charset (optional. Default=US-ASCII). The character

set that is to be used to represent the text string.
74
Element Description
mattext element in material in the Each mattext element contains an answer combination. The
response_label element element has the following attributes:
• default
• preserve

wct_mc_answer_textx_y (where x is the number of
the answer combination and y is the position of the single
answer in the answer combination.) (The index for the
answer combination is zero-based, thus the first answer
combination is 0, the second answer combination is 1,
and so forth.)
NOTE: If an alternate answer is specified, such as

All of the above or None of the above, y is
not included in the label value.

whether the answer combination is formatted in plain text
or HTML. Possible values are:
• TEXT/HTML: the answer combination is formatted in
HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the answer combination is formatted in
plain text
Combination questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define scoring
for the question. These elements are common to all question types. For more information, see Common
Combination questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the General
Feedback field and the answer feedback fields. The General Feedback field is common to all question
types. For more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. The answer feedback
fields are described in the following table.
75
Element Description
itemfeedback element The itemfeedback element is an optional element that

defines answer feedback that appears to Students when they
view the graded question. It has the following attribute:
• ident (required). Must be set to wct_mc_answer_fbx
(where x is number of the answer combination). (The
index is zero-based, thus the first answer combination is
0, the second answer combination is 1, and so forth.)
• view (optional. Default=All). Defines to whom the

material can be presented.
mattext element in material in the The mattext element contains the answer feedback that
itemfeedback element appears when Students view the graded question. It has the
following attributes:
• default
• preserve
• label (required). Must be set to wct_mc_answer_fbx

(where x is the number of the answer combination). (The
index is zero-based, thus the first answer combination is
0, the second answer combination is 1, and so forth.)
• texttype (optional. Default=TEXT/PLAIN). Specifies

whether the answer feedback is formatted in plain text or
HTML. Possible values are:
• TEXT/HTML: the answer feedback is formatted in
HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the answer feedback is formatted in
plain text
XML Example of a Combination Question

<item title="Breeds of Cat Combination Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:3543172000:
28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>

76
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_Combination</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Combination Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A good question for the mid-term.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>

<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_question_label_1" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">Which of the following are breeds of cat?</mattext>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/cat.gif" />
<matbreak />
</material>
<material>

<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">A. </mattext>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_cmc_single_answer0" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">Shorthair</mattext>
<matbreak />
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">B. </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Longhair</mattext>
<matbreak />
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">C. </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Persian</mattext>
<matbreak />
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">D. </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Hershey</mattext>
<matbreak />
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">E. </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Siamese</mattext>
<matbreak />
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">F. </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Malamute</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
<response_lid ident="RESP_MC" rcardinality="Single">
<render_choice shuffle="No">
77
<flow_label class="Row">

<response_label ident="MC0" rshuffle="Yes">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_mc_answer_text0_1" texttype=
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">A</mattext>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">,
</mattext>
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">B</mattext>
</mattext>
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">C</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</mattext>
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">D</mattext>
</mattext>
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">E</mattext>
</mattext>
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">F</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">A</mattext>
</mattext>
</mattext>
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">C</mattext>
</mattext>
"TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">E</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_mc_answer_text3" texttype=
"TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII"> All of the above</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_mc_answer_text4" texttype=
"TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII"> None of the above</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
78
</response_lid>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing scoremodel="AllorNothing">
<outcomes>
<decvar vartype="Decimal" varname="SCORE" minvalue="0.0" defaultval="0.0" />
<decvar vartype="Decimal" varname="answerValue" />
</outcomes>
<respcondition continue="Yes">
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="RESP_MC" case="Yes">MC0</varequal>
</conditionvar>
<setvar varname="answerValue" action="Add">0.0</setvar>
<feedback feedbacktype="Response" linkrefid="wct_mc_answer_fb0" />
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<respcondition continue="Yes" title="allOrNothing">
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>

<itemfeedback ident="wct_mc_answer_fb0" view="All">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">: </mattext>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_mc_answer_fb0" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">Siamese is also a breed of cat.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Hershey and Malamute are not breeds of cat.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Yes, these are all breeds of cat.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">All of the
above: </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Hershey and Malamute are not breeds of cat.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">None of the
above: </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Shorthair, Longhair, Persian, and Siamese are all breeds of cat.
</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
Creating Fill in the Blank Questions

The following diagram shows the extensions to the standard item element for fill in the blank questions.
XML bindings for the extensions to the presentation and resprocessing elements are described in
the section XML Binding for Item Elements.
80
81
Best Practices for Creating a Fill in the Blank Question QTI

XML File
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a fill in the blank question
QTI XML file: Itemmetadata, Objectives, Presentation, Resprocessing, and Itemfeedback.
to define fill in the blank questions:
wct_answer_textx This field specifies the answer for answer x.
wct_sa_caseSensitive This field is exported but should not be used for import. (The
structure of fill in the blank questions is derived from the
structure of short answer questions. The
wct_sa_caseSensitive field was inherited from short
answer questions.) When creating fill in the blank questions,
the wct_fib_caseSensitive field specifies whether the
answers are case sensitive.
wct_fib_questionText This field contains the question text. Each blank must be
represented by a set of square brackets ([]) containing the
correct answer.
wct_allowedInBoxx This field specifies in which text box answer x (where x is the
number of the answer) is allowed to be entered.
The following XML example specifies that answer 1 must be
entered in the first answer text box. (The index is zero-based,
thus the first answer text box is 0, the second answer text box
is 1, and so forth.)
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_allowedInBox1</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>0</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatfield>
82
wct_sa_answerBoxNumber This field is exported but should not be used for import. The
structure of fill in the blank questions is derived from the
structure of short answer questions. The
wct_sa_answerBoxNumber field was inherited from short
answer questions. When creating fill in the blank questions,
you cannot specify the number of answer boxes to show to
Students.
wct_fib_answerBoxWidth This field specifies the width, in characters, of the answer text
box(es). The field must be set to one of the following values:
10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85,
90, 95, or 100.
In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, this field corresponds to the question
setting Answer box width.
wct_comparison_typex This field specifies the grading scheme of answer x (where x is

the number of the answer). The field can be set to one of the
following:
• CONTAINS: for the answer to be graded as correct, it must
contain the word or phrase that is specified for answer x
• EQUALS: for the answer to be graded as correct, it must be
the same as the word or phrase that is specified for answer
x
• REGULAR_EXPRESSION: for the answer to be graded as

correct, it must match the regular expression specified for
answer x
In Vista 4.1 and CE 6.1, this field corresponds to the Grading
scheme of the answer.
screen.
83
wct_fib_caseSensitive This field specifies whether the answers are case sensitive. The
field can be set to one of the following:
• Yes: the answers are case sensitive
• No: the answers are not case sensitive

setting Answers are case sensitive.
wct_valuex This field specifies the percent value that answer x is worth
towards the total point value of the question.
In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, this field corresponds to the answer
Value (%).
IMPORTANT: The sum of the value of all wct_valuex fields

must be 100 percent (100.0).
to WCT_FillInTheBlank.
Fill in the blank questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section
Fill in the blank questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage elements to define
more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements.
Fill in the blank questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define
scoring for the question. These elements are common to all question types. For more information, see
Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, fill in the blank questions use the IMS QTI
specification's var_extension element to define answers that are graded with a regular expression.
84
Element Description
varregex element in the The varregex element is used when an answer is graded
conditionvar element with a regular expression. It has the following attributes:
http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment
• respident (required). Must be set to FIBxx (where xx

is the number of the text box in which the answer must be
entered)
• case (required). Specifies whether the answer is case
sensitive. Possible values are:
• Yes: the answer is case sensitive
• No: the answers is not case sensitive
Fill in the blank questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the General
XML Example of a Fill in the Blank Question

<item title="Jack and Jill Fill in the Blank Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:3200353000:
28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_answer_text1</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>Jill</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_fib_questionText</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>Jack and [Jill] went up the hill to fetch a pail of [water].</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_fib_answerBoxWidth</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_comparison_type2</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>EQUALS</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Fill in the Blank Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_fib_caseSensitive</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>Yes</fieldentry>
85
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_value3</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>50.0</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>REGULAR_EXPRESSION</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_FillInTheBlank</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>water</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>H2O</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
field. This text appears only to the designer of the question. The label attribute of
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A question for the children's literature quiz.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>

<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_fib_questionTextType" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">Jack and </mattext>
</material>
<response_str ident="FIB01" rtiming="No" rcardinality="Single">
<render_fib charset="US-ASCII" encoding="UTF-8" fibtype="String" prompt="Box"
rows="1" columns="15" maxchars="15" maxnumber="1" minnumber="1">
<response_label ident="A1" rshuffle="No" />
</render_fib>
</response_str>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII"> went up the hill to fetch a pail of </mattext>
86
</material>
<response_str ident="FIB02" rtiming="No" rcardinality="Single">
<response_label ident="A2" rshuffle="No" />
</render_fib>
</response_str>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">.</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/jack_and_jill.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
<decvar vartype="Decimal" varname="SCORE" />
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="FIB01" case="Yes">Jill</varequal>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="FIB02" case="Yes">water</varequal>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>

