LON-CAPA

Description Contact Download: Documentation · Software

LON-CAPA is a full-featured, web-based course management system.

It is similar to commercial systems (see edutools.info for comparisons), but has the following additional features:

• Content sharing and content reusability across institutional boundaries, including
  • a network of shared resources from over 30 participating institutions
  • a shared repository of 61,000 resources including assessment questions and multimedia content
  • a large set of resources in physics/astronomy, chemistry, biology, mathematics/statistics, and geology
  • the ability to add new resources to the existing content pool
     
• Creation and grading of randomized homework, quizzes or exams, including the ability to
  • reduce blind copying of answers by having different versions of the same assignment for different students, such as different numbers, graphs, images, and formulas
  • create sophisticated question types such as:
    • multiple-choice multiple-options
    • mix-and-match
    • multi-component formula response
    • click-on-image
    • open-ended assignments with manual grading
  • print randomized bubblesheet exams and quizzes (different exam versions for every student in a course)
  • include mathematical formulas through dynamic support of LaTeX embedded into XML
  • configure the reporting of grades and feedback with a wide variety of options
  • contextualize threaded homework discussions
     
• Internationalized interface, including German localization
   
• An open-source freeware system
   

Architecture

LON-CAPA is a distributed networked system. The three layers of the LON-CAPA architecture are:

1. At the bottom is a shared learning content repository, which provides content replication, versioning, catalog information, etc
2. At the middle layer are tools to assemble content from this pool. Any assembly again becomes part of the repository
3. At the top layer is a full-featured course management and assessment layer to readily deploy this content in your courses.

Development Group and Support

LON-CAPA was initiated at Michigan State University, where the core development group sustains a twice-yearly LON-CAPA release cycle to insure rapid incorporation of instructor-requested enhancements. LON-CAPA is currently supported by the National Science Foundation, Michigan State University, and the LON-CAPA partner institutions.

Scalability

As a distributed system, LON-CAPA is highly scalable and offers load balancing between servers. At Michigan State University alone, more than 13,000 student course enrollments are handled by LON-CAPA, as well as over 23,000 student course enrollments systemwide.

Platform

The system runs on a dedicated Linux server. In order to join the network, the LON-CAPA group needs to be notified at lon-capa@lon-capa.org.