Automatically generating exams via programmable plug-ins, and generic XML exam support

Creating exams for some subjects is an arduous task that requires analyzing large data sets. Most learning management and examination systems do not support automated exam creation features. In addition, they suffer from numerous downsides such as the need for sophisticated infrastructure requirements (e.g., web server, database server). In this paper, we propose a simple and dynamic examination system (SDES) to alleviate many burdens of current examination systems. SDES supports programmable plugins to generate exams automatically for specific subjects. We implemented a plug-in for file systems digital forensics to generate exams automatically from live forensic disk images. Moreover, SDES supports generic exams based on XML markup language, which decouples exams from a specific e-learning platform. This allows instructors that use different platforms to share and collaborate on exams. Furthermore, SDES enables instructors to conduct examinations securely on a networked setup without relying on third parties. Unlike current available systems, SDES does not require deep technical knowledge or requirements, and instructors can use it intuitively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to address automatic exam generation that is integrated with computer-based testing and generic markup language support (XML or any other).