FREiMOAT : the Free Research Extension to the iCampus-MIT Online Assessment Tool

Abstract

MIT is currently developing a web-based service for the large-scale assessment of student writing (iMOAT.net). This service contains a database of useful data, particularly texts of student essays that should be available for research and collaboration purposes. In this thesis, I propose a high level design for an interface to the iMOAT system called FREiMOAT that will control access to this research data. This information has the potential to be used by both independent researchers as well as current users of the iMOAT system for self evaluation and collaboration purposes. Current users of the iMOAT system (administrators at a number of schools around the country), have requested the ability to view each others materials so they might improve upon their own assessments. (e.g. SMALL UNIVERSITY would like to see how STATE COLLEGE is able to use the service on larger bodies of students) Independent researchers, on the other hand, might want access to the site for purposes of determining if students from different states perform differently on the same assessments. This interface is responsible for two main tasks; access control and maintaining data anonymity.