<var_extension>
<webct:varregex xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" respident=
"FIB02" case="Yes">H2O</webct:varregex>
</var_extension>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">The Jack and Jill nursery rhyme is said to originate in
France.</mattext>
</material>
87
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
Creating Jumbled Sentence Questions

The following diagram shows the extensions to the standard item element for jumbled sentence
questions. XML bindings for the extensions to the presentation element are described in the section
XML Binding for Item Elements.
88
Best Practices for Creating a Jumbled Sentence Question

QTI XML File
89
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a jumbled sentence question
to define jumbled sentence questions:
to WCT_JumbledSentence.
wct_questioncategory This an optional field that indicates the category to which the
screen.
Jumbled sentence questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section
Jumbled sentence questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage elements to define
more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, jumbled sentence
questions use the following elements to define the question's text:
Element Description
ims_render_object element in The ims_render_object elements is used to render the

render_extension in the question and answer(s).
response_lid element
90
Jumbled sentence questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define
Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements.
Jumbled sentence questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the
General Feedback field. This field is common to all question types. For more information, see Common
XML Example of a Jumbled Sentence Question

<item title="Jumbled Sentence Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:3200354000:28225:
D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
</qtimetadata>
<qtimetadata>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_JumbledSentence</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Jumbled Sentence Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
field. This text appears only to the designer of the question. The label attribute of
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A good question for the French 101 mid-term.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>

charset="US-ASCII"></mattext>
</material>

<response_lid ident="JUMBLED01" rcardinality="Ordered">
<render_extension>
91

<ims_render_object xmlns="" shuffle="No" orientation="row">
<material xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/ims_qtiasiv1p2">
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">Translate
the following sentence into French: I love to work with WebCT. J'</mattext>
</material>
<response_label xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/ims_qtiasiv1p2" ident="JA01"
rshuffle="No">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">
travailler</mattext>
</material>
</response_label>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">
</mattext>
</material>
rshuffle="No">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">WebCT
</mattext>
</material>
</response_label>
</mattext>
</material>
rshuffle="No">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">avec
</mattext>
</material>
</response_label>
</mattext>
</material>
rshuffle="No">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">aime
</mattext>
</material>
</response_label>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">.
</mattext>
</material>
</ims_render_object>
</render_extension>
</response_lid>
<material>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/translation.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
92
</resprocessing>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
<decvar vartype="Decimal" varname="SCORE" minvalue="0.0" maxvalue="100.0" cutValue=
"100.0" />
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<and>
<varequal respident="JUMBLED01" case="Yes" index="1">JA04</varequal>
</and>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
element must be set to "wct_general_feedback_1".-->
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">The stem of the word aimer is aim-. Once we know the stem, we
can attach the correct person ending. We know that the third person singular ending
for a verb ending in -er is -e. So, if we attach -e to the stem aim-, we get the
form aime.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
Creating Matching Questions

The following diagram shows the extensions to the standard item element for matching questions. XML
bindings for the extensions to the presentation element are described in the section XML Binding for
Item Elements.
93
Best Practices for Creating a Matching Question QTI XML

File
94
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a matching question QTI
to define matching questions:
wct_m_statement_short_format This field specifies the format of the items to be matched. The
items to be matched appear in the first column in the question.
The field can be set to one of the following:
• Yes: the items to be matched (the words or phrases) appear
in the question
• No: numbers corresponding to the items to be matched in
the question
NOTE: If this field is set to No, the material_table

element must be included in the presentation
section of the XML file. For more information,
see Creating the Presentation Section.
to WCT_Matching.
wct_m_match_short_format This field specifies the format of the answer choices in the
question. The answer choices in the second column in the
question. The field can be set to one of the following:
• Yes: answer choices (the words or phrases) in drop-down
lists in the question
• No: letters corresponding to the answers in drop-down lists
in the question
NOTE: If this field is set to No, the material_table

element must be included in the presentation
section of the XML file. For more information,
see Creating the Presentation Section.
95
screen.
wct_m_grading_scheme This field specifies the question's grading scheme. The field
can be set to one of the following:
• ALL_OR_NOTHING: Students receive the total point value
of the question only when they correctly match all items in
the question
• EQUALLY_WEIGHTED: Students receive an equal portion of
the total point value of the question for each item that they
match correctly.
• RIGHT_MINUS_WRONG: each correctly matched item is
worth an equal portion of the total point value of the
question but the point value of all incorrect matches is
subtracted from the point value of all correct matches
setting Grading scheme.
Matching questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section Designer
notes field. This field is common to all question types. For more information, see Common Metadata
In the presentation section, matching questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage
elements to specify question text, equations, and images respectively. These fields are common to all
question types. For more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition,
matching questions use the IMS QTI specification's material extension (mat_extension) feature to
define a preview in the question that s both the items to be matched and all of the answers.
96
Element Description
material_table This is an optional element that specifies, as a preview, the

items to match in one column and all of the answer choices ,
in random order, in another column. These two columns
appear below the question text.
NOTE: If the metadata fields

wct_m_statement_short_format and/or
wct_m_match_short_format are set to No,
the material_table element must be
included in the presentation section of the
XML file.
setting Column preview.
97
Element Description
matching_ext_flow This element is used to define one of the columns that s as a

preview in the question. The element has the following
attributes:
• xmlns:webct The WebCT namespace. Must be set to
• rshuffle: specifies whether the items in the preview

column are shuffled on consecutive s to the user
IMPORTANT:For the first preview column, which

contains the terms to be matched, the value
must be set to No. For the second preview
column, which contains the answer
choices, the value must be set to Yes.
• rhidden: Must be set to No.
• labelType: Specifies whether the items in the preview

column are labelled with letters, numbers, or are not
labelled. Possible values are:
• Letters
• Numbers
• None
IMPORTANT:• If the metadata field

wct_m_statement_short_format
is set to No and the metadata field
wct_m_match_short_format is set
to Yes, for the first column, this value
must be set to Numbers. For the
second column, this value must be set
to None.
• If the metadata field
is set to No and the metadata field
to No, for the first column, this value
must be set to Numbers. For the
second column, this value must be set
to Letters.
is set to Yes and the metadata field
to No, for the first column, this value
98
Element Description
must be set to None. For the second

column, this value must be set to
Letters.

is set to Yes and the metadata field
to Yes, for the first column, this value
must be set to None. For the second
column, this value must be set to
None.
matching_text_ext In a matching question, this element specifies one of the items

that will appear in the preview column. It has the following
attributes:
• label
• rshuffle: specifies whether the item is shuffled on

consecutive s to the user
IMPORTANT: For items in the first preview column, the

value must be set to No. If you don't want
one of the items in the second preview
column to shuffle on consecutive s to the
users, set the value to No.
Matching questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define scoring for
Matching questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the General
XML Example of a Matching Question

<item title="Capital Cities of Europe Matching Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:2903597000:28225:
D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
</qtimetadata>
99
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_m_statement_short_format</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_Matching</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_m_match_short_format</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Matching Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_m_grading_scheme</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>EQUALLY_WEIGHTED</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
field. This text s only to the designer of the question. The label attribute of
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A good question for the Geography mid-term.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Match the following capital cities with their countries:
</mattext>
<matbreak />

<mat_extension>
<material_table label="tableLabel">
<webct:matching_ext_flow xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment"
rshuffle="No" rhidden="No" webct:labelType="None">
<webct:matching_text_ext label="" rshuffle="No">
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="Statement1" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">Dublin</mattext>
</webct:matching_text_ext>
100

charset="US-ASCII">Lisbon</mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Brussels</mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Bern</mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Copenhagen</mattext>
</webct:matching_ext_flow>
<webct:matching_ext_flow xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment"
rshuffle="Yes" rhidden="No" webct:labelType="None">
<webct:matching_text_ext label="" rshuffle="Yes">
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="Match1" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">Republic of Ireland</mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Portugal</mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Belgium</mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Switzerland</mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Denmark</mattext>
</material_table>
</mat_extension>
</material>
<flow class="Row">
<response_grp ident="STAT1" rtiming="No" rcardinality="Single">
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Dublin</mattext>
</material>
<render_choice shuffle="Yes">
<flow_label class="Pulldown">
<response_label ident="MATCH1" rshuffle="Yes">
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<response_label ident="NO_MATCH1" rshuffle="Yes">
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
101

</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_grp>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Lisbon</mattext>
</material>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_grp>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Brussels</mattext>
</material>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
102
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_grp>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Bern</mattext>
</material>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_grp>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Copenhagen</mattext>
</material>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
103

<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_grp>
</flow>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="STAT1" case="Yes">MATCH1</varequal>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
104

</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
Feedback" field. This field s when Students view the graded question. The ident
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">There are 44 countries in Europe.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
Creating Multiple Choice Questions

The following diagram shows the extension to the standard item element for multiple choice questions.
XML bindings for the extension to the presentation element are described in the section XML Binding
for Item Elements.
105
Best Practices for Creating a Multiple Choice Question QTI

