WebEQ Evaluation Control

The WebEQ Evaluation Control is an applet that provides MathML-based computation services. Unlike the other WebEQ Controls, the Evaluation Control doesn't display anything on the screen. Instead, it is invoked from JavaScript to evaluate and compare MathML expressions.

A typical use of the Evaluation Control is checking answers in online quizzes.  Most online quiz systems require multiple choice questions, or other question types that are easily checked by computer.  Open-ended questions where a student must supply an answer from scratch are not possible with such systems, since determining when a free-form mathematical expression is equivalent to a given answer is difficult.  The Evaluation Control, however, utilizes sophisticated mathematical algorithms to determine when two expressions are equivalent. 

For example, a quiz page might contain a question whose answer is x + 2.  The student enters his or her answer using the Input Control, and the Evaluation Control checks the answer:

If the student entered:	Evaluation Control analysis:
		Equivalent to x + 2.
		The additional formatting (extra spaces) is ignored. Equivalent to x + 2.
		Equivalent to x + 2.
		This not equivalent to x + 2.