Creating an Item or Stimulus

• Creating an item involves multiple steps. You need to specify an item description, set up the item attributes, compose the item’s content, associate the item with one or more stimuli if necessary, and finally submit the item for review.

  Depending on an item’s attributes, an item may have additional content, such as braille files, text-to-speech (TTS) content, sign language content, and other secondary language content. Once an item’s English content has been web-approved, you can work on these additional content requirements that are not dependent on each other concurrently. This feature of allowing users to create and review discrete item content in parallel ensures an efficient and quick item creation process.

  An item can have different content creation tasks, also known as review lanes or swim lanes, running concurrently. The item template lane represents the topmost level of an item. You can create each of the child components from the item template lane, although most users do not have the necessary permissions to do so. Once an item’s English content is web-approved, the constituent child review lanes open. Each of these review lanes follows its own review process, and once approved and completed, they are merged into the main item content package.

• Creating a stimulus is similar. You need to specify the stimulus description, set up the stimulus attributes, compose the stimulus content, associate the stimulus with an existing item, and finally submit the stimulus for review.

To create an item or stimulus:

1. From the Add task group of the Item or Stimulus menu, select the subject for which you wish to create an item or stimulus. The Add Item or Add Stimulus page appears.

   The Item or Stimulus radio button is selected and the subject is displayed in the dropdown list. You may choose different options if necessary.

2. In the Enter Item Description… or Enter Stimulus Description… field, enter the item or stimulus’s name.

   Note that entering a description is optional but recommended. If you provide a description, the description is added to the auto-generated item or stimulus ID. You can edit the description later if necessary, as described in Viewing and Editing an Item or Stimulus.

3. Click Save. The View\Edit Item or View\Edit Stimulus page appears, displaying the new item or stimulus along with its ID and description.

4. Provide information for each of the relevant panels. For information on the different panels, refer to About the Panels on the View\Edit Pages.

   • When creating an item’s content in the Content Files panel, you can create and submit content for review for the different review lanes in stages. Once an item’s English content has been web-approved, you can create any additional content, such as TTS, braille, or sign language, and submit it for review when completed.

   • If you’re creating a stimulus, submit the stimulus’s English content for review. Once approved, additional review lanes are displayed per the stimulus attributes. Create content for the additional review lanes and submit when completed.

Note that once you submit item or stimulus content for any of the review lanes, you cannot view, edit, or resubmit the content unless you have access to subsequent levels of review or unless a request to edit the content is submitted by the reviewer. Please verify the content before submitting it.