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VAR Grade Grading Tools for Teachers Version 5.0 BEGINNER'S MANUAL AND TUTORIAL Written by DENNIS REVIE (c) Copyright 1992 by Dennis Revie Distributed by VARed Software 1490 Calle Fidelidad Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-6819 USA _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------- | ____|__ | Asociation of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------- |___|___| MEMBER VAR Grade is COPYRIGHTED (C) 1987-1992 by Dennis Revie. All rights are reserved. VAR Grade can be distributed as SHAREWARE. It is not free. VAR Grade is written in Borland International's Turbo Pascal. The files that can be listed by the "DIR *.BGI" (screen drivers) and "DIR *.CHR" (fonts) are copyrighted by Borland International and are used in accordance with the license. The files that can be listed by the "DIR $*.BGI" (screen drivers) and other print driver files are copyrighted by Fleming Software and are used in accordance with the license. PKUNZIP.EXE is Copyright (C) 1989-90 by PKWare, Inc. Product names from other manufacturers are mentioned, and are copyright and/or registered and/or trademarked by the respective companies. Last Revision: March 1992. TABLE OF CONTENTS DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE....................................2 DISCLAIMER-AGREEMENT.......................................2 I. INTRODUCTION TO VAR GRADE...............................6 A. Program features......................................7 B. Conventions used in this manual......................12 C. Sample classes.......................................12 II. REQUIREMENTS..........................................13 A. Hardware.............................................13 B. Versions.............................................13 C. Networks.............................................13 III. INSTALLATION OF VAR GRADE............................14 A. Using INSTALL........................................14 B. Installation without INSTALL.........................16 IV. FIRST USE OF VAR GRADE................................17 A. Starting the program.................................17 B. Using an existing class: Tutorial....................17 C. Starting a new class.................................23 D. Entering data........................................25 E. If you are lost......................................26 F. Starting another class...............................26 G. Advanced mode........................................26 H. Exiting the program..................................27 I. Using a mouse........................................27 J. How special keys are used............................28 K. How the cursor keys work.............................28 1 DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual. Copyright laws apply to both shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their shareware. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or shareware. The shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT Users of VAR Grade must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "VAR Grade 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 VAR Grade." VAR Grade 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 2 this program useful and find that you are using VAR Grade and continue to use VAR Grade after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of $50 (US). You will receive the current version plus printed manual, and the next major update and manual. Canadian checks are accepted. Outside the US and Canada, registration is $60, payable in US dollars on an international postal money order. This 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. Schools, colleges, and universities must register and pay for their copies of VAR Grade within 60 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting us at the address listed below, and can be arranged on a per-school or per-user basis. Further information on site-licenses is in the file SITELIC.DOC. Anyone distributing VAR Grade for any kind of remuneration must first contact us at the address below for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering VAR Grade immediately (However we must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of VAR Grade). You are encouraged to pass a copy of VAR Grade 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 VAR Grade, as well as the next significant upgrade. To register, send the registration fee to the address listed below. The manual is the same as the on disk version, except that it includes figures and an index, as well as looking "spiffier". Note that if you find any significant bugs, they will be corrected and a corrected version of VAR Grade sent to you as soon as possible. Registered users will have the opportunity to purchase further updates at a nominal cost. 3 When you register please include your name, address, and the version of the program that you have. A suggested form is included with the program in the file