Is your question bank working hard enough for you?

Comparing Speedwell’s legacy Question Bank with the newer eSystem Question Bank.

When it comes to managing questions, no doubt doing so via a dedicated Question Bank makes things exponentially easier. However, not all Question Banks are created equal, and if you haven’t reviewed your system for a while, you’re likely missing out on the benefits that a modern question bank offers.

Over the years Speedwell has introduced two question bank offerings; our legacy Question Bank, which many of our customers still use and the eSystem Question Bank which was launched in 2015.

If you’re using our legacy Question Bank you’ve probably been using it for many years. It may be working well for you, however, with the pace of technological change, by modern standards, it could now be considered rudimentary.

The good news is that our eSystem provides an excellent alternative solution for those looking to upgrade. A sophisticated Question Bank is at the heart of the eSystem and it has many more features than our original offering. Moreover, we’re committed to continually developing and investing in it to ensure that it continues to meet customer needs in an ever-evolving landscape.

This article compares the two Speedwell systems and explores the reasons why you should be looking to upgrade if you are still using our legacy Question Bank.

Accessibility

In a world of hybrid working where flexibility is key, the ability to access your question bank from any location is a must. The eSystem Question Bank delivers here. Being cloud-based the eSystem isn’t confined by the walls of a local network, instead, you can access the bank from any device with an internet connection. Plus you’ll gain the other benefits a cloud-based system can offer in terms of reliability and easy scalability.  When it comes to adding new items, educators and question authors can collaborate and contribute to the bank regardless of their geographical location.

By comparison, our legacy Question Bank system needs to be installed locally on every user’s device, limiting access and restricting flexibility.

Security

In an era where data breaches cause significant concern, security is an important consideration. Being a modern web application, the eSystem undergoes independent security testing for added peace of mind. Plus, there are no additional concerns about needing cumbersome VPNs and domain-based security, which may be required with our Legacy Question Bank.

Greater Control of Users

One of the drawbacks of our legacy Question Bank is the limited functionality around user permissions. Conversely, with eSystem we recognised that there’s often a need for multiple users from different departments, faculties or disciplines and so it offers granular user permissions.

It’s possible to grant different levels of access according to your needs. So, users can have access to only one bank or as many banks as needed. This helps protect the integrity of your questions and puts you firmly in control.

Greater Choice

With the eSystem you have access to an increasing number of question styles, so you can deliver the exams that you need. These include; multiple choice, extended matching questions, single best answer, short answer question, multiple short answer, hot spot, essay, mini multiple interview, and OSCE, with more being added all the time. Our legacy system offers much less choice and there will be no new question types added in the future.

Version Control

When it comes to version control, the eSystem excels again. With a full audit trail available, users can track changes, choose which version to use and if needed revert to a previous version. This gives a clear picture of how questions evolve and coupled with the performance statistics available, makes it easy to continually improve your content.

On the other hand, this level of detail and control is just not available in the old legacy system, leaving you vulnerable to errors and content discrepancies.

Workflow

Online collaboration is increasingly important in the modern way of working, in a way that it wasn’t when our original Question Bank was developed. The eSystem’s workflow features streamline the content creation process and set it apart from our legacy Question Bank, which does not have any workflow features. With the eSystem, educators can collaborate, review and approve content seamlessly within the platform. At each stage team members are sent notifications via e-mail so it is easy to keep track of the process and quickly see when there are any actions. Hugely benefiting all involved.

Future-proofing

Technology is ever-evolving and unfortunately, our legacy Question Bank now relies on unsupported technology and has a very outdated interface. Comparatively, the eSystem has a very easy-to-use interface and we’re always updating with new features and improvements.

Conclusion

While both our legacy Question Bank and the eSystem Question Bank have merit over a non-question banking system, the eSystem holds the competitive edge. With its cloud-based accessibility, granular permissions and version control, plus the workflow feature offering greater opportunity for collaboration, the eSystem Question Bank offers a modern and efficient solution. Investing in an upgrade will elevate your exam processes to a new level.

If you are using our legacy Question Bank system and are interested in finding out more about the eSystem, then get in touch. We also have special deals available to customers who are looking to upgrade.