XML File
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a multiple choice question
106
to define multiple choice questions:
to WCT_MultipleChoice.
layoutHorizontal This field specifies whether the answers appear vertically or

horizontally. The field can be set to one of the following:
• false: the answers appear vertically
• true: the answers appear horizontally

setting Answer layout.
wct_question_labelledletter This field specifies whether each answer is labelled with a

letter or a number. The field can be set to one of the following:
• Yes: each answer is labelled with a letter
• No: each answer is labelled with a number

setting Answer labels.
screen.
107
Multiple choice questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section
Multiple choice questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage elements to specify
more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, the following elements
are used:
Element Description
response_lid element The rcardinality attribute of the response_lid element

specifies how many correct answers the question has. Possible
values are:
• Single: one answer
• Multiple: multiple answers

Select mode.
render_choice element in the The shuffle attribute of the render_choice element

response_lid element specifies whether the answers in a random order. Possible
values are:
• Yes: each time the question appears in an assessment, the
answers in a random order
• No: answers in the order in which they are entered
setting Randomize answer ordering.
flow_label element in The class attribute of the flow_label element specifies the
render_choice in the layout of the answers in the question. Possible values are:
response_lid element
• Column: answers vertically, in a column
• Row: answers horizontally, in a row

setting Answer layout.
108
Element Description
mattext element in material in the Each mattext element contains an answer. The element has
response_label element the following attributes:
• default
• preserve
• label: must be set to wct_mc_answer_textx (where x

is the number of the answer). (The index is zero-based,
thus the first answer is 0, the second answer is 1, and so
forth.)
whether the answer is formatted in plain text or HTML.
• TEXT/HTML: the answer is formatted in HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the answer is formatted in plain text

Multiple choice questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define
Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, multiple choice questions use the following
element:
109
Element Description
resprocessing element The scoremodel attribute of the resprocessing element

specifies the grading scheme of the question. Possible values
are:
• AllorNothing: for a question with several correct
answers, for Students to receive the total value of the
question, they must select all of the correct answers.
otherwise they will receive zero percent for the question
• SumofScores: each correct answer counts for a portion
of the total value of the question
NOTE: If the question has only one correct answer, set

the value to SumofScores.
Multiple choice questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the General
Feedback field and the answer feedback fields. The General Feedback field is common to all question
types. For more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. The answer feedback
fields are described in the following table.
Element Description
itemfeedback element The itemfeedback element is an optional element that

defines answer feedback that s to Students when they view the
graded question. It has the following attribute:
• ident (required). Must be set to wct_mc_answer_fbx
(where x is number of the answer). (The index is
zero-based, thus the first answer is 0, the second answer is
1, and so forth.)
110
Element Description
mattext element in material in the The mattext element contains the answer feedback that s
itemfeedback element when Students view the graded question. It has the following
attributes:
• default
• preserve
• label (required). Must be set to wct_mc_answer_fbx

(where x is the number of the answer. (The index is
zero-based, thus the first answer is 0, the second answer is
1, and so forth.)
• textype (optional. Default=TEXT/PLAIN). Specifies

whether the answer feedback is formatted in plain text or
• TEXT/HTML: the answer feedback is formatted in
HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the answer feedback is formatted in
plain text
XML Example of a Multiple Choice Question with One Correct Answer

<item title="Star Wars Multiple Choice Question with One Correct Answer" ident=
"WCT:ASM0:3200391000:28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_MultipleChoice</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_question_labelledletter</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Multiple Choice Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
111
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A good question for the film history exam.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Which of the following movies is NOT part of the Star Wars
series?</mattext>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/star_wars.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>

<response_lid ident="RESP_MC" rcardinality="Single">
<material>

<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_mc_answer_text0" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">The Empire Strikes Back</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">The Phantom Menace</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Return of the Jedi</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Shakespeare in Love</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
</response_lid>
</flow>
</presentation>

112
<resprocessing scoremodel="SumofScores">
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">The Star Wars series includes the following movies: Star Wars,
The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, and Attack of the
Clones.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
"Feedback" fields. Answer feedback s when Students view the graded question. The
"wct_mc_answer_fbx" (where "x" is the number of the answer). -->
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">The Empire
Strikes Back: </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Incorrect. This Star Wars movie was released in 1980.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">The Phantom
Menace: </mattext>
113
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">Return of
the Jedi: </mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">Shakespeare
in Love: </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Correct. This movie is not part of the Star Wars series. It was
directed by John Madden and stars Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
XML Example of a Multiple Choice Question with Several Correct Answers

<item title="Star Wars Multiple Choice Question with Several Correct Answers" ident="WCT:
ASM0:3200356000:28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_MultipleChoice</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_question_labelledletter</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Multiple Choice Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A good question for the Film History exam.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Which of the following movies are part of the Star Wars series?
</mattext>
<matbreak />
114
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/star_wars.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>

<response_lid ident="RESP_MC" rcardinality="Multiple">
<material>

charset="US-ASCII">The Empire Strikes Back</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">The Phantom Menace</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Return of the Jedi</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Shakespeare in Love</mattext>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
</response_lid>
</flow>
</presentation>

<resprocessing scoremodel="SumofScores">
<outcomes>
<decvar vartype="Decimal" varname="SCORE" minvalue="0.0" defaultval="0.0" />
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
115

</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
</conditionvar>
<setvar varname="SCORE" action="Subtract">100.0</setvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
attribute must be set to "wct_general_feedback_ref_1". The label attribute of the
mattext element must be set to "wct_general_feedback_1". -->
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">The Star Wars series includes the following movies: Star Wars,
The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Than Phantom Menace, and Attack of
the Clones.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
"Feedback" fields. Answer feedback s when Students view the graded question. The
"wct_mc_answer_fbx" (where "x" is the number of the answer). -->
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">The Empire
Strikes Back: </mattext>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_mc_answer_fb0" texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset=
"US-ASCII">Correct. This Star Wars movie was released in 1980.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">The Phantom
Menace: </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Correct. This Star Wars movie was released in 1999.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">Return of the
Jedi: </mattext>
charset="US-ASCII">Correct. This Star Wars movie was released in 1983.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">Shakespeare in
Love: </mattext>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="wct_mc_answer_fb3" texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset=
"US-ASCII">Incorrect. This movie is not one of the Star Wars movies.</mattext>
</material>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
116
Creating Paragraph Questions

The following diagram shows the extension to the standard item element for paragraph questions. XML
bindings for the extension to the presentation element are described in the section XML Binding for
Item Elements.
117
Best Practices for Creating a Paragraph Question QTI XML

File
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a paragraph question QTI
In addition to the metadata fields that are common to all question types, the following metadata fields are
used to define paragraph questions:
to WCT_Paragraph.
answerBoxHeight This field specifies the height, in lines, of the answer text box.
This field can be set to one of the following values: 2, 3, 4, 5,
10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50.
setting Answer box height.
answerBoxWidth This field specifies the width, in characters, of the answer text
box. This field can be set to one of the following values: 30,
35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or 100.
screen.
118
Paragraph questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section Designer
Paragraph questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage elements to specify question
text, equations, and images respectively. These fields are common to all question types. For more
information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, the following elements are
used:
Element Description
response_label The response_label element specifies the content that

pre-fills the answer text box.
mattext element in material in the The mattext element contains the content that pre-fills the
response_label element answer text box. It has the following attributes:
• default
• preserve
• label (required). Must be set to CORRECT_ANSWER.

whether the content that pre-fills the answer text box is
formatted in plain text or HTML. Possible values are:
• TEXT/HTML: the content that pre-fills the answer text
box is formatted in HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the content that pre-fills the answer
text box is formatted in plain text
119
Paragraph questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define scoring for
Paragraph questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the General
Feedback and Correct Answer fields. The General Feedback field is common to all question types. For
more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. The Correct Answer field is
described in the following table.
Element Description
itemfeedback The itemfeedback element specifies the correct answer that

s to Students after they have submitted their answer. The
element has the following attribute:
• ident (required). Must be set to CORRECT_ANSWER.
mattext element in material in The mattext element contains the correct answer. The
solutionmaterial in the solution element has the following attributes:
element
• default
• preserve
• label (required). Must be set to CORRECT_ANSWER.

whether the correct answer is formatted in plain text or
• TEXT/HTML: the correct answer is formatted in
HTML
• TEXT/PLAIN: the correct answer is formatted in plain
text
XML Example of a Paragraph Question

<item title="Comedy Versus Tragedy Paragraph Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:2001736000:
28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>
120


<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_Paragraph</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>answerBoxHeight</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>answerBoxWidth</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Paragraph Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">This is a good question for the mid-term.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Explain the difference between these two genres: comedy and
tragedy.
</mattext>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/comedytragedy.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>
<response_str ident="PARA" rcardinality="Single">

<response_label ident="PARA" rshuffle="No">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="PRE_FILL_ANSWER" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">You should have at least three points of difference in
your answer.</mattext>
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
121

</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">In essence, tragedy is the mirror image of comedy.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>

