Web-based Biology Question Database

Introduction:

I have designed a database and a Web-based interface to it which can be used to collect multiple-choice questions and answers for any given topic. In addition to text elements the questions can have pictures associated with them. A primary motivation for constructing this database was to provide an easy mechanism to both store and retrieve questions and answers which could be used in Web-based instruction and learning. Secondary motivations were to organize and maintain a collection of suitable questions and answers for the two biology courses that I teach and to design a means to store questions for later transmission to CMU Online, a Web-based course organization software package that is being developed here at CMU. Although the project is not finished, the database and attendant software can be used to collect and deliver questions over the Web.

My goal in designing this database system was to provide a means where students could be presented with one question “queries” about a specific topic when studying or reviewing on-line Web-based material. After the student answered a question, I wanted to have the ability to provide a meaningful response to their answer, rather that just the minimum “no you're wrong” or “yes , you're right!” This I think, would provide a higher level of reinforcement while also giving the opportunity to direct a student to additional resources to clarify confusion or expand their understanding. Furthermore, because biology is a very visual/graphic subject I wanted to be able to display questions which have figures as part of question and also figures as part of the possible answers and responses to the answers. It was never my intention to create a database which could be used to generate on-line tests or exams, although a modification of this database might make it useful for such a purpose.

Below I present and discuss some of the design considerations for this project and the tentative solutions I have come up with. Because I have always been a “Mac” person, the design and solutions are “Mac-centric.” Where I know about other compatible hardware and software, I will mention them.

Structure of “The General Question”:

Each question (record) in the database can have a number of “structural elements” which are stored in fields. Each question record has the following elements (fields):

the question text
a figure associated with the question text
the text of up to 5 (five) potential answers
a separate figure to be associated with each potential answer
the text of up to 5 (five) responses, one for each potential answer
a separate figure to be associated with each response
an indicator as to which answer is correct
a indicator as to the topic/category of the question
a indicator as to the type of question
a few numerical fields which are used for sorting and keeping track of the number of questions in each category

All of the text elements can be loaded into the database via a Web-based interface. The pictures/images require access to the database directly and as yet cannot be loaded into the database using the Web interface. Each question can use any number of these elements. It is clear that most, if not all questions will have question text (although the question could be posed in a picture/image). Answers and instructor responses to these answers could use either text or pictures/images or both.

Database Program: FileMaker Pro

I decided to construct the database using the FileMaker Pro program primarily because of my familiarity with it. While it is not an “industry standard” relational SQL database system (like Oracle, for example) it is quite easy to use. It is one of the most popular Mac-based database programs. Because of this, developers have designed several different programs which can query FileMaker Pro databases and deliver the results of the queries to Web pages. In addition, pictures/images can be stored internally in FileMaker Pro databases which makes it suitable for my application. I believe there is a PC version of the program.

Databases:

Each question database is actually two databases. One contains the questions, answers, images and responses. The other database contains entries which define the different categories or topics into which the questions fall. Both of these databases are modifiable in that questions can be edited, added or deleted from the question database and categories can be added to the topics database. This allows the question database to grow both by adding questions to existing categories and by adding new categories which can then be populated with new questions. The topics database allows the user a large measure of control on the “granularity” of the categorization of questions.

Database–Web Server Interface Program: Lasso

Lasso is a program which runs on the same computer as the Database program and the Web Server. It operates as the intermediary, CGI (Common Gateway Interface) program between the database program and the Web Server. It can operate in both in a fetch data and store data mode. When the Web Server receives instructions from a browser to fetch information from the database it forwards the request to Lasso which queries the database using the specified matching criteria. Data from records matching the search criteria are returned to Lasso. Lasso then inserts the data from the matching database records into an HTML format file acting much like a “Mail Merge” program using a template letter (format file) and a mailing list (data from matching records). When the Web Server receives instructions from a browser to store data into the database it forwards the request to Lasso which adds the data to a current record (update mode) or makes a new record (create mode) in the database and populates the fields of that new record with the data supplied in the request.

Features of Web-access to the Database:

The interface for adding questions to the database provides only a few response options for the user to select. However after loading the question into the database, the editing interface allows complete flexibility in the design of the responses.
Randomly chosen questions in a given category can be called from the database. They can be made to appear in a new window in the browser.
After answering a question and getting a response, students may choose another answer.

Accessing the Database (“Take it for a spin...”):

Because the database/web interface depends on software running on the server, I cannot duplicate the original website at this site. The URL to the database below may still work but at some time in the future will probably be a broken link.

http://berget.mcs.cmu.edu/questions/db.html (may be broken)

This will take you to a database of biology questions which is populated with real questions for use in Modern Biology. It is appropriately protected from modification but demonstrates most of the principles I was trying to incorporate.

The following URL: http://berget.mcs.cmu.edu/qCIL/db.html (may be broken) will take you to an identical "wide open" database that anybody can access and populate with material. At this “site” one should be able to add question categories to the topics database, add, delete, edit questions in the questions database. Again this link may be broken if the site is closed down.