REGISTER.DOC. If reporting bugs, please include the version of VAR Grade that you have, as well as: (1) The type of computer AND microprocessor 8088, 80286, ...). (2) The type of printer you will use with it. (3) The version of DOS that you are using (important for finding bugs). (4) List the bugs that you have found--and EXACTLY, if possible, how they occurred. This information is needed to find and correct the bug. (5) Also include any other suggestions for improving the program--wish lists, etc. This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Rd., Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. Registration Fees and conditions are listed above in the Disclaimer-Agreement ($50 inside North America, $60 outside it). To order direct from us, send a check or P.O. to: VARed Software 1490 Calle Fidelidad Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-6819 USA Credit card orders: You can order VAR Grade from the Public (Software) Library with your MC, Visa, AmEx, or Discover Card by calling (800) 2424-PsL or (713) 524-6394, or by FAX to (713) 524- 6398, or by Compuserve to 71355,470, or by mail to PsL, P.O. Box 35705, Houston, TX 77235-5705. These credit card numbers are for ordering only. The PsL program number is 7392/1394. Orders in Australia can also be made in Australian dollars ($90 A) to the following address: 4 Budgetware 9 Albermarle Street Newtown, NSW 204 AUSTRALIA Phone: 011-(612)-519-4233 In the UK, you can order from (48 Pounds Sterling): PC Independent User Group 87 High Street Tonbridge Kent TN9 1RX ENGLAND Tel: 0732 771512 Fax: 0732 771513 BBS: 0732 770539 (8 Bits, no parity, 1 stop bit) FIDO: 2:440/9 Compuserve: 100016,3106 They take Access, MC, Visa, BarclayCard, Sterling Cheques, and Bankers Draft. Information For dealer pricing, volume discounts, site licensing, shipping of product, returns, latest version number, or other technical information, contact us by calling (805) 523-7546, or by Compuserve to 73427,112, or write to the address listed above. A text file, SITELIC.DOC, is included with the program that gives more information on site-licenses. 5 I. INTRODUCTION TO VAR GRADE WELCOME TO VAR GRADE! This program has been written to be flexible enough to allow you to grade your class with the same methods you now use--except that the program does the tedious chores of adding, plotting, and writing the scores. The program has been written by and for teachers and requires no special knowledge of computers or MS-DOS. This manual will help both computer novices and computer experts get the most out of the VAR Grade program. If you are not an experienced computer user, this Beginner's Manual and Tutorial will show you how to get started with the program. Before putting data from your own classes onto the computer, we suggest that you go through the tutorial in Chapter IV, First Use of VAR Grade, which uses a sample class to illustrate the steps in starting the program. If you are acquainted with MS-DOS and want to modify the program to meet your specific needs, the Advanced Manual contains information on how to do so. Menus are used to access all areas of the program. When in the program, you can read the manual at any time by simultaneously pressing the <Alt> key and the "H" key. One of the most powerful features of the program is its ability to analyze student grades in a variety of ways. The tutorials and additional material in Chapter IV will enable you to examine both individual and group performance using several different methods of data analysis. The calculations generated by VAR Grade will give you a great deal of information helpful in assigning final grades. Both you and your students will benefit from this data, since you can identify clearly how the student is performing relative to the rest of the class, and also evaluate the student's work on different assignments. The program also allows you to generate clear and attractive graphics, which will answer the question "why did I get this grade?" in more detail than most students will need. The program can be used for both grades and attendance. You may grade with either letter or number grades, and you can use any combination of letter and number grades. You can change the points of any assignment or score at any time. You can also use many different types of pre-defined assignments (tasks), including ones that are the sums, averages, and weights of other tasks. Any task 6 Introduction or combination of tasks can be plotted, correlated, and analyzed statistically. Attendance for your classes can be recorded. Individual student scores can be printed or scores for each section of the class can be printed. You can control page length, margins, and type size when printing the data. The program has also been designed to be as immune as possible from errors on your part. The program checks for reasonable task scores, will not easily let you exit the program without saving your data, and will check to ensure that the data sent to a disk was actually written before