WeBWork Community and Support 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which WeBWorK community resource provides step-by-step guides for installing and administering WeBWorK servers?
- The WeBWorK YouTube Channel
- The WeBWorK Wiki (webwork.maa.org/wiki) (Correct answer)
- The OPL README
- The GitHub README only
Correct answer: The WeBWorK Wiki (webwork.maa.org/wiki)
The WeBWorK Wiki hosts comprehensive documentation including installation guides, administrator guides, and author guides.
Question 2: A community instructor wants to contribute a new problem set to the Open Problem Library. What is the expected submission process?
- Email the problem files to MAA
- Submit a Pull Request to the WeBWorK-open-problem-library GitHub repository (Correct answer)
- Upload via the WeBWorK admin panel
- Post on the mailing list and wait for approval
Correct answer: Submit a Pull Request to the WeBWorK-open-problem-library GitHub repository
Contributions to the OPL are made through Pull Requests on its dedicated GitHub repository.
Question 3: What annual event brings together WeBWorK developers, instructors, and administrators for training and collaboration?
- The WeBWorK World Summit
- The WeBWorK Workshop / MAA WeBWorK Conference (Correct answer)
- The Open Math Forum
- STEM EdTech Expo
Correct answer: The WeBWorK Workshop / MAA WeBWorK Conference
MAA regularly organizes WeBWorK workshops where community members share best practices and receive training.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the WeBWorK 'problem seeder' feature discussed in community forums?
- A tool that randomly generates entirely new problems
- A utility to populate a course with sample problems from the OPL for testing (Correct answer)
- A feature that emails hints to students
- A script that exports grades to a CSV
Correct answer: A utility to populate a course with sample problems from the OPL for testing
Problem seeder scripts help administrators quickly populate a new course with OPL problems for demonstration or testing purposes.
Question 5: On the WeBWorK mailing list, what is the recommended etiquette before posting a question about a problem or error?
- Always post immediately without searching
- Search the list archives and WeBWorK Wiki first to see if the question has been answered (Correct answer)
- Contact the MAA directly
- Open a GitHub issue first
Correct answer: Search the list archives and WeBWorK Wiki first to see if the question has been answered
Community etiquette asks users to check existing archives and documentation before posting to avoid duplicate threads.
Question 6: What does 'WeBWorK 2.x' vs 'WeBWorK 3.x (Standalone PG)' signify in community discussions?
- Paid vs free tiers
- The legacy Perl/Apache server vs the newer containerized/microservice architecture (Correct answer)
- US vs international versions
- Faculty vs student interfaces
Correct answer: The legacy Perl/Apache server vs the newer containerized/microservice architecture
WeBWorK 3.x represents a modern re-architecture using Docker/containers and a separated PG grading service, distinct from the classic 2.x setup.
Question 7: Which community-maintained Docker image simplifies WeBWorK deployment for new administrators?
- webwork/official-hub
- openwebwork/webwork2 on Docker Hub (Correct answer)
- maa/webwork-docker
- pg-grader/webwork
Correct answer: openwebwork/webwork2 on Docker Hub
The openwebwork/webwork2 Docker image on Docker Hub is the community-maintained official image for easy deployment.
WeBWork Community and Support 3
Which WeBWorK community resource provides step-by-step guides for installing and administering WeBWorK servers?