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How make standalone PDFs of tests (and solutions) with Webwork?

How make standalone PDFs of tests (and solutions) with Webwork?

by Christian Seberino -
Number of replies: 3

I want to create some practice quizzes as PDFs with Webwork.

I also want to create a PDF with solutions.

Is this possible?

When I tried to "export" a homework I got a text file called something like setfoo.def. 

How get stand alone PDFs?

Thanks!

Chris

In reply to Christian Seberino

Re: How make standalone PDFs of tests (and solutions) with Webwork?

by D. Brian Walton -
As an instructor, you should follow similar steps to how a student creates a printed version of their homework.

http://webwork.maa.org/wiki/Printing_your_homework

You were in the Homework Sets Editor when you tried your "export", but this is creating a homework set definition file for export (to share a collection of problems from one class to another).

As instructor, if you will go to the "Homework Sets" option, the quizzes you created should appear as assigned sets (possibly only assigned to you as instructor, unless you assigned them to your class). On the same page, there is a button for "Download Hardcopy for Selected Sets". Select the quiz assignments you want with the check boxes and then push the button.

The next step will ask for which assigned students you want included. If you just want one that is assigned to you, then choose just your name. But you can choose every student in your class. A PDF file containing EVERY assignment in consecutive order will be created and available for download. If you include many students, this will be a big file and will take some time to produce. There is an option (checkboxes) to include answers/hints/solutions (if available for your problems). There is also an option to show students' answers on the print-outs.

I should say that the solutions will only be present if the author of the problem has included the code that defines the solution. Many problems do not have this yet.

I've noticed as instructor the path names to each problem is printed, and this often makes the problem set look a little cluttered. I don't know if logging in as a student would give the same information. And I don't know how to turn this off.

I hope this helps.

- D. Brian Walton
In reply to D. Brian Walton

Re: How make standalone PDFs of tests (and solutions) with Webwork?

by Dick Lane -
To do bulk printing without path names being shown for students, I create an extra student account for my use and give it TA status.  This TA account is used to generate the omnibus hardcopy file.

Arnie's message explains some extra things to consider.
In reply to Christian Seberino

Re: How make standalone PDFs of tests (and solutions) with Webwork?

by Arnold Pizer -
Hi,

I can add a few comments to Brian's excellent response.  

First if you output student copies, the path names of the files will not be printed. This information is only printed for professors. I'll explain below how to change that.

Also you will probably want to edit the default hardcopy header since for a quiz/exam you will probably want to include different information at the top of the page.

To stop printing path names of the pg homework files for everyone, you will have to edit the course.conf file.  Click on "File Manager", then near the top click the up arrow (just to the left of "templates") which will bring you to the top level directory of your course. Select "course.conf" and click edit. At the bottom of the file add the line:
$pg{specialPGEnvironmentVars}{PRINT_FILE_NAMES_PERMISSION_LEVEL} = undef;

If you just want these printed for one person with login "mylogin", add 
$pg{specialPGEnvironmentVars}{PRINT_FILE_NAMES_FOR} = ['mylogin'];

Editing the course.conf file allows you to make changes only for your course and these changes take precedence over the setting in global.conf which affect all courses on the server.  If you set 
$pg{specialPGEnvironmentVars}{PRINT_FILE_NAMES_PERMISSION_LEVEL} = undef;
in global.conf,  then file names would not be printed for professors in any course on the server.  Note that many common things can be set for an individual course under "Course Configuration" and these take precedent over both global.conf and course.conf.

Arnie