letting you exit from the program. It will also prevent accidental deletions of your files by making them read-only files (which you cannot delete with the DOS "del" or "erase" commands). You can also protect your grades from prying eyes by requiring a password before allowing access to your data. The program has been in use for several years, and has undergone constant improvements and corrections. However, suggestions are always welcome for additions, deletions, or improvements to the program. Please send comments! Most of the recent changes in the program were suggested by people using this program. A. Program features An unlimited number of students, tasks, and classes of students are allowed by VAR Grade. Only the amount of memory in your computer limits these. 1. Beginner vs. advanced modes When you first start the program, you will be in "beginner" mode. This mode lacks many of the options of the "advanced" mode. Switching between the two modes is done quite easily on the Main Menu. Since the beginner mode has fewer options, it is easier to learn and use. However, to unleash the full power of the program, you will need to move to the advanced mode. Those features only in the advanced mode are listed in this manual with an (AM). 2. Entering the students You can enter the students either by entering their names directly into the program, or by telling the program to use a file of names for the students (AM). You can enter both names and IDs for the students. Printouts can print one or both of these. 7 You can sort and list students several ways, including by names, IDs, sections, and task scores. You can display and print students by their names and/or their IDs. 3. Sections The number of sections is initially set at 1 when you first start a new class. For elementary schools, that is probably all that you will need. For secondary schools and colleges, several sections of the same class are frequently taught by one instructor. There is a limit of 254 different sections of students in the class. Students can be printed, plotted, or analyzed in any combination of sections. 4. Tasks Tasks include, but are not limited to, assignments. Regular tasks include exams, tests, homework, papers, quizzes, and any other assignment. Special tasks are not assignments, but rather mathematical manipulations of other tasks. Below is a quick overview of both kinds of tasks. For more information, see the Advanced Manual. Besides defining tasks, you can use a variety of tools to analyze or modify the tasks after they have been defined. (a) Regular tasks There are eleven different types of tasks allowed. Two of them correspond to ordinary number and letter grades. (i) Number tasks are ones in which the scores are numbers. (ii) Letter tasks are ones in which the scores are letters, like A, B-, or C+. (iii) Extra credit tasks are ones where the points can be added to a number task, but the total points of the number task are not altered. Extra credit tasks are treated in special ways by the program. The special tasks, listed below, count extra credit as 0 total points. (b) Special tasks The second type of tasks are called Special tasks. Special tasks are sums, averages, highest, percentages, etc., of other tasks. You do not enter scores into special tasks. Instead, you pick the tasks to be counted in the sum (or average, percentage, highest, etc.) of other tasks. The 8 Introduction program then calculates the scores for you. These scores will be recalculated each time you change student scores. (i) Sum tasks These are tasks that are the sums of other tasks. Tasks that are not yet entered can be included in the list of tasks that will be summed. When the tasks are then defined, they will be included in the sums. (ii) Averaged tasks These are tasks that are the average of other tasks. If you use letter grades, the averages are averages of the point values of the letters, otherwise they are the numerical average of the scores. Any scores that have not yet been entered are not averaged, so the averages reflect only those tasks for which the student has scores. (iii) Percentage tasks These are tasks that average scores, then convert those averages to percentages. Like averaged tasks, any scores that have not yet been entered are not used in the calculations. (iv) Highest tasks (AM) These are tasks that sum the scores of other tasks, then the lowest one or more scores are discarded ("throw out the lowest of several scores"). The program will find the lowest of a set of scores and add up only the remaining ones. Scores that are unentered are discarded first, then the lowest that have been entered are discarded. (v) Weighted tasks (AM) You can define a task as the sum of other tasks, each worth a certain weight of the final grade. (vi) Attendance tasks (AM) Attendance can be given values. These values can then be used to calculate a score that can be used like the other special tasks. 