<itemfeedback ident="CORRECT_ANSWER" view="All">
<solution feedbackstyle="Complete">
<solutionmaterial>
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="CORRECT_ANSWER" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">A comedy is a story of the rise in fortune of a sympathetic
central figure. Comedy has to do with the concerns of ordinary people. There are
three sub-genres in comedy: farce, romantic comedy, and satirical comedy.
A tragedy shows the downfall of a once, essentially good, powerful, and prominent
hero. Tragedy depicts the downfall of a good person through some misjudgement
that produces suffering on the part of the protagonist and arouses pity and fear
from the audience.</mattext>
</material>
</solutionmaterial>
</solution>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
Creating Short Answer Questions

The following diagram shows the extensions to the standard item element for short answer questions.
XML bindings for the extensions to the presentation and resprocessing elements are described in
the section XML Binding for Item Elements.
122
123
Best Practices for Creating a Short Answer Question QTI

XML File
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a short answer question QTI
to define short answer questions:
wct_sa_caseSensitive This field indicates whether the answer is case sensitive. The
field can be set to one of the following:
• No: the answer is not case sensitive

setting Answers are case sensitive.
wct_answer_textx This field specifies the answer for answer text box x.
wct_sa_answerBoxNumber This field specifies the number of answer text boxes to . This
field must be set to one of the following values: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
setting Number of answer boxes shown to the Student.
124
wct_allowedInBoxx This field specifies in which answer text box answer x is

allowed to be entered (where x is the number of the answer).
The following XML example specifies that answer 2 must be
entered in the first answer text box.
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatfield>
If the answer can be entered in any of the answer text boxes,

the value is set to 0. The following XML example specifies
that answer 2 can be entered in any of the answer text boxes.
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatfield>

setting Allow in answer box.
to WCT_ShortAnswer.
wct_comparison_typex This field specifies the grading scheme of answer x (where x is

the number of the answer). The field can be set to one of the
following:
• CONTAINS: for an answer to be graded as correct, it must
contain the word or phrase that is specified for answer x
(the word or phrase specified in the wct_answer_textx
field)
• EQUALS: for an answer to be graded as correct, it must be
the same as the word or phrase that is specified for answer
x (the word or phrase specified in the
wct_answer_textx field)
• REGULAR_EXPRESSION: for an answer to be graded as

correct, it must match the regular expression specified for
answer x (the regular expression specified in the
wct_answer_textx field)
125
wct_sa_answerBoxWidth This field specifies the width, in characters, of the answer text
box(es). This field must be set to one of the following values:
10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85,
90, 95, or 100.
screen.
wct_valuex This field specifies the percent value that answer x is worth
towards the total point value of the question. The sum of the
value of all wct_valuex fields must be 100 percent (100.0).
Short answer questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section
Short answer questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage elements to specify
question text, equations, and images respectively. These fields are common to all question types. For
more information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements.
Short answer questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define scoring
for the question. These elements are common to all question types. For more information, see Common
Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, paragraph questions use the following element:
126
Element Description
varregex element in the The varregex element is used when an answer is graded
conditionvar element with a regular expression. It has the following attributes:
• respident (required). Must be set to SAxx (where xx is

the number of the answer text box in which the answer
must be entered).
• case (required). Specifies whether the answer is case
sensitive. Possible values are:
• No: the answer is not case sensitive
Short answer questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the General
XML Example of a Short Answer Question with One Correct Answer

<item title="Astronomy Short Answer Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:3200444000:
28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_sa_caseSensitive</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>No</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>150,000,000</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_sa_answerBoxNumber</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_ShortAnswer</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>REGULAR_EXPRESSION</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
127
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_sa_answerBoxWidth</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Short Answer Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A question for the Astronomy exam.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">To the nearest 10,000,000 km, what is the distance in km from
the earth to the sun?</mattext>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/earth_sun_distance.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>
<response_str ident="SA01" rtiming="No" rcardinality="Single">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset="US-ASCII">1.
</mattext>
</material>
<response_label ident="A1" rshuffle="No">
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<resprocessing>
128
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>

<var_extension>
<webct:varregex xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" respident=
"SA01" case="No">150,000,000</webct:varregex>
</var_extension>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>

<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/inner_planets.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>
<material>
</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
<material>
</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
<material>
</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
<material>
</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
131
</response_str>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<or>
<varequal respident="SA01" case="Yes">Mercury</varequal>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<or>
<varequal respident="SA01" case="Yes">Earth</varequal>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
132
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<or>
<varequal respident="SA01" case="Yes">Mars</varequal>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<or>
<varequal respident="SA01" case="Yes">Venus</varequal>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
</or>
</conditionvar>
<conditionvar>
<or>
133

</or>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">There are nine planets in our solar system. The four inner
planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
XML Example of a Short Answer Question with Several Correct Answers in a

Specific Order

<item title="Astronomy Short Answer Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:3200394000:28225:
D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Mars</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>No</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Mercury</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
134
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Venus</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Earth</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A question for the Astronomy exam.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>
135
charset="US-ASCII">Name the four inner planets. Beginning with the closest, answers
must be entered in their order from the sun. Only correct answers in the correct
order will receive marks.</mattext>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/inner_planets.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>
<material>
</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
<material>
</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
<material>
</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
<material>
</mattext>
</material>
<material>
<matbreak />
</material>
</response_label>
</render_fib>
</response_str>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
136
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="SA01" case="No">Mercury</varequal>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="SA02" case="No">Venus</varequal>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="SA03" case="No">Earth</varequal>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="SA04" case="No">Mars</varequal>
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">The nine planets that orbit the sun are (in order from the sun):
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
Creating True False Questions

The following diagram shows the extensions to the standard item element for true false questions. XML
bindings for the extensions to the presentation element are described in the section XML Binding for
Item Elements.
137
138
Best Practices for Creating a True False Question QTI XML

File
This section describes the best practices for creating the five main sections in a true false question QTI
to define true false questions:
to WCT_TrueFalse.
screen.
answerStr This field specifies the answer to the question. This field can
be set to one of the following:
• true
• false
setting Correct response.
139
True false questions use the IMS QTI specification's objectives element to define the Section Designer
True false questions use the mattext, material_webeq, and matimage elements to specify question
text, equations, and images respectively. These fields are common to all question types. For more
information, see Common Metadata Fields and Data Elements. In addition, the following element is used:
Element Description
localizable_mattext The localizable_mattext element is used to specify that

the word, which s as one of the answer choices, is rendered
according to the locale setting. For true false questions, the
element can contain one of the following words:
• true
• false
True false questions use the IMS QTI specification's decvar and setvar elements to define scoring for
True false questions use the IMS QTI specification's itemfeedback element to define the General
XML Example of a True False Question

<item title="Ungulate Family True False Question" ident="WCT:ASM0:3001967000:28225:
D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<itemmetadata>
<qtimetadata>

<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>WCT_TrueFalse</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>True False Questions</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
140
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>answerStr</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>false</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
</itemmetadata>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">A question for the zoology exam.</mattext>
</material>
</objectives>
<presentation>
<flow>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">True or false: The bear is a member of the ungulate family.
</mattext>
<matbreak />
<matimage label="wct_image_label_1" uri="/images/bear.bmp" />
<matbreak />
</material>
<response_lid ident="TF01" rcardinality="Single">
<flow_label class="Block">
<response_label ident="true" rshuffle="No">
<material>

<mat_extension>
<webct:localizable_mattext xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/
assessment" xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset=
"US-ASCII">true</webct:localizable_mattext>
</mat_extension>
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
<flow_label class="Block">
<response_label ident="false" rshuffle="No">
<material>
<mat_extension>
<webct:localizable_mattext xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/
assessment" xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN" charset=
"US-ASCII">false</webct:localizable_mattext>
</mat_extension>
</material>
</response_label>
</flow_label>
</render_choice>
</response_lid>
</flow>
</presentation>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<conditionvar>
141
<other />
</conditionvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<resprocessing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<respcondition continue="No">
<conditionvar>
<varequal respident="TF01" case="Yes">false</varequal>
</conditionvar>
<setvar varname="SCORE" action="Set">100</setvar>
</respcondition>
</resprocessing>
<material>
charset="US-ASCII">Ungulates are creatures which have hooves. The word "ungula" is
Latin for hoof.</mattext>
</material>
</flow_mat>
</itemfeedback>
</item>
</questestinterop>
XML BINDING
XML Binding for Manifest Elements

6.2 and is available on the Content Interoperability Specification download page. To go to the Content
1. Go to Behind the blackboard (http://www.blackboard.com/support).
2. Open the reference center.
3. Under Developer Documentation, click Content Interoperability Specification Version 3.0 for
WebCT CE 6.1 and WebCT Vista 4.1.
142
question, the value of the coType attribute must be set to webct.question.
• isVisible (optional). Indicates whether or not the learning object is ed. If not
Elements • <Name>
Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.question">

Name Element
Example <webct:Name>Multiple Choice Question 1</webct:Name>
XML Binding for Item Elements

This section contains a narrative description of the CIS 3.0 Question XML schema. The
http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment namespace for the CIS 3.0 Question XML schema is
located in webct_qti.xsd. This file is included in the zip file of each content package exported from
Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2 and is available for download on Behind the Blackboard.
calculated Element
143
Description This element contains the formula, var, and calculated_set elements.
Namespace http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a mat_extension element in material in
flow in the presentation element of a calculated question.
Attributes • xmlns:webct. The namespace

(http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment). Data type=string.
• label (optional). Data type=string.
Elements • <formula>
• <var>
• <calculated_set>
Example <webct:calculated xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment"

label="calculated">
formula Element
Description This element contains the formula used to calculate the answers in a calculated
question. Variables must placed within square brackets ([]). Data type=string.
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a calculated element.
Example <webct:formula>[x] + [y]</webct:formula>
var Element
Description This element contains a variable declaration for one of the variables in the formula
element. There must be one var element for each variable in the formula.
Multiplicity Occurs one or more times within a calculated element.
144
Attributes • name (required). The variable name. Data type=string.

