Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates creation of an online game. During operation, the system obtains a data set and a game template for the online game. Next, the system enables a user to select one or more subsets of the data set for use with the game template. Finally, the system creates the online game from the game template and data from the one or more subsets without requiring manual input of the data into the game template by the user.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates creation of an online game. During operation, the system obtains a data set and a game template for the online game. Next, the system enables a user to select one or more subsets of the data set for use with the game template. Finally, the system creates the online game from the game template and data from the one or more subsets without requiring manual input of the data into the game template by the user.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that selectively inserts formatting commands into textual information to be displayed on a web page. This system starts by receiving textual information from a user to be displayed on the web page. Next, the system looks for specific formatting commands in the textual information, which indicate that additional formatting commands should not be inserted into the textual information. If none of the specific formatting commands are found in the textual information, the system inserts additional formatting commands into the textual information so that the textual information is displayed on the web page in substantially the same format as it was entered by the user.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates a peer review process for a computer-based activity, such as a computer-based quiz. Upon receiving a computer-based activity to be evaluated, the system makes the computer-based activity available on a computer system coupled to a network, so that the computer-based activity can be accessed by a plurality of evaluators operating from remote computer systems across the network. Upon receiving evaluations from the plurality of evaluators, the system tabulates the evaluations to produce an evaluation result. In one embodiment of the present invention, the computer-based activity includes one of: a computer-based quiz; a computer-based examination; and a computer-based game.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes a system that provides a session for a quiz on a computer system. The system operates by receiving a request to create a session for the quiz. In response to the request, the system creates the session. This session provides a mechanism through which a selected group of people can take the quiz. The system also associates the session with an owner of the session in order to facilitate channeling results generated by the selected group of people in taking the quiz to the owner of the session. Next, the system makes the session for the quiz available over a network so that the selected group of people can take the quiz from remote nodes on the network. Upon receiving the results from the selected group of people taking the quiz, the system communicates the results to the owner of the session. In one embodiment of the present invention, the owner of the session for the quiz is an educator, and the selected group of people are students of the educator.