Assessment Technologies

Perception Assessment Management Tool Streamlines UI, Expands Host Support

• By Scott Aronowitz
• 02/11/10

Questionmark has released the newest version of its Perception assessment management software. Version 5, available now, adds auto-sizing and auto-sensing, which together automatically reformat any assessment or survey issued with the software to the size and specs conducive to the medium on which the content is being viewed, be it a full-sized computer screen, a smaller netbook screen, or even an iPhone.

Perception offers a method of deploying quizzes and tests, surveys, and other assessments to a variety of media hardware, including desktop and laptop computers, thin client stations, Blackberries, iPods. and iPhones. And with version 5 come new features such as auto-sizing and auto-sensing, which make viewing assessment content even easier, regardless of the medium.

Questionmark explained it this way: "The system auto-senses each device and its browser, then the content auto-sizes to ensure the assessment appears in the right format. 'Screen furniture'--the buttons and other graphics incorporated in assessments--is automatically resized to fit each different screen size."

In addition, Perception 5 offers streamlined multilingual interfaces that allow content creators to translate questions entered in English quickly and confidently into any or all of 20 languages, including Spanish, French, Dutch, German, and Japanese. Translations can be processed interactively using Questionmark's own translation management system (TMS), or the user can easily export questions to a third-party TMS.

Version 5 also offers the following new features:

• A new logon and assessment list screen that make it easier for participants to find assessments and view schedules, reports, and other information;
• Easier navigation through assessments and ready access to embedded tools such as calculators and charts;
• Enhanced failsafe functionality to protect data if an Internet connection is lost;
• Three-tiered architecture providing greater scalability and enhanced security;
• Easier to install and deploy in load-balanced environments;
• New APIs to expand integration options of Questionmark's Open Assessment Platform; and
• Support for Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 (Perception Authoring Manager), Oracle 11g, and SQL Server 2008.