• min (required). The minimum value of the variable. Data type=double.
• max (required). The maximum value of the variable. Data type=double.
• precision (required). The number of the decimal places of the variable. Data
type=integer.
Example <webct:var webct:name="y" webct:min="1.0" webct:max="10.0"

webct:precision="0" />
calculated_set Element
Description This element contains the calculated_var and answer elements for a calculated
answer.
Multiplicity Occurs one or more times within a calculated element.
Attributes • index (required). The index of the calculated answer. (The index is zero-based,
thus the first is 0, the second is 1, and so forth.) Data type=integer.
Elements • <calculated_var>
• <answer>
Example <webct:calculated_set webct:index="0">

calculated_var Element
Description There must be one calculated_var element for each variable in the formula.
Multiplicity Occurs one or more times within a calculated_set element.
145
Attributes • name (required). The variable name. Data type=string.

• value (required). The value of the variable. Data type=double.
Example <webct:calculated_var webct:name="y" wect:value="9.0" />
answer Element
Description There must be one answer element in each calculated_set element.
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a calculated_set element.
Attributes • value (required). The calculated answer based on the values in the
calculated_var elements. Data type=double.
Example <webct:answer webct:value="14.0" />
calculated_answer Element
Description This element specifies information about the question's answers.
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within an itemproc_extension element in the
resprocessing element of a calculated question.
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Attributes • respident (required). The value must match the ident attribute of the
response_num element in the presentation element. Data type=string.
• precision (required). The number of decimal places or significant figures to

which the answer sets are calculated. Data type=integer.
• precisionType (required). Specifies whether the answer sets are calculated in
decimal places or significant figures. Data type=string. Values are:
• Decimal: Decimal places.
• SigFig: Significant figures.
• tolerance (required). The answer tolerance value. Data type=double.

• toleranceType (required). Specifies whether the answer tolerance is calculated
in units or as a percent. Data type=string. Values are:
• Unit
• Percent
Elements • <setvar>: For more information, refer to the IMS QTI specification version 1.2
section 3.6.21 <setvar> Element.
Example <webct:calculated_answer xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment"

respident="CALC" webct:precision="1" webct:precisionType="SigFig"
webct:tolerance="10.0" webct:toleranceType="Percent">
ims_render_object Element
Description This element is used in a jumbled sentence question to render the question and
answer(s).
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a render_extension element in

response_lid in flow in the presentation element.
Attributes • shuffle (required). Indicates whether the list of possible responses can be
shuffled between consecutive s to the user. The value must be set to No.
• orientation (required). Defines the orientation of the question and answers in a
jumbled sentence question. Data type=string. The value must be set to row.
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Elements • <material>: For more information, refer to the IMS QTI specification version
1.2 section 3.6.3 <material> Element.
• <response_label>: For more information, refer to the IMS QTI specification
version 1.2 section 3.5.21 <response_label> Element.
Example <ims_render_object xmlns="" shuffle="No" orientation="row">

<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/HTML"
charset="US-ASCII">The quick brown </mattext>
</material>
<response_label xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/ims_qtiasiv1p2"
ident="JA01" rshuffle="No">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN"
charset="US-ASCII">dog</mattext>
</material>
</response_label>
charset="US-ASCII"> jumps over the lazy </mattext>
</material>
<response_label xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/ims_qtiasiv1p2"
ident="JA02" rshuffle="No">
<material>
<mattext xml:space="preserve" texttype="TEXT/PLAIN"
charset="US-ASCII">fox</mattext>
</material>
</response_label>
charset="US-ASCII">.</mattext>
</material>
</ims_render_object>
localizable_mattext Element
Description This element is used to specify that the word used in the calculated or true false
question is rendered according to the locale setting. Data type=string. Possible
content:
• For calculated questions:
• answer
• units
• For true false questions:

• false
• true
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Multiplicity For calculated questions:

• occurs once and only once within a mat_extension element in material in
response_num in flow in the presentation element.
• occurs zero or once within a mat_extension element in material in

response_str in flow in the presentation element.
For true false questions:
• occurs once and only once within a mat_extension element in material in
response_label in flow_label in the render_choice element.
Attributes • texttype (required). Specifies whether the word is formatted in plain text or
HTML. Data type=string. Values are:
• TEXT/HTML: the question is formatted in HTML.
• TEXT/PLAIN: the question is formatted in plain text.
• charset (optional). The value must be set to US-ASCII. Data type=string.
Example <webct:localizable_mattext xmlns:webct=

"http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment" xml:space="preserve"
textype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">answer
material_table Element
Description This element specifies that, in a matching question, as a preview, the items to match
will in one column and all of the answers will , in random order, in another column.
These two columns appear below the question text.
Multiplicity Occurs zero or once within a mat_extension element in material in flow in the
presentation element.
Attributes • label (optional). Data type=string.
Elements • <matching_ext_flow>
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Example <material_table label="tableLabel">

<webct:matching_ext_flow xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/
vista/assessment" rshuffle="No" rhidden="No" webct:labelType="None">
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="Statement1"
texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">Moscow</mattext>
texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">Ottawa</mattext>
texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">London</mattext>
<webct:matching_ext_flow xmlns:webct="http://
www.webct.com/vista/assessment" rshuffle="Yes" rhidden="No"
webct:labelType="None">
<mattext xml:space="preserve" label="Match1"
texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">Russia</mattext>
texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">Canada</mattext>
texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">England</mattext>
</material_table>
matching_ext_flow Element
Description In a matching question, this element is used to define one of the columns that will as
a preview, below the question text.
Multiplicity Occurs twice within a material_table element.
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Attributes • rshuffle (required). Specifies whether the items in the preview column are
shuffled on consecutive s to the user. Values are:
• Yes: The items in the preview column are shuffled on each consecutive to
the user.
• No: The items in the preview column appear in the order in which they were
entered when the question was created.
NOTE: For the first preview column, which contains the terms to be
matched, the value must be set to No. For the second preview
column, which contains the answers, the value must be set to
Yes.
• labelType (required). Specifies whether the items in the preview column are
labelled with letters, numbers, or are not labelled. Possible values are:
• Letters
• Numbers
• None
IMPORTANT: • If the metadata field wct_m_statement_short_format is

set to No and the metadata field
wct_m_match_short_format is set to Yes, for the first
column, this value must be set to Numbers. For the second
column, this value must be set to None.
• If the metadata field wct_m_statement_short_format is
set to No and the metadata field
wct_m_match_short_format is set to No, for the first
column, this value must be set to Numbers. For the second
column, this value must be set to Letters.
set to Yes and the metadata field
wct_m_match_short_format is set to No, for the first
column, this value must be set to None. For the second
column, this value must be set to Letters.
set to Yes and the metadata field
wct_m_match_short_format is set to Yes, for the first
column, this value must be set to None. For the second
column, this value must be set to None.
• rhidden (required). Must be set to No.
Elements • <matching_text_ext>
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Example <webct:matching_ext_flow xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/

vista/assessment" rshuffle="No" rhidden="No" webct:labelType="None">
texttype="TEXT/HTML" charset="US-ASCII">Moscow</mattext>
matching_text_ext Element
Description This element specifies one of the items that will appear in the preview column.
Multiplicity Occurs one or more times within a matching_ext_flow element.

• rshuffle (required). specifies whether the item is shuffled on consecutive s to the
user
• Yes: The item is shuffled on each consecutive to the user.
• No: The item appears in the order in which it was entered when the question
was created.
IMPORTANT: For items in the first preview column, the value must be set
to No. If you don't want one of the items in the second
preview column to shuffle on consecutive s to the users, set
the value to No.
Elements • <mattext>
Example <webct:matching_text_ext label="" rshuffle="No">

material_webeq Element
Description This element is used when there is an equation in the question text. Data
type=string.
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Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a mat_extension element in the material
element.
Attributes • label (required). Data type=string. Must be set to

"wct_calc_questionTextType".
• texttype (required). Specifies whether the question text is formatted in plain text
or HTML. Data type=string. Values are:
• TEXT/HTML: the question is formatted in HTML.
• TEXT/PLAIN: the question is formatted in plain text.
Example <webct:material_webeq xmlns:webct:"http://www.webct.com/

vista/assessment" label="wct_calc_questionTextType"
texttype="TEXT/HTML">If a car is travelling</webct:material_webeq>
unit_eval Element
Description This element specifies the units for the answer value in a calculated question.
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once in the itemproc_extension element in the
resprocessing element of a calculated question.
Attributes • space (required). Specifies whether or not spaces count in the units part of the
answer. Values are:
• Yes: for spaces to count in the units part of the answer.
• No: to ignore spaces in the units part of the answer.