9 (vii) Attendance extra credit tasks (AM) These are defined like the attendance tasks, except that, like the regular extra credit task, they are treated special ways by special tasks--as having 0 total points. (viii) Final tasks (AM) You can define a task as a final task. Letter grades are assigned to this task based upon student scores and grade cutoffs specified by you. 5. Attendance and seating You can use VAR Grade to record attendance for your class. There can be up to 240 days of attendance, with several different types of attendance (present, absent, late, etc.). Seating charts can be made, printed out, and used for recording attendance. 6. Database items (AM) Besides names and IDs, you can enter up to 200 different database items per student. Database items can be numbers, memos, strings, booleans (yes/no), etc. They can represent addresses, comments, sex, age, year in school, birthdates, etc. 7. Entering data Scores and attendance can be entered spreadsheet style. Students and their data are listed either by individual students or by the whole class. Data entry is checked for valid input, so no scores can be entered if they have more than the allowed points. The program also includes an "inline" calculator for adding up scores that are to be entered. 8. Writing the scores You can print the scores of one student OR you can print the scores for an entire class or combination of sections of the class. After choosing which way to write out the scores, you can choose the printer, page size, type size, and if the data should be written to the screen, or also to a disk file or a printer. The program allows a great deal of flexibility in how you print student data. The program also allows you write your own "report forms" so that you can print the scores just about any way you want (this feature is only in the advanced 10 Introduction mode). You can then change anything printed by the program. In other words, if you don't like the way the program prints things, you can probably change it. 9. Plotting the scores You can plot and graph the scores of any task that you choose. If you grade with numbers, you can choose the low and high scores to plot. In advanced mode, you can plot all the scores for one student. You can correlate scores on two tasks. The scores will be plotted against each other and the correlation coefficients calculated. You can also plot the class scores for any task or set of tasks. Ranges, means, medians, and standard deviations are calculated and plotted. All the plots can be displayed and printed using a variety of fonts. 10. Define a grading system You can pick just about any grading system you want, simply by renaming the grades and changing their values. You can also use the program to automatically assign grades according to your own grading scale. 11. Statistics & assigning grades At the end of a semester, you can assign grades and have the grades and grade cutoffs neatly printed. If you use number grades, you can weight exams by adding or multiplying the current scores by a number. You can calculate statistics on tasks and adjust the final grades. You can even calculate what students need to get particular grades (what-ifs). 12. Printers For printing student scores, you can use any printer. In order to be able to print graphs and plots, you need to specify your printer(s) during installation. VAR Grade support most printers. You can print in pica, elite, and compressed characters. Graphs are printed at the resolution of your printer. 13. Passwords If your computer is accessible to others, you can prevent people from accessing the student data by using a password. 11 The password can be up to 15 characters long, and can include spaces and punctuation marks. 14. Other program features There are many additional features in the program. Among them are (a) the colors used by the program can be changed, (b) the number of lines and characters on a screen and on a printed page can be specified, (c) the number of decimal places to use can be specified, (d) whether to round or truncate scores can be chosen, and (e) macros can be specified for repetitive typing, and much more. 15. International support You can define your own grading system, dates, and translate all program output into your language of choice. You can even write your own report forms. B. Conventions used in this manual Names of files and programs are printed in UPPERCASE letters. Warnings and notes are printed in italics. Examples of what to type are in double quotes: "TYPE THIS". MS-DOS prompts are usually listed as: A>. Anything after the prompt should be typed. Example: A> GRADE The prompt is A>, and you should type "GRADE". Special keys are those that do not print normal characters. They are designated in the manual and program by bracketing the key name with "<" and ">". Example: <Esc> means the Escape key, <Rtn> means the Return or Enter key. C. Sample classes To look at the capabilities of VAR Grade, four sample classes called GSample, A, B, and C have been included. Many of the features of the program have been used for these classes. To view them, type "GRADE GSAMPLE", "GRADE A", "GRADE B", or "GRADE C". These classes are also used for tutorials and figures in the manual. 