LON-CAPA

Contact

Prof. Gerd Kortemeyer, Ph.D.

korte@lon-capa.org
Telephone: +1 517 282 6446

LON-CAPA
ETH Zurich
Haldenbachstr. 44
8092 Zurich
Switzerland

Website: www.lon-capa.org

Documentation

Software

The latest version you can download from: LON-CAPA Download Page

LON-CAPA is a full-featured course management, learning content management, and assessment 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 160 participating institutions
- a shared repository of 610,000 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

Systemaufbau

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

At the bottom is a shared learning content repository, which provides content replication, versioning, catalog information, etc
At the middle layer are tools to assemble content from this pool. Any assembly again becomes part of the repository
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 was supported by the National Science Foundation and Sloan Foundation, as well as it is currently supported by 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 150,000 student course enrollments annually 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.