Talk:What is assessment item banking

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If would like to discuss any of the issues raised in these papers, you may also post to either or both of the JISC CETIS Assessment and Metadata and Digital Repository JISCMail lists. --Philb 09:54, 4 June 2007 (BST)

In brief
In the final paragraph - the use of the word 'repository' here is confusing and loaded as it is used differently later in the document - would "file store" work as an alternative ? --Johnr 16:35, 26 March 2007 (BST)
 * I think you're right and have changed as you suggest --Philb 14:49, 27 March 2007 (BST)

what are item banks for?
There is a very broad range of functions that can be carried out in the domain of item banking. A few potential additions are given below:


 * (1) Cover all aspects and stages of quality assurance
 * (2) Allow you to create new items
 * (3) Allow you to import new items
 * (4) Allow you to export items
 * (5) Perform in-depth results analysis of individual items or entire assessments (or at least capture results data and allow it to be exported as required)
 * (6) Manage valuable assessment resources at consortium/national level

I am very aware that this may depend on individual definitions of what an item bank is, but I still feel these points need to be considered. --Davebaines1 14:31, 27 March 2007 (BST)


 * [I've numbered your suggestions for ease of reference] I've expanded one of the points to include your suggestions 1 & 2; I'm not sure that 3 & 4 are really what item banks are for, it would be somewhat self justifying to say that the point of having an item bank is to allow you to import and export items from your item bank. I think the point we have about sharing assessment items is closer. 6, I think is covered by the existing point on managing resources at an organizational level (we have national organizations like JISC, and organizations that are consortia). And 5 ... yes, this really does get down to the question of what is an item bank is. I've had a go at working it into the final point I had (which is about providing access to all information needed to construct assessments). --Philb 15:38, 27 March 2007 (BST)

what needs doing?
The final desirable feature you mention begs the question of what an item would look like in/ to Google, or how it would be presented to an end user of Google - but I may be behind the times on this one :) --Johnr 16:35, 26 March 2007 (BST)


 * I think I will leave it begging. Google could be shown a preview of an item ... but that raises other questions. --Philb 16:08, 27 March 2007 (BST)

an item bank as a specialised repository
In the first paragraph
 * the first sentence illustrates why the use of repository in the 'in brief' section is confusing. [It was.]


 * Question: Is the IE an architecture or architectural specification?


 * According to "The JISC Information Environment (JISC IE) technical architecture specifies a set of standards and protocols..." --Philb 16:08, 27 March 2007 (BST)


 * Your third bullet point: 'objects ... should be assigned ... URI' -- Does this mean an item = object; or do all item components = objects?


 * I'm paraphrasing the IE technical spec which says "Every significant item that is made available through a JISC IE network service should be assigned a URI". Obviously we can't talk in terms "significant items" here, so I've changed "object" to "significant object". Which objects are significant would, I think, depend on the level of granularity at which objects could be retrieved (or maybe it's vice versa). At the SIG meeting devoted to this, Andy Powell said he was assuming that this would be the Item, which I think would normally be true. --Philb 16:08, 27 March 2007 (BST)

In the final paragraph "a plethora bespoke..." -> a plethora of bespoke ? [fixed]

--Johnr 16:35, 26 March 2007 (BST)