12 Requirements II. REQUIREMENTS A. Hardware 1. This program will run on an IBM PC or compatible computer. 2. It requires MS-DOS 2.0 or later. 3. It requires at least 410,000 bytes of free memory (memory LEFT after DOS and memory resident programs are running). If you have 512K memory or greater in your computer you should have no problem running VAR Grade. 4. One drive of 720K or more. A hard disk is highly recommended. 5. The program can run using either a monochrome or a color monitor. To see graphs and plots, you need a display adapter that can display graphics (e.g., Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA, and others). If you want to print graphs and plots, a dot matrix, ink jet, or laser printer is required. Grades and attendance can be printed on any printer. B. Versions The standard version of this program allows you to have up to 16,000 students in up to 254 sections or groups per class, up to 2,000 tasks per class, 240 attendance days per class, 200 database items per class, and an unlimited number of classes. In reality, the limitations are due to available memory. In addition to regular memory VAR Grade takes advantage of any EMS and XMS memory that your computer has. EMS and XMS memory is memory above 640K. The program also automatically uses math coprocessor chips (80x87 math chips). Should you desire "custom" versions of this program, they are also available. When you register your current version, should you desire a custom version, indicate so and we will try to meet your requirements. C. Networks This version will run on networks (LAN). It will not, however, take advantage of special features of the networks, such as interactive mail or print queues. There are options, discussed in the Advanced Manual, that explain how to set up for a LAN. 13 III. INSTALLATION OF VAR GRADE VAR Grade can be installed onto either a hard (fixed) disk or onto floppy (removable) disks. The program INSTALL will automatically install VAR Grade. You will need to answer some questions and follow the instructions, but will not have to worry about which files are needed. If you prefer to install the program yourself, directions are given below in Section B. A. Using INSTALL To install the program, you can run the program INSTALL. Follow the instructions below. INSTALL will not modify any existing files on your computer, except, if you have a previous version of VAR Grade, it will replace some of the old program files. 1. Put Disk #1 (the "Program" disk) into a drive. It can be in any drive. For the instructions below, it is assumed that the disk is in drive A. If you use drive B, or any other drive, replace the "A:" in the instructions with "B:" (or "d:", where "d" is the letter of the drive). 2. You will need two blank formatted 720K 3 1/2" disks, or 1.2 megabytes of free disk space on any larger disks. If the disks are not formatted or not empty, they can be formatted during the installation. NOTE: The program uses the MS-DOS format command for formatting, and will only format disks of 1.44 Megabytes capacity or less. If you are installing onto floppy disks, put one into the drive. 3. Type "A:INSTALL". An opening screen will appear, explaining the hardware requirements of VAR Grade and how to use the installation program. If you have a monochrome monitor and the screen is hard to read, you may need to type "A:INSTALL/b" to force the program into black and white mode. This may be required for some monochrome boards, as these boards sometimes tell programs (erroneously) that they are color boards. "A:INSTALL/c" will force the program into color mode. 4. You can exit the installation program at any time by pressing the "Ctrl" and the "C" keys simultaneously (<CtrlC>). If the program has not completely installed VAR Grade, it will not run correctly, and you may have to redo the installation. 14 Installation 5. After pressing a key, you will be asked whether to install the whole program, parts of the program, or whether to print the README.DOC or manuals. Choose to install all the program installation (option "A"). 6. You will then be asked where to put the program. INSTALL will probably suggest the directory "\VARGRADE", but you can specify any drive or directory. To type in a new directory or drive, just type in a new name. For example, to change it to drive A, type "a:". After you have specified the directories and drives to place the program, press <AltS>. 