Graphing Problem Set Documentation

Final Use Cases

This application was created to assist preparing students for college level chemistry courses. Our problem set specifically addresses difficulties students may have with identifying linear and trigonometric graph components. For example, we may ask a user how the y intercept changes if the equation changes.

The user is presented with a series of multiple choice graphing problems that are randomly generated and ordered. The user must select the correct graph given a certain change in the equation. The user is provided with immediate feedback on accuracy and potential sources of error. The user is then prompted with a next button to visit additional questions. After the exercise is completed, the user is provided with feedback on their overall performance. The user performance is kept track of in the web application database. There is additional documentation outlining how users may access this database.

Installation

In order to utilize the graphing module the user must simply log into the chemtutor website and then click on the graphing module. In order for administrators to modify the module, they will need to follow the directions outlined in the chemtutor GitHub page to get the project up and running on their own computer. The administrator will then need to run the web application as a tomcat 8.5 server. In eclipse, this is done by right clicking the project folder and selecting run as → server. The administrator will then need to spin up the python server. If eclipse has a python plugin installed, this can be accomplished by right clicking on the problemset_server.py file and selecting run as → run on server. This can also be accomplished by navigating to the file in the terminal and typing python3 problemset_server.py. The user can then modify and test the project.

Configuration

In order to modify the questions/answers generated by the module, administrators will need to edit the python scripts associated with the module. If the administrator wishes to change the underlying structure of the question bundle sent to the module, they will need to modify the feedback.py file as well. The administrator can modify what information the module tracks by editing the controllers associated with the module. Finally, administrators can modify the appearance of the module by editing the html templates of the module.

Running the Application

Once changes have been made and the administrator is happy with the functionality/appearance of the module, they can then push their changes to the development branch. A WAR file will then be sent to the server. This will then allow the application to be accessed on the web. Users will be able to access the website by navigating to its URL and logging in.