For example, if the value is set to Yes, kilowatt hours is correct and
kilowatthours is incorrect.
Elements • <conditionvar>
• <setvar>
153
Example <unit_eval xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment"

webct:space="Yes">
<varequal xmlns="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/
ims_qtiasiv1p2 respident="UNITS" case="No">miles</varequal>
</conditionvar>
</unit_eval>
variable Element
Description This element is used to define the variable. It specifies where the variable s in the
question text.
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a mat_extension element in material in
flow in presentation of a calculated question.

• name (required). The name of the variable. Data type=string.
• precision (required). The number of decimal places of the variable. Data
type=integer.
Example <webct:variable xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/

assessment" webct:label="" webct:name="y" webct:precision="0" />
varregex Element
Description This element is used in fill in the blank and short answer questions when the answer
is graded with a regular expression. Data type=string.
Multiplicity Occurs once and only once in the var_extension element in conditionvar in
respcondition in the resprocessing element.
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Attributes • xmlns:webct. The namespace. Must be set to

http://www.webct.com/vista/assessment
• respident (required). For fill in the blank questions, must be set to FIBxx (where
xx is the number of the text box in which the answer must be entered). For short
answer question, must be set to SAxx (where xx is the number of the text box in
which the answer must be entered) Data type=string.
• case (required). Specifies whether the answer is case sensitive. Data type=string.
• No: the answers is not case sensitive
Example <webct:varregex xmlns:webct="http://www.webct.com/vista/

assessment" respident="FIB02" case="No">hill</webct:varregex>
155
Chapter 6: Assessment Specification
CHAPTER 6: ASSESSMENT SPECIFICATION

the Assessment specification provides the functionality to create and package an individual assessment or
a collection of assessments into an interoperable, distributable package that can be transported between
different learning contexts and installations.
Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2 support the following assessment types:
• quizzes
• surveys
• self tests
To package assessments, Blackboard implements the core elements of the IMS Content Packaging (CP)
specification version 1.1.3 and uses the CIS 3.0 XML schema. Blackboard has added custom XML
elements to provide some features that are not defined by the IMS CP specification. Chapter 1 of the
Content Interoperability Specification (CIS) describes the basic structure of a IMS content package and
the base extensions to the IMS Content Packaging (CP) schema. These extensions apply to all learning
objects. For more information, see Chapter 1: The CIS.
This section includes the following:
• Assessment Manifest Elements: This section includes a diagram of the primary elements in an
assessment manifest.
• Best Practices for Creating an Assessment Manifest: This section describes the best practices for
creating the four main sections in an assessment manifest.
• Assessment Manifest Example: This section includes an example of an assessment manifest.
ASSESSMENT MANIFEST ELEMENTS

The following diagram shows the primary elements in an assessment manifest.
156
BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING AN ASSESSMENT

MANIFEST
To create an assessment that can be transported between different learning contexts and installations, you
must create a self-contained manifest for the assessment. This section describes the best practices for
creating the four main sections in an assessment manifest: Metadata, Organizations, Resources, and
ContentObject.

<metadata>
157

is not used, the default schema versions and namespaces for the CIS 3.0 are used.
<webct:Schema webct:name="IMS MetaData" webct:version="1.2.3/>

An assessment manifest must contain an empty organizations section.

Within the resources element, the first resource element specifies the assessment's QTI XML file.
This element must contain a type attribute with the value ims_qtiasiv1p2.
<resource identifier="197975" type="ims_qtiasiv1p2">
</resource>
The resource contains a link to a QTI XML file for the assessment.
NOTE: For information on creating a QTI XML file for the assessment, see Best Practices for
Creating Assessment QTI XML Files.
Within the resources element, there is also one resource element for each question in the assessment.
Each of these resource elements contain a link to a self-contained manifest for the question.
NOTE: For information on creating a manifest for each question, see Chapter 5: Question
Specification.
The resource element for each question must contain a type attribute with the value
webct.manifest and a coType attribute with the value webct.question.
<resource identifier="188825" type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.question"
158
xsi:type="webct:ResourceType>
</resource>

At the end of the assessment manifest, you must include the ContentObject element. For the coType
attribute, specify the value webct.assessment. Within the ContentObject element, the only element
that must appear is the Name element.
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.assessment">
<webct:Name>World History Pop Quiz</webct:Name>
NOTE: If a content package contains more than one top-level manifest (for example, two or more
assessment manifests), the root manifest is a container manifest and must not contain the
ASSESSMENT MANIFEST EXAMPLE

<manifest identifier="URN_X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0_D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC.197975" xmlns=
"http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/imscp_v1p1" xmlns:imsmd="http://www.imsglobal.org/xsd/
imsmd_v1p2" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:webct=
"http://www.webct.com/xsd/cisv3">
<metadata>
<webct:Schema webct:name="IMS MetaData" webct:version="1.2.3"/>
<imsmd:lom>
<imsmd:general>
<imsmd:title>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="en-US">World History Self Test
</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:title>
</imsmd:general>
<imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:version>
</imsmd:version>
</imsmd:lifecycle>
<imsmd:educational>
<imsmd:source>
</imsmd:source>
<imsmd:value>
<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="x-none">webct.assessment</imsmd:langstring>
</imsmd:value>
</imsmd:lom>
</metadata>
159
<organizations/>
<resources>
<resource identifier="URN_X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0_D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC.197975_R"
type="ims_qtiasiv1p2">
<file href="X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC.197975_R.xml"/>
</resource>
<resource identifier="URN_X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0_D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC.188825"
type="webct.manifest" webct:coType="webct.question" xsi:type="webct:ResourceType">
<file href="X-WEBCT-VISTA-V0/D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC.188825.xml"/>
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
</resource>
</resources>
<webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.assessment" webct:isVisible="false">
<webct:Name>World History Self Test</webct:Name>
</manifest>
BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING ASSESSMENT

QTI XML FILES
To create an assessment QTI XML file that represents one of the three assessment types (quizzes,
surveys, and self tests) supported by Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, Blackboard implements the core elements of
the IMS Question and Test Interoperability (QTI) specification version 1.2.
NOTE: A complete description of the IMS QTI specification is beyond the scope of this document.
To download this specification, go to the IMS QTI specification web site
(http://www.imsglobal.org/question/index.cfm).
Creating Quizzes
160
The following diagram shows the primary elements and metadata fields in a quiz QTI XML file.
Best Practices for Creating a Quiz QTI XML File
161
This section describes the best practices for creating the three main sections in a quiz QTI XML file:
• Duration
• Qtimetadata
• Section
The title attribute of the assessment element is an optional attribute that indicates the title of the
quiz. If a title is not specified, the quiz is titled untitled.
Creating the Duration Section
The duration element specifies the amount of time that Students have to complete the quiz. The value
must be in the format Mn, Hn, or Dn, where M is for minutes, H is for hours, D is for days, and n is replaced
with the number of minutes, hours, or days. For example, M45 is forty-five minutes, H2 is two hours, and
D1 is one day.
<duration>H2</duration>
If Students have an unlimited amount of time to complete the quiz, the duration element is not included
in the XML file.
Creating the Qtimetadata Section
to define quizzes.
wct_results_showFeedback This field specifies whether to display answer and general

feedback for the quiz when Students view their
submissions. Possible values are:
• true: show feedback
• false: do not show feedback