6. The program will now install the program. If it does not find the disks or ZIP files it needs, it will request them. If the disk you are installing to does not have enough room on it for the VAR Grade files, you will be asked what to do. There are three options: (a) You can format the disk. (b) You can tell the program to write the files to another disk, or (c) You can tell the program to write the disk anyway. Choose option c if you have changed to a new disk or if you are installing VAR Grade over a previous version of the program. If a previous version of the program is present, the installation program will ask if the existing files should be replaced (overwritten). Note that you will only be asked this once: if you say yes, all the duplicate files will be replaced. NOTE: INSTALL does not delete all the old VAR Grade files, but does replace those that have the same name as the new files. During the installation, the program will ask you to pick your printer. To do this, you will need to know the name and model number of your printer, and if it emulates any other printers. Most dot matrix printers emulate the Epson FX printer. Most laser printers emulate the HP LaserJet printer. Use the <Arrow>, <Page up>, and <Page down> keys to traverse the list and find your printer(s). Then press <Rtn> to select it. You can repeat this process until you have picked up to 5 printers. When you have picked all your printers, press <AltS>. 7. You will return to the screen that asks whether to install the whole program, or just part of it. If desired, you can print the documentation from this screen. Press <Esc> or "X" when you are finished. 15 8. When the installation has been completed, a message will be displayed explaining how to label the disks and how to start VAR Grade. 9. If you install onto floppy disks, when you run VAR Grade, the disk containing the overlays (GRADE.OVR) must be in the drive at all times. Part of the program is in "overlays", which means that some of the program is on the disk and is read into the program only when needed. NOTE: If you have removed the overlay disk, the program will print a message asking you to reinsert the overlay disk, as it needs the overlay file to continue. Also, do not move the disk with the overlays from one drive to another. It must always be in the same drive. B. Installation without INSTALL To install the program without INSTALL, you need to follow the instructions found in the Advanced Manual. In general, you need: 1. Up to 1.2 megabytes of disk space, including at least one 720K drive, and the program PKUNZIP (available either on BBS systems or from disk vendors). 2. To know you video adapter (Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA). 3. To know the type of printer you have. 16 First Use IV. FIRST USE OF VAR GRADE In general, you move around the program by choosing options on menus. The "Main Menu" is the menu that appears after specifying a class name. If you choose one of the options on the Main Menu, the program goes to another set of menus ("secondary menus"), etc. Below is a short description of how to enter data for a new class, as well as a list of some of the features of the program. A. Starting the program 1. Type "GRADE" when in DOS (i.e., at the prompt: A> ). If you have a monochrome monitor, you may have to type "GRADE/B". 2. The opening screen will appear. It identifies the program, and shows a list of classes. If you have a mouse attached, a colored block will appear in the center of the screen--that is the mouse cursor. 3. You will then be asked for the name of a class. A class will be highlighted on the screen. Press <Rtn> to select that class, or use the arrow keys to move the highlight to a new class before pressing <Rtn>. To use any class not listed on the screen, type the name and press <Rtn>. If the program cannot find the class, it will make a new class with that name. Class names can be corrected with the <Backspace> key. After a class has been selected, the Main Menu then appears. This chapter will describe both how to start a new class and how to use the class supplied with the program. The tutorials assume that you installed the entire program (including the sample classes), and that you are in the beginner mode. B. Using an existing class: tutorial Start the program as in Section A, above. Next, you will see four classes highlighted, GSample, A, B, and C. Move the highlight to GSample with the arrow keys, and press <Rtn>. If you have a mouse, you could also select GSample by moving the mouse cursor to it, and then pressing the left mouse button. VAR Grade will now read the students into the program. A menu will appear. This menu is called the Main Menu. On it are several options. These options are separated into four categories. First, there are several options involved with entering data. Second, there are options regarding analyzing the 17 student data. Third, there are other options, such as changing how parts of the program work, seeing the help screens, and running other programs. Last, there are options for leaving the class and program. You can use the arrow keys to move the highlight to a different menu choice. To pick a choice, either move the highlight to the desired choice, then press <Rtn>, or just press the key shown on the left side of the option. If you have a mouse, you can move the mouse cursor to the desired choice, then press the <left button>. 