For some time there has been a need for a simple formative assessment tool at the University of Plymouth, one which would enable quick and easy production of formative and self-assessment quizzes and questions, and which would easily deliver these assessments on-demand to students via the Web. Now it seems a solution may be here.

The Xerte Online Toolkits (Xerte), created and developed by the Learning Team at the University of Nottingham, are now being piloted by the University of Plymouth. Technology Enhanced Learning is developing the service and undertaking an evaluation of it in collaboration with a number of academic staff across the institution.

Xerte provides a web browser interface through which packages of content and formative assessment can be created, edited, and published to the Web. It provides a number of templates for content including a variety of multimedia content, e.g. video, slide-shows, Google Maps, YouTube videos, Wikipedia entries. It also has over ten interactivity templates, e.g. a quiz, drag and drop, matching exercise, multiple choice questions, allowing formative self-assessment to be embedded within content delivery. Xerte is a tool which puts relevant self-assessment exercises in context with study content to produce a learning package that is concise, effective and accessible.

To see more about Xerte Online Toolkits visit the Univerity of Nottingham Xerte site where you will find links to examples of resources created with Xerte, more about the Xerte project and a video illustrating how simple it is to create and publish your interactive material. Xerte is accessible and also conforms to standards for reusable learning objects, i.e. packages can easily be shared, re-purposed and repackaged for use in other contexts.

If you are interested in helping us evaluate the Xerte Online Toolkits, would like further information, or more generally would like some help and advice with technology enhanced learning please do drop us a line at TEL@plymouth.ac.uk or give us a call on x87600 for an informal chat.