In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, this field corresponds to the
assessment property Show the feedback for each question
(this property appears under Results Properties).
162
wct_results_showTotalScore This field specifies whether to display the Student's total

score for the quiz when Students view their submissions.
• true: show the Student's total score for the quiz
• false: do not show the Student's total score for the

quiz
assessment property Show the Student's total score for the
assessment (this property appears under Results
Properties).
wct_attempt_displayQuestionTitle This field specifies whether to display question titles in

the quiz. Possible values are:
• true: display question titles in the quiz
• false: do not display question titles in the quiz

assessment property Display question titles (this property
appears under Question delivery).
wct_attempt_attemptsAllowed This field specifies the number of times a Student can

attempt the quiz. Possible values are: 0 (for unlimited
attempts), 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.
In Vista 4.2 and WebCT CE 6.2, this field corresponds to
the assessment property Allowed attempts.
wct_results_showScore This field specifies whether to display the Student's score

for each question when Students view their submissions.
• true: show the Student's score for each question
• false: do not show the Student's score for each

question
assessment property Show the Student's score for each
question (this property appears under Results Properties).
163
wct_attempt_displayInNewWindow This field specifies whether the assessment appears in the

same or a new browser window. Possible values are:
• true: the assessment appears in a new browser
window
• false: the assessment appears in the same browser
window
This field corresponds to the assessment property Display
Assessment.
wct_attempt_attemptSeparation If Students are allowed to attempt the quiz more than

once, this field indicates the minimum period of time that
a Student must wait before making another attempt at the
quiz. The value must be in the format Mn, Hn, or Dn,
where M is for minutes, H is for hours, D is for days, and n
is replaced with the number of minutes, hours, or days.
For example, M45 is forty-five minutes, H2 is two hours,
and D1 is one day. If there is no minimum period of time
to wait between attempts, enter M0 (for zero minutes).
assessment property Minimum attempt time and Units.
wct_results_studentDisplay This field specifies the results that display when Students
view their submissions. Possible values are:
• doNotDisplay: do not show any results
• questionOnly: show only the question text
• withStudentAnswer: show the question text and

the Student's response for each question
• withStudentEval: show the question text, the
Student's response for each question, and the
percentage value of the Student's answer
• withCorrectAnswer: show the question text, the
Student's response for each question, and the correct
answer for each question
• withCorrectAnswerAndStudentEval: show the
question text, the Student's response for each
question, the percentage value of the Student's
answer, and the correct answer for each question
Student results display assessment properties (these
properties appear under Results Properties).
164
wct_results_showGraderComments This field specifies whether grader comments are

displayed to Students when they view their submissions.
• true: show grader comments
• false: do not show grader comments

assessment property Show the grader comments for the
assessment (this property appear under Results
Properties).
wct_attempt_instructions This field specifies custom instructions that appear when

Students begin the assessment.
This field corresponds to the assessment property Custom
Instructions.
wct_attempt_showStatistics This field specifies whether Students see summary and

item statistics. Possible values are:
• true: release statistics to Students after releasing the
score
• false: do not release statistics to Students after
releasing the score
When the field is set to true, statistics are released only
when the Student Score property
(wct_results_scoreRelease metadata field) is set to
Release the score once the assessment has been submitted
(releaseAfterSubmission) or Release the score once
the assessment has been submitted and all of the
questions have been graded
(releaseAfterAllGrading).
wct_randomizeAttempt If Students are allowed to attempt the quiz more than

once and question sets are included in the quiz, this field
specifies whether, in each attempt, questions in a question
set appear randomly. Possible values are:
• true: each time a Student attempts the quiz,
questions in a question set appear randomly
• false: each time a Student attempts the quiz, the
same question in a question set appears
assessment property Randomize questions in a question
set for each attempt.
165
wct_attempt_instructions_is_html If custom instructions are specified (in the

wct_attempt_instructions field), this field specifies
whether the instructions are in HTML or Plain Text
format. Possible values are:
• true: the instructions are in HTML format
• false: the instructions are in Plain Text format

This field corresponds to the assessment property Use
HTML (this property appears under Custom Instructions).
wct_results_scoreRelease This field specifies whether the score results of the quiz
are released to Students immediately after the quiz is
submitted. Possible values are:
• releaseAfterSubmission: release the score once
the quiz has been submitted
• releaseAfterAllGrading: release the score once
the quiz has been submitted and all of the questions
have been graded
• doNotRelease: do not release the score
assessment property Student score.
wct_results_scoring If Students are allowed to attempt the quiz more than

once, this field specifies the scoring model used by the
assessment. Possible values are:
• First: the Student's score for the quiz is the score of
the Student's first attempt
• Last: the Student's score for the quiz is the score of
the Student's last attempt
• Highest: the Student's score for the quiz is the
highest score of all of the Student's attempts
• Average: the Student's score for the quiz is an
average of all of the Student's attempts
In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2, this field corresponds to the If
multiple attempts are allowed, display the score of the
following attempt as the Student's grade property. This
property appears under Student score.
166
wct_results_allowArtifactCreation If the institution is using Portfolio and the property to

allow users to create artifacts is enabled, this field
specifies whether Students can save their graded attempts
as a artifact. Possible values are:
• true: Students can save their graded attempts as a
artifact
• false: Students cannot save their graded attempts as
a artifact
This field corresponds to the assessment property Allow
Students to save their graded attempts as a Portfolio
Artifact.
wct_attempt_allowLateSubmission If Students have a limited amount of time to complete the

quiz, this field specifies whether Students can save
answers after the quiz time has expired. Possible values
are:
• true: Students can save answers after the quiz time
has expired
• false: Students cannot save answers after the quiz
time has expired (Students can only submit answers
for the questions that they saved before the quiz time
expired)
assessment property Disallow answer submission if time
has expired.
wct_attempt_questionDelivery This field specifies how questions are delivered to

Students. Possible values are:
• allAtOnce: deliver questions all at once
• oneByOne: deliver questions one at a time and allow

questions to be revisited
• oneByOneRestricted: deliver questions one at a
time and do not allow questions to be revisited
assessment property Question delivery.
167
wct_attempt_instructions_every When custom instructions are specified (in the

_question wct_attempt_instructions field) and when question
are set to be delivered one at a time (the
wct_attempt_questionDelivery field is set to
oneByOne or oneByOneRestricted), this field
specifies whether custom instructions appear with every
question. Possible values are:
• true: custom instructions appear with every question
• false: custom instructions do not appear with every

question
assessment property Display custom assessment
instructions on every question when questions are
delivered one at a time.
This property appears under Custom Instructions.
qmd_assessmenttype The qmd_assessmenttype field is a required field that

indicates the type of assessment. In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2,
Assessments screen. For quizzes, this field must be set to
Examination.
NOTE: • The following assessment properties are not exported and cannot be imported:
• Description
• Item Visibility
• Grade Book column name: when a quiz is imported into Vista 4.2 or CE 6.2, this
property is populated automatically with the title of the quiz
• Goals
• Start Time and End Time (these properties appear under Dates Available)
• Submission message and E-mail submissions (these properties appear under
Submission Properties)
• Proctor password, IP address, and IP address mask (these properties appear under
Security Properties)
Creating the "Section" Section
There is one immediate child section element in each assessment element. If the assessment contains
parts and question sets, within this section element, there is one section element for each part or
question set.
168
As shown in the following diagram, an assessment containing three parts (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) and
two question sets contains five section elements within the parent section element.
If there are questions sets within the parts of the assessment, there is one section element for each
question set in the part. This is shown in the following diagram.
169
Within a section, the following values must be set:
Data Element or Attribute Description
title attribute of the section • If the section represent a part in the assessment, the title
element attribute of the section element specifies the title of the part.
This title appears in the assessment. If a title is not specified,
the part is titled Section_x, where x is the number of the section.
(The index is zero-based, thus the first section is 0, the second
section is 1, and so forth.)
• If the section represents a question set in the assessment, the
title attribute is an optional attribute. When displayed in an
assessment, question sets always have the title Question Set.
decvar element in outcomes in The vartype and varname attributes of the decvar element must
the outcomes_processing be set to Decimal and SCORE respectively.
element
170
Data Element or Attribute Description
selection_ordering element • If the section represents a part in the assessment, the

order_type attribute of the order element in
selection_ordering must be set to Sequential.
• If the section represents a question set in the assessment:

• The selection_number element in the selection
element is the number of questions in the question set that
you want to include in each assessment. For example, if
there are five questions in the question set and you want to
include two of the five questions in each assessment, set the
value to 2.
• The order_type attribute of the order element must be
set to Random.
XML Examples of Quizzes

This section contains:
• an XML example of a quiz.
• an XML example of a quiz that contains parts and question sets.
XML Example of a Quiz

<assessment ident="WCT:ASM0:3920856000:28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC" title=
"History Pop Quiz">
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_showFeedback</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>true</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_showTotalScore</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_displayQuestionTitle</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_attemptsAllowed</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_showScore</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_displayInNewWindow</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
171
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_attemptSeparation</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>M5</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_studentDisplay</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>withCorrectAnswerAndStudentEval</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_mailto</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>name@domain_name.com</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_showGraderComments</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_instructions</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_showStatistics</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_randomizeAttempt</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_instructions_is_html</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_scoreRelease</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>doNotRelease</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_scoring</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>Average</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_allowArtifactCreation</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_allowLateSubmission</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_questionDelivery</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>allAtOnce</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_instructions_every_question</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
<qtimetadata>
<vocabulary uri="imsqtiv1p2_metadata.txt" vocab_type="text/plain" />
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>qmd_assessmenttype</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>Examination</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
<section ident="WCT:ASM0:3920861000:28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC" title=
"History Pop Quiz">
<outcomes_processing>
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<objects_condition>
<outcomes_metadata mdname="ident" mdoperator="EQ">WCT:ASM0:3543172000:28225:
D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC</outcomes_metadata>
<objects_parameter pname="qmd_weighting">0.1</objects_parameter>
</objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
172

<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
</outcomes_processing>
<selection_ordering>
<order order_type="Sequential" />
</selection_ordering>
<itemref linkrefid="WCT:ASM0:3543172000:28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC" />
</section>
</assessment>
</questestinterop>
XML Example of a Quiz with Parts and Question Sets

