Questionmark Plans Academic Symposium at Rio Salado College

The symposium will bring together college and university faculty and staff to discuss topics such as

• test administration and security;
• faculty attitudes toward technology;
• the use of learning management systems;
• best practice in writing quizzes, tests and surveys; and
• structuring assessments to aid the documentation of institutional effectiveness

Special guests will include Cynthia Wilson of the League for Innovation in the Community College and Myles Danson of Loughborough University in England, which hosts an annual international conference on computer-aided assessment. Danson will give a keynote address on “How to Build Faculty Acceptance and Support for Computerized Testing.” The symposium will also include a panel discussion about the role of course evaluations in documenting institutional effectiveness.

“The symposium offers academics the opportunity to hear case studies, discuss testing-related issues and learn how technology is helping to enhance the learning process as well as measure student knowledge,” says Questionmark President Eric Shepherd. “We have joined together with Rio Salado College to provide a place for academics to share their experiences, ideas, concern and questions in a community setting with fellow educators and Questionmark staff.”

“Rio Salado College is one of the nation’s leading innovators when it comes to finding applications for technology in higher education,”

according to Angela Ambrosia, faculty chair for web technology and innovation. “We are particularly pleased to host this important gathering because we believe others can benefit from our vast experience in e-learning.”

The symposium will include cases studies, product training with Questionmark technical support staff, and presentations by Rio Salado staff about how the college creates and delivers quizzes, tests and course evaluations for a wide array of courses.

Complete information about the symposium, which is open to all community college, university and four-year-college personnel, is available at www.questionmark.com/go/symposium2004

About Rio Salado College
Known as “the college without walls,” Rio Salado does not maintain a traditional campus. Instead, courses are delivered for diverse populations using customized programs and partnerships, accelerated formats and distance learning. The college delivers learning opportunities onsite at corporations and government agencies as well as community centers. Rio Salado is one of the nation’s leading providers of distance learning courses, which allow students to take courses anytime and anyplace. The college has earned many awards, including Outstanding Web Site in Higher Education (North American Web Association); the Paragon Award for Most Creative Use of Technology (National Council for Marketing and Public Relations) and the Award of Excellence for Distance Learning (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education).

About Questionmark
Questionmark has been producing testing and assessment software since 1988, enabling educators to write, administer, and report on tests and surveys securely using individual PCs, local networks, the Internet, and intranets. Some 2,000 businesses, governments, schools, colleges, and universities in more than 50 countries use Questionmark™ Perception™ software. Questionmark has offices in the United States, England, and Belgium, with distributors worldwide. The company’s website is www.questionmark.com.