Questionmark Deepens Support for AICC, ADL SCORM.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2003

Course structure files, manifests and content packages

can now be produced from Questionmark(TM) Perception(TM)

Trainers and educators now have an easier way to use Questionmark(TM) Perception(TM) assessments within learning management systems and other applications.

Testing and assessment software provider Questionmark has released Questionmark Perception Content Packager, a standards-based Windows desktop application that lets people export information about assessments to other applications for easy referencing, indexing, and scheduling. This information can take the form of course structure files, manifests and content packages.

The release of Perception Content Packager deepens Questionmark's longstanding support for industry standards. Although Questionmark has long been AICC compliant, Content Packager supports three additional standards: IMS Content Packaging, SCORM Content Aggregation and LOM (Learning Object Metadata).

"In supporting more industry standards, we are making it easier than ever for people to catalogue Perception assessments within management systems," remarked Questionmark President Eric Shepherd. "Content Packager uses web services internally to separate an individual user's machine from a remote server, so assessment content can be packaged at a distance. With Content Packager, commercial content providers can author and index Questionmark Perception assessments and index them just as they would other content."

A content package is a description or manifest that contains information about learning objects. In the case of Questionmark Perception, a content package contains information about one or multiple assessments and a link a Perception Server URL from which to run them.

Questionmark is offering Content Packager free of charge to Perception users. Additional information about Perception Content Packager is available at http://www.questionmark.com/links/pcp.htm.

About Questionmark and Perception:

Questionmark has been producing testing and assessment software since 1988. Some 1600 businesses, government agencies, schools, colleges, and universities in more than 50 countries use Questionmark software. Complete information can be found at www.questionmark.com.

Questionmark Perception allows people to create question files without programming experience. Users can categorize their question banks into topics and sub-topics from which to assemble tests and surveys. They can shuffle questions and choices for each participant and preview assessments to see how they will appear post-deployment. They can present questions with videos, graphics and a wide variety of styles. Participants receive feedback at an item, topic or assessment level as specified by the author.

Perception includes an easy-to-use authoring tool that allows authors to create and build powerful questions and assessments quickly. Participants can use a run-time system or a Web browser to answer questions. They can receive instant feedback if desired. Powerful reports in a variety of formats provide valuable statistics for tracking individual and group process as well as analyzing the quality of test questions.

Questionmark Perception has been translated into Japanese, French, German, Dutch, and Spanish. More than 1,600 customers use Perception including schools, colleges and universities and such hi-tech companies as Microsoft, IBM, HP; retail organizations such as Office Depot, McDonalds; financial services companies such as Fidelity Investments, Citigroup, State Farm Insurance, Metlife, USAA and many branches of the government and military.