WeBWorK Version 1.8 is available for downloading. Details are given below. You
can tell what version you are running by looking at the "WeBWorK Logo" at the
top of (e.g.) the login page. The version number appears on the right side. If
there is no version number, you are running a very old version. A more prcise version number is given at the top of the file
.../webwork/system/lib/Global.pm.
To begin downloading files, click on the software download link to the left.
Version 1.8 of WeBWorK contains several enhancements and bug fixes. The most
apparent change is the addition of a new display mode ("typeset2") which uses
dvipng to create png images of equations. The output is identical to the output
from LaTeX2HTML ("typeset") but it is almost as fast as tth. Thus precreation
is not required. We would like to express our sincere thanks to John Jones for
providing the code the added the typeset2 mode.
Also problems can now be linked. There is a linkToPreviousProblem value
in the setdefinition file. It is assumed to be 1 (true) or 0 (false,
the default). If 1 this means, for every student, this problem will
have the same seed as the previous problem. This means you can have a
connected or linked series of problems that share the same "random
data." For this to occur the linked problems have to define the same
random variables in the same order (it is the responsibility of problem
authors to do this). see http://webhost.math.rochester.edu/webworkdocs/docs/courseadmin/setdefinitionformat for details.
Courses running under WeBWorK 1.5 or later will run without change under WeBWorK 1.8.
The templates_X.X_XX-MONTH-XX-XXXX.tar.gz file contains a library
approximately 2500 WeBWorK problems covering pre-calculus, first year calculus,
vector calculus, differential equations, probability, and statistics. Note that
some problems form older distributions have been renamed and/or moved to other
locations in the library. The current version of all problems (and WeBWorK
system files if you want to live on the bleeding edge) can be obtained by
connecting to http://webhost.math.rochester.edu/webworkdocs/ , clicking on
software download and then on "Experimental CVS for WeBWorK." The Rochester
problem library is under the CVS Root Rochester and the system files are under
System. In addition at this site you can find problem libraries from Cal State
Long Beach (CSLB), Detroit County Day School (DCDS), Dartmouth, Indiana, Ohio
State, and Stony Brook. If you have written WeBWorK problems and are are
willing to share them, please contact us and we will add your problems to the
repository.
If you are interested in using WeBWorK, but are not ready to install it at your
institution, we can host small (say under 100 student) WeBWorK courses at
Rochester. This will give people the opportunity to use WeBWorK without the
necessity of installing WeBWorK. If you are interested in this, please
contact Mike Gage (gage@math.rochester.edu) or Arnie Pizer apizer@math.rochester.edu).
Mike and Arnie will be conducting a MiniCourse on WeBWorK at the annual AMS/MAA
meeting in Baltimore in January. If you are attending, stop by and say hello.
Now finally the information that some of you really want:
In order to download version 1.8 of WeBWorK, connect to
http://webhost.math.rochester.edu/webworkdocs/
Click on download WeBWorK, register if you haven't already, and then click on Download Files.
Arnie Pizer and Mike Gage
Posted by Arnold K. Pizer on 10/16/02; 6:51:22 AM
from the dept.
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