– Building a Collaborative Sharing Platform for STACK Questions

Start date: 01.06.2024
End date: 31.12.2027

Official project website: https://stack.nrw

STACK.nrw is developing a sustainable, community-driven infrastructure to support the collaborative development, sharing, and reuse of STACK questions. Central to the project is the creation of a Git-based repository system, paired with a user-friendly front end and integration for the widely used LMS platforms Moodle and ILIAS.

Rather than starting from scratch, STACK.nrw aims to integrate and align with a range of technologies that are already being explored or actively used by members of the STACK community and related projects— such as GITSYNC, the STACK Question Library, and the STACK API. By building on these existing tools and ideas, the project seeks to create a cohesive, extensible platform that strengthens collaboration and avoids redundant development efforts.

Why a Shared Repository?

Creating high-quality STACK questions is time-consuming, and many educators face similar technical and organizational challenges. As a result, questions are often stored locally and modified in isolation — limiting reuse, quality assurance, and collaboration. STACK.nrw addresses this by offering a unified, open infrastructure where contributions can be versioned, reviewed, improved collaboratively, and shared across institutional boundaries.

The repository will be enriched with metadata (e.g., learning objectives, accessibility, topic tags), much of which will be generated and suggested using AI tools. The front end will support advanced search, preview functionality (without needing a Moodle instance), and direct access to questions for seamless integration into existing teaching workflows.

A Collaborative and Distributed Infrastructure

STACK.nrw follows a hybrid model: a centralized Git-based repository with a web interface and metadata system, alongside support for decentralized repositories that can be hosted and maintained by individual institutions. Plugins for Moodle and ILIAS will allow users to search for and import questions directly from within their LMS, synchronizing with either the central repository or their own institution’s database.

Community Input is Key

STACK.nrw is shaping a shared resource with and for the community. The development of the front end and many core features is guided by input from educators, course designers, and developers through surveys, workshops, and pilot phases. Community participation is critical not only to ensure usability and relevance, but also to inform technical decisions and help align emerging tools across the broader STACK ecosystem.

For updates and opportunities to get involved, visit https://stack.nrw or contact us at kontakt@stack.nrw. We invite educators, developers, and others working with STACK to get involved in the development of a shared infrastructure for STACK questions. Whether through ideas, feedback, testing, or technical input—there are many ways to contribute and help shape a resource that supports the broader community.

Partners & Funding

Project partners

• RUB: Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
• HSBI: University of Applied Sciences and Arts Bielefeld, Germany
• TH Köln: University of Applied Sciences Köln, Germany

STACK.nrw is funded by