Easy Gradebook User's Manual Version 1.1a Copyright (C) 1992 Randall W. Jenkins Anne Buchholz Jenkins Table of Contents: Chapter 1. ...... Introduction Chapter 2. ...... Getting started Chapter 3. ...... Using Easy GradeBook Chapter 4. ...... Loading and Saving Files Chapter 5. ...... Editing Files Chapter 6. ...... Printing Files Chapter 7. ...... Grade Options Chapter 8. ...... Error Messages Chapter 9. ...... Glossary Chapter 10. ..... Appendix - Quick reference 1. Introduction Easy GradeBook provides the ability to store a class list and grades. Easy GradeBook automatically calculates student averages for the scores input into the program. This program is easy to use and provides an excellent productivity tool for the overworked teacher. Features: Class list size of 40 students and up to 48 grade entries per student. Automatic alphabetizing of the class list. Calculation of the average, and standard deviation of a given grade list. Calculation of individual averages for each student. Multiple pages of grades for the same class. Weighting of the grades so that tests and quizzes will not have the same impact on a students average. Printing of just the class list with grades and averages. Detailed description of each class grade entry. Grade entry in either percentage correct format or in a points missed format. If points missed is selected, the Easy GradeBook automatically calculates the percentage correct. DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT Users of Easy GradeBook must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "Easy GradeBook is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of Easy GradeBook." Easy GradeBook is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using Easy GradeBook and continue to use Easy GradeBook after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of $ 25.00 USD to Randall W. Jenkins. The $ 25.00 USD registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Commercial users of Easy GradeBook must register and pay for their copies of Easy GradeBook within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting Randall W. Jenkins. You are encouraged to pass a copy of Easy GradeBook along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of the Easy GradeBook system. Send your completed registration form to: Randall W. Jenkins 1800 Viking Ave. Orrville, Ohio 44667 Compuserve: [72130,1730] About this manual: Because Easy GradeBook is such an easy program to use, you might not need much more information. But, if you do, this manual provides instruction on every feature of Easy GradeBook. This manual is organized as follows: Chapter 1 - Introduction, provides an overview of the product and its features. Chapter 2 - Getting started, provides information on how to install and begin using Easy GradeBook. Chapter 3 - Using Easy Grade, shows basic instruction on file organization and a brief tutorial on using the Easy GradeBook. Chapter 4 - Loading and Saving Files, provides instruction on how to load and save files containing class list and grade information. Chapter 5 - Editing Files, shows how edit new and existing Easy GradeBook files, key assignments and cursor control keys. Chapter 6 - Printing Files, Shows Easy GradeBook print file options. Chapter 7 - Grade Options, Shows how to select grade options and how each option performs. Chapter 8 - Error Messages, Shoes the error messages and the cause and appropriate action. Chapter 9 - Glossary, list of terms and their meaning. Chapter 10 - Quick Reference to the Key assignments that control Easy GradeBook functions. 2. Getting Started Back up copy: Before installing the program, it is a good idea to make a backup copy of the program diskette. To do this, simply copy the files specified below to a formatted floppy diskette. Easy GradeBook consists of the following files: EGB.EXE Program File EGB.DOC Documentation File REGISTER.TXT Registration Form System Requirements: 256K bytes of memory. DOS 2.1 or higher. 100 % compatible IBM PC. Installing Easy GradeBook: Once you have made a backup copy, use the backup copy to load the program or if your system has a fixed disk, copy the contents of the backup disk to a selected directory on the fixed disk. At the DOS prompt C:\EGB> , type EGB, then press enter. You should see the Easy GradeBook welcome screen. Press any key to continue. At this point you should see the Easy GradeBookeditor screen. There are 8 grades per page and three pages. The class list is displayed on every page. To get started entering your class list and grades, use the cursor keys to position the cursor and type in your entries starting at the appropriate columns. The Easy GradeBookis arranged like a book. The grades are displayed in pages. The current page number is displayed in the top left hand corner of the edit screen display. To change the current page use the page up and page down keys. The class list and student averages are displayed on every page. The page will change automatically if you move the cursor to the right when the cursor is positioned in the g8 grade column. 3. Using the Easy GradeBook The Easy GradeBook program was designed to be very easy to use. It offers the type of user interface that will let a first time user be a productive user of the program. The user interface features include: * A single keystroke menu driven interface. * Simple editing features that are easy to learn. * Interactive help when using the Options screen. * Intuitive user interface layout. The first thing to do when starting a new EGB file is to enter the class list in the editing mode. When the entire class list has entered, it can be alphabetized by pressing the Alpha-F4 key. After the class list is complete, enter the grades by cursoring to the grade columns marked g1 through g8 (Page 1). Type in the percentage correct for a given score. For example, If a student missed 5 points on a 20 point test, type 75 in the row and column assigned to that particular student and the grade column for the test. If statistical analysis, or any other option is required, simply press the Options -F3 key. The options menu will be displayed, and the interactive help will guide you through. See Chapter 7 for more information on Grade Options. After all editing has been done, the grades can be saved to disk by pressing the Save-F2 key and entering the file name. Please be sure that different class list files are not determined by the file name extension. To exit Easy GradeBook when done, press the Quit-F6 key. 4. Loading and Saving Files The Easy GradeBook provides for Loading and Saving Class list and Grade files. In this way, different classes can be stored for the same semester. For example, for the Fall 1992 semester ,you wish to track the scoring for three classes, Math1, Math2 and Science1. After entering the Math1 class list and grades, press the Save-F2 key. EGB will prompt you for a subject, Enter "MATH1". Next EGB will prompt you for a Grading Period; type "1". Finally EGB will prompt for a Class ID; type "FALL92". This will save the Math1 class list and grades, along with the options setup under the MAth1\FALL92.GP1 and Math1.cfg file names. Follow the same steps for the Math2 and Science1 class lists. To load a file, press the Load-F1 key and follow the same procedure that was outlined for saving files. 