How Should a Perfect Computer Aided Assessment Package in Mathematics Behave?

TREEFROG: A Natural Algebraic Interface?…With the TREEFROG project we have long been seeking to provide a mathematical assessment tool which allows students to type in mathematics in a way which is a similar as possible to pencil and paper but with a certain “intelligence” built in. I am sure we have not succeeded fully as I shall explain below; but I would like to initiate (or more correctly continue) debate in this area with a view to agreeing as a community what is desirable in such an environment. Please feel free to give your responses to the questions raised here as described at the end of the article