"Geography Pop Quiz">
<duration>M15</duration>
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_showFeedback</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_showTotalScore</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_attemptsAllowed</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_showScore</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_attemptSeparation</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>M0</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_studentDisplay</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>withCorrectAnswerAndStudentEval</fieldentry>
173
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_mailto</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>name@domain_name.com</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_showGraderComments</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_attempt_showStatistics</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_randomizeAttempt</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_scoreRelease</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>doNotRelease</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_scoring</fieldlabel>
<fieldentry>First</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldlabel>wct_results_allowArtifactCreation</fieldlabel>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>allAtOnce</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Examination</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
"Geography Pop Quiz">

"North America">
"question set">
<outcomes>
174

</outcomes>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<!- For question sets, in the selection_ordering element, in selection, the selection_number
element specifies the number of questions in the question set that you want to include in each
assessment. The order_type attribute of the order element must be set
to "Random". -->
<selection>
<selection_number>1</selection_number>
</selection>
<order order_type="Random" />
</section>
</section>
"Asia">
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<objects_condition>
</section>
"Continents and Oceans">
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<objects_condition>
</section>
"question set">
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<objects_condition>
175

<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<selection>
<selection_number>1</selection_number>
</selection>
<order order_type="Random" />
</section>
</section>
</assessment>
</questestinterop>
Creating Surveys
The following diagram shows the primary elements and metadata fields in a survey QTI XML file.
176
Best Practices for Creating a Survey QTI XML File

This section describes the best practices for creating the three main sections in a survey QTI XML file:
Duration, Qtimetadata, and Section.
The title attribute of the assessment element is an optional attribute that indicates the title of the
survey. If a title is not specified, the survey is titled untitled.
177
Creating the Duration Section
The duration element specifies the amount of time that Students have to complete the survey. The
value must be in the format Mn, Hn, or Dn, where M is for minutes, H is for hours, D is for days, and n is
replaced with the number of minutes, hours, or days. For example, M45 is forty-five minutes, H2 is two
hours, and D1 is one day.
If Students have an unlimited amount of time to complete the survey, the duration element is not
included in the XML file.
to define surveys.

the survey. Possible values are:
• true: display question titles in the survey
• false: do not display question titles in the survey


window
window
Assessment.

Instructions.
178


wct_attempt_allowLateSubmission If Students have a limited amount of time to complete the

survey, this field specifies whether Students can save
answers after the survey time has expired. Possible values
are:
• true: Students can save answers after the survey
time has expired
• false: Students cannot save answers after the survey
time has expired (Students can only submit answers
for the questions that they saved before the survey
time expired)
In Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2 this field corresponds to the
assessment property Disallow answer submission if time
has expired.

• oneByOne: deliver questions one at a time and allow

questions to be revisited
time and do not allow questions to be revisited
179


question
delivered one at a time.
This property appears under Custom Instructions.

Assessments screen. For surveys, this field must be set to
Survey.
NOTE: • The following metadata fields are exported but are not required for import:
• wct_results_showFeedback
• wct_results_showTotalScore
• wct_attempt_attemptsAllowed
• wct_results_showScore
• wct_attempt_attemptSeparation
• wct_results_studentDisplay
• wct_results_showGraderComments
• wct_attempt_showStatistics
• wct_randomizeAttempt
• wct_results_scoreRelease
• wct_results_scoring
• wct_results_allowArtifactCreation
180
• The following assessment properties are not exported and cannot be imported:
• Description
• Item Visibility
• Grade Book column name: when a survey is imported into Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2,
this property is populated automatically with the title of the survey
• Goals
• Submission message and E-mail submissions (these properties appear under
Submission Properties)
• Proctor password, IP address, and IP address mask (these properties appear under
Security Properties)
Sections are created the same way in all Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2 assessments. For more information, in the
section Best Practices for Creating a Quiz QTI XML File, see Creating the "Section" Section.
XML Example of a Survey

"Course Feedback Survey">
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>oneByOne</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
<qtimetadata>
181
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Survey</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
<section ident="WCT:ASM0:3920887000:28225:D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC"
title="WCT-ASM0-3920887000-28225-D527CDFD71201819E034080020C3CFDC">
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
</section>
</assessment>
</questestinterop>
Creating Self Tests
182
The following diagram shows the primary elements and metadata fields in a self test QTI XML file.
Best Practices for Creating a Self Test QTI XML File

This section describes the best practices for creating the two main sections in a self test QTI XML file:
Qtimetadata and Section.
The title attribute of the assessment element is an optional attribute that indicates the title of the self
test. If a title is not specified, the self test is titled untitled.
NOTE: Self test do not include a duration section.
183
to define self tests.

the self test. Possible values are:
• true: display question titles in the self test
• false: do not display question titles in the self test


window
window
Assessment.

Instructions.


184

• oneByOne: deliver questions one at a time and do not

show immediate feedback
time and show immediate feedback


question
delivered one at a time (this property appears under
Custom Instructions).

Assessments screen. For self tests, this field must be set to
Self-assessment.
NOTE: • The following metadata fields are exported but are not required for import:
• wct_results_showFeedback
• wct_results_showTotalScore
• wct_attempt_attemptsAllowed
• wct_results_showScore
• wct_attempt_attemptSeparation
185
• wct_results_studentDisplay
• wct_results_showGraderComments
• wct_attempt_showStatistics
• wct_randomizeAttempt
• wct_results_scoreRelease
• wct_results_scoring
• wct_results_allowArtifactCreation
• wct_attempt_allowLateSubmission
• The following assessment properties are not exported and cannot be imported:
• Description
• Item Visibility
• Goals
Sections are created the same way in all Vista 4.2 and CE 6.2 assessments. For more information, in the
section Best Practices for Creating a Quiz QTI XML File, see Creating the "Section" Section.
XML Example of a Self Test

"World History Self Test">
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>oneByOne</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
<qtimetadatafield>
186
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
<qtimetadata>
<qtimetadatafield>
<fieldentry>Self-assessment</fieldentry>
</qtimetadatafield>
</qtimetadata>
"World History Self Test">
<outcomes>
</outcomes>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
<objects_condition>
</section>
</assessment>
</questestinterop>
187
XML BINDING FOR MANIFEST ELEMENTS

6.2 and is available on Behind the Blackboard.
question, the value of the coType attribute must be set to webct.question.
• isVisible (optional). Indicates whether or not the learning object appears. If not
Elements • <Name>
Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.question">

Name Element
Example <webct:Name>Multiple Choice Question 1</webct:Name>
188

Blackboard Learning System - Vista 4.2-CE 6.2 Enterprise Content Interoperability Specification

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Blackboard Learning System - CE and Vista Enterprise

Content Interoperability Specification

This product includes software developed by the JDOM Project (http://www.jdom.org).

U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Patents pending.

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT .......................................................................... 1

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT

CHAPTER 1: THE BLACKBOARD LEARNING

WEBCT IMS PACKAGE STRUCTURE

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<webct:Schema webct:name="IMS Content" webct:version="1.1.3" />

BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING MANIFESTS

Creating the Metadata Section

schemaversion element, you must specify the value 3.0.0.

NOTE: The SchemaMetaData element is an optional element. If the SchemaMetaData element

Creating the Organizations Section

Creating the Resources Section

Creating the ContentObject Section

Description This element identifies a collection of schemas used.

Multiplicity Occurs zero or one time within a metadata element.

Description This element is used to describe the schema used.

Multiplicity Occurs one or more times within the SchemaMetaData element.

Attributes • name (required). Data type=string.

Example <webct:Schema webct:name="IMS Content" webct:version="1.1.3" />

• webct.learningModule: learning module

• isVisible (optional). Indicates whether the learning object is displayed. If not

Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.file">

Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a ContentObject element.

CHAPTER 2: CONTENT FILE SPECIFICATION

CONTENT FILE MANIFEST ELEMENTS

BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING A CONTENT FILE

Creating the Metadata Section

NOTE: The SchemaMetaData element is an optional element. If the SchemaMetaData element

Creating the Organizations Section

Creating the Resources Section

Creating the ContentObject Section

CONTENT FILE MANIFEST EXAMPLE

<item identifier="79615_I" identifierref="79615" />

Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.page">

Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a ContentObject element.

CHAPTER 3: FILE SPECIFICATION

FILE MANIFEST ELEMENTS

BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING A FILE

Creating the Metadata Section

NOTE: The SchemaMetaData element is an optional element. If the SchemaMetaData element

Creating the Organizations Section

Creating the Resources Section

Creating the ContentObject Section

FILE MANIFEST EXAMPLE

• Enter your Vista password.

Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a manifest element.

Example <webct:ContentObject webct:coType="webct.file"

Multiplicity Occurs once and only once within a ContentObject element.

Multiplicity Occurs zero or once within a ContentObject element.

Example <webctfl:Title>English Poets</webctfl:Title>

Multiplicity Occurs zero or once within a ContentObject element.

Example <webctfl:Author>Alice Garcia</webctfl:Author>

Multiplicity Occurs zero or once within a ContentObject element.

Description This element contains a description of the file. Data type=string

Multiplicity Occurs zero or once within a ContentObject element.

Example <webctfl:Description>A short biography of some of the greatest

Multiplicity Occurs zero or once within a ContentObject element.