5. Editing Files The EGB editor is a simple, easy to use editor. You simply position the flashing cursor using the cursor keys, press the key and type in the appropriate entry at the appropriate column. The Grade entries must be in either percentage correct or points missed. Letter grade entries are not permitted. The EGB grade entries default to percentage correct. To change a grade column to points missed mode you must use the Options screen. See chapter 7 for more information regarding grade options. If you make a mistake when entering a name or a grade, use the Backspace key to return to the position of the error and retype the correct entry. After editing a class list, if you wish to alphabetize the list, press the Calc-F4 key. The Easy GradeBookwill alphabetize the list and display the list on the screen. You can alphabetize a list at any time by pressing the F4 key. EGB will automatically transfer any grades that have been entered. 6. Printing Files The Easy GradeBookhas a printing feature that allows you to make a hard copy of just the class list or of the class list and associated grades and averages. To print a class list, you must first type in the class list information or load the information from a disk. Once this has been accomplished, press the Print-F5 key. The Grade Book will ask you if you wish to print just the class list. If you type "y", EGB will proceed with printing the class list. If you type "n", EGB will proceed with printing the class list and associated student grades. Once EGB has started printing, you will not be able to continue editing until the printing has been completed. 7. Grade Options The Easy GradeBook has several optional features that can be invoked to make the job of tracking and entering scores an easier one. To enter the Grade option menu, press the F3 key. You should see the Option screen. The Grade number corresponds to the grade column represented by g1 - g24 seen when editing grades. Select an appropriate grade number by pressing the space bar. Once a grade number has been selected, use the cursor keys to move the blinking cursor to the desired Grade Option. A description of each option follows: Entry: Grade number Valid Range: g1 - g16. Description: The grade number corresponds to the grade columns found when editing grades. To change: Use the space bar. Default: g1. Entry: Weight Valid Range: 0.25 to 8. Description: Allows for different weighting of grade columns in calculating student averages. To change: Use the space bar. Default: 1. Entry: Description Valid Range: Text only. Description: This space is allotted so that a description of each grade column can be entered. To change: Move cursor to the Description row, type in the entry. Default: nill. Entry: Statistical Analysis Valid Range: ON or OFF. Description: This turns on the the calculation of the weighted standard deviation for the selected grade column. To change: Press the space bar. Default: OFF. Entry: Entry type Valid Range: Percentage Correct or Points Missed. Description: This entry allows the selection of an entry mode for the selected grade column. If Percentage correct is selected then the grades for the entire column must be entered in the percentage correct format. If Points Missed is selected, then enter the points incorrect in the appropriate column of the edit screen. To change: Press the space bar. Default: Percentage Correct. Entry: Total Points Valid Range: 1 to 999, or N/A. Description: This entry is only valid if the Point Missed Entry type is selected. This allows for an entry of the total points for scoring the entry. To Change: Use the numeric keys. Default: Not applicable. 8. Error Messages Easy GradeBook provides error messages when in cannot perform a command due to errors in specifying data or device problems. The error messages are as follows: Printer not connected - Check the printer to make sure it is connected and the power switch is turned on. Printer out of paper - Reload the printer with paper and print the document. Path not found - Easy GradeBook was directed to load or save a file, and the directory or directories in the path were not found or were specified incorrectly. Printer failure - General printer failure detected. Check printer to insure proper operation. Disk full - Easy GradeBook was directed to save a file on a diskette or fixed disk and there was no room for the file on the media. Drive not ready - Easy GradeBook was asked to load or save a file on a diskette not properly inserted in the disk drive. Check the disk drive to insure proper operation. If you get errors other than those listed, please contact the author and explain the error and the situation in which the error occurred. 9. Glossary Class list - The list of students in the class stored by the Easy Grade. Diskette - Magnetic media used to store computer data. DOS - Disk Operating System. Editor screen - The entry screen used to enter the class list and associated grades. Grade number - Corresponds to the grade columns used to display the Easy GradeBook grades. Options screen - The entry screen used to select the grade column options. Page - The current displayed grade page in the Easy GradeBook. Percentage Correct format - An entry format option selected at the Options screen. Points Missed format - An entry format option selected at the Options screen. Statistical Analysis - An operational option selected in the Options screen. 10. Appendix - Quick Reference to Key assignments Function Keys: F1 - Load a Easy GradeBook class list / grade file. F2 - Save a Easy GradeBook class list / grade file. F3 - Set or view grade options. F4 - Alphabetize class list. F5 - Print a current Easy GradeBook file. F6 - Exit Easy GradeBook to DOS. Cursor Control Keys: up arrow - moves cursor up. down arrow - moves cursor down. right arrow - moves cursor to the right or to next Easy Grade Book page. left arrow - moves cursor to the left or to previous Easy GradeBook page. Pg Up - Moves to previous Easy GradeBook page. Pg Down - Moves to next Easy GradeBook page. Home - Moves cursor to top of current Easy GradeBook page. End - Moves cursor to the bottom of current GradeBook page.