A couple of months ago, JISC released an Invitiation to Tender for a QTI v2.1 implementation and profiling support project.  A consortium of experts produced the successful bid, bringing together some of the leading experts on QTI in UK HE, and the project formally kicked off this week.  It concludes in mid-September this year.

The consortium is led by the University of Glasgow, and includes experts from the University of Edinburgh and Kingston University, contributions from the IMS QTI working group chairs and tool developers, independent consultants Sue Milne, Graham Smith and Dick Bacon, and input from us here at JISC CETIS.  QTI experts at the University of Southampton are advisors to the project.

A project blog has been set up  which will provide a central point for dissemination to the wider QTI community.  Information on how to get involved with the QTI interoperability testing process is also available there.

The project aims include:

• Contributing to the definition of the main profile of QTI 2.1;
• Implementation of the main profile in at least one existing open source test rendering/responding system;
• Providing support in the use of QTI 2.1 and the conversion of other question and test formats to QTI 2.1 to those developing assessment tools and authoring questions;
• Providing a publicly available reference implementation of the QTI main profile that will enable question and test item authors to test whether their material is valid, and how it renders and responds.

Follow the project blog for future developments!