Corvus v0.9.0 and Corax v0.1.0
Corvus is an automatic Raven's-like test generator, written in JavaScript.
It is called Corvus, because that is the genus Ravens belong to.
In this case 'Raven' refers to Raven's Progressive Matrices, which are the most popular and most studied tests of fluid intelligence.
Corax is a tool that allows users to design and create their own tests for use with Corvus without programming.
It is called Corax, because Corvus Corax is the Common Raven's full Latin name.
This Read Me file is intended for non-programmers. Programmers looking to edit or contribute to Corvus may be better served by the Advanced Corvus User Manual.
How to download Corvus and Corax
How to open and use Corax on a local computer
How to open and use Corvus on a local computer
The Advanced Corvus User Manual (for programmers)
Final Words
Navigate to https://github.com/Thimbleby/Corvus, where you should see a web page like the following:
Click on the green 'Clone or Download' button on the right. The button is circled in red in the image below.
A small box should pop open below your mouse. From this box select "Download ZIP" (Circld red).
Extract everything from the zip file using your normal means of doing so - exactly how to do this will vary system to system. Once done, you should be left with a folder titled "Corvus-master".
You have now successfully downloaded this app.
Opening the folder "Corvus-Master" should present you with contents like in this image:
Corvus can be launched in your default browser by double clicking on the file "index.html". However Corvus will not work with certain browsers such as Microsoft Edge. Chrome, Firefox and Safari have all been tested and should work.
You will be presented with a page much like the following image:
The user can start a test by following the instructions on the page.
The following image is an example test item:
Once the test is complete, Corvus will download the participant's results to the local machine. Depending on your default browser and operating system, this may download automatically, or require authorisation by the user. By default your browser should place the file in your downloads folder. If you want it to download without prompts, you may need to open it in a different browser, or by changing your system settings - exactly how this can be done will depend on your system.
The results downloaded will include the participant's choices for each test item, if their answer was correct, how long they took, and how and when they moved their mouse over the options available.
Corax allows you to design, view and download your own test items. Once you have constructed your test items, you can also use Corax to combine them into a test that can be used with Corvus.
Inside the folder "Corvus-Master" you should find a folder titled "Corax". Its contents should look something like this:
You can launch Corax in your default browser by double clicking on the file "index.html", in this location.
When launched, you will be presented with a choice from two options:
The first option allows you to design, view and download your own test items.
When you are satisfied with your test items, the second option on this menu will allow you to combine them into a test that Corvus can use.
On chosing the first option from the previous page, you will be presented with the following:
From here you can construct your own test item!
Start by selecting a Graphic Option, and a Logic Option.
Note however that only certain combinations of Graphic Options and Logic Options are possible, but Corax will only allow you to make choices from these menus that work together.
If after selecting an option in both menus, you decide that you would rather make a test item with an option that is greyed out, you can reset both menus by choosing "Please Select" from either of Graphic Options or Logic Options.
You will then be presented with additional options. Follow the instructions provided, ensuring that there is no warning red text -- which, if present, indicates that there is something wrong with that aspect of your test item. The following image is an example of that red text in action:
In this particular example, there are multiple problems. Firstly under Form, the sum of all the dropdown menus cannot exceed 9 or fall below -9. Similarly, the sum of each column and row of the dropdown menus cannot exceed 9 or fall below -9.
This is explained in the text immediately under the title Form
Your final item might look something like this:
When you are happy with your test item, you can click the word "here" in the text "Click here to view the test item!"
Corax will then show you what your test item might look like in Corvus. Although, note that some aspects are random, such as the order the options are presented in.
The following image is the test item as specified in the previous image:
If, on viewing it, you want to alter your test item, you can return to the test item design page by clicking the back arrow in your browser.
If instead you are happy, and want to downlaod it, click on any of the options, or on the blue text "Download this test item" as seen in the top right of the image above.
Depending on your default browser and operating system, this may download automatically, or require authorisation by the user.
Once you have designed, viewed and downloaded all of the test items you want to include in your test, find them on your system (by default browsers should download files to your downloads folder, but feel free to move them from there), and arrange them in the order you want them to appear in your test. This may involve you naming them according to their numerical order - if you choose to arrange them by doing so, remember to always use the same number of digits, as otherwise the order can be messed up by larger numbers that start with a small number (i.e. alphabetically 'item100' comes before 'item56', but after 'item056').
Once ready, from Corax's main menu (see above - you can get there by clicking "here" in the text "Click here to return to Corax's main page."), choose the second option in order to construct the test from your test items.
You should be presented with a page like the one depicted above. Which will start with a set of options you can make about the test as a whole.
Select all of your test items, taking care to preserve their order, then click and drag them into the drop-box on this page.
Once done, you should see something like this:
When ready, click "here" in the line of text that ends "..., click here, to download your test."
Again, your system may require you to authorise the download.
Once done, place the downloaded file in the folder "Test", which can be found in the folder "Corax-Master". You may need to rename, delete or overwrite the previous file; either way, the new file needs to be called "test.js", and be in the "Test" folder, as shown below:
To try the test, launch Corvus as described in the previous section.
A brief introduction to modifying Corvus is provided in the same GitHub repository for those who are comfortable reading and editing JavaScript.
It may also be of use if you wish to host Corvus on your own secure server, as minor modifications to Corvus will be necessary.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the author by opening an issue on the GitHub repository for Corvus at https://github.com/Thimbleby/Corvus.