1. Entering data Press "D" on the Main Menu. You will see a list of students in the class and scores for several of the tasks that have been defined. You can use the arrow keys on the keypad to move around the class, or a mouse. If you have a mouse, and there are more students or tasks than fit on one screen, mouse bars are shown on the right and/or bottom of the screen. (a) Names Use the <Dn Arrow> to move to the second name, "Bimson, Keith". The cursor will be at the end of the name. Press the <Backspace> key. Next press an "s". The name will now read "Bimson, Keits". (b) Number tasks Move down one name to "Crick, Francis". Now move right four cells to the number "85.0". If you look to the top of that column, it will say that it is task #3, with the name "Number 2". The cursor will be at the end of the number. Type an "86". The number should read "86". Notice that, when you typed the "8", the previous score disappeared. When you move to a cell, and, for a first keystroke, type a regular character (letter or number), the data in the cell will disappear. If the first key you type is a <Backspace>, function key, cursor key, or <Alt> key, the previous data is not cleared. NOTE: If you accidentally type a number, and decide that you want the old one back, press <AltU> (undo) before leaving that cell. This returns the cell to its original value. Move down one cell with the down arrow. Notice the 86 stays in the previous cell. You do not have to type a <Rtn> to signal the end of input; just moving to another cell with the cursor keys is sufficient. 18 First Use NOTE: Scores higher than the allowed points for a task will not be accepted. A beep or noise will tell you this has happened. If you are entering scores from a test, you can use VAR Grade to add up the scores on the test. Move to the cell where "86" was entered, above. Now, type "+". You will see a tiny window pop up. It will have the 86 on the left, then a +, and is waiting for another number. Type "5", then "=". The tiny window will disappear and "91" will appear in the cell. This is the inline calculator. It pops up any time that you type in a +, -, /, * (multiply), or =, and can be used like any other simple calculator. (c) Letter tasks Now move to the name "Darwin, Charles". Move right three cells, to a "B". This is under the column header task #2: "Lette". The "Lette" is the first five letters of "Letter 2", the name of task #2. Only the first few letters of each task name is shown (to show all the letters takes too much screen space). To change the task score, use the <Backspace> key to delete the B, then put in a new grade, from A to F. Notice that if you type any letters other than A to F, they will be ignored by the program, as the only letters that are in letter grades are accepted. You may enter a + or - after the first letter, if needed. (d) Scrolling to the right From "Darwin, Charles", task #2, move right four cells with the right arrow key. Notice that when you moved to the third cell, the screen shifted. The names are still listed on the left, but a slightly different set of tasks is shown. If you want, you can change the score as above. If you have a mouse, you can scroll to the right by moving to the bottom line, then pressing the <Left button> on the right arrow. Pressing the <Left button> on the stippled arrow moves the cursor to that relative position in the tasks. (e) Scrolling down Just as in the previous example, you can also scroll down. This time you will see more names. Use the down arrow on the keypad to go all the way to "Watson, Jim": the last person in the class. Notice that the screen shifts as you do so. You can scroll through the students and tasks until 19 you find the data you want to change. If you scroll down one more time, you will be back at the beginning of the class. You can scroll the names down with a mouse by moving to the right side of the screen, then pressing the down arrow. (f) Changing which data is displayed To change which data is listed on the screen, press <AltC>. You will see the "Items to List", which asks whether to display the name or ID. A "Y" means yes, an "N" means no. They are both set to "Y", so both are displayed. Move down one cell to the ID, then choose "N". The ID will no longer be displayed. Press <AltS> to leave this menu. If there had been more than one section of students in this class, you would have been asked whether to display section numbers. In GSample, there is only one section of students. In advanced mode, you would be asked, on this list, which database items to display. Next, you are asked which tasks to display. The list at the top of the screen is all the tasks that have been defined that accept input (letter, number, or extra credit tasks). Type "1 3:2 ", then <Rtn> (or "1<Rtn>3:2<Rtn><Rtn>" also works). You have told the program to list tasks 1, 3, and then 2 on the screen, in that order. You can display any regular tasks (number, letter, or extra credit), in any order. If you have a mouse, you could have picked the tasks by moving the cursor to the task, then pressing the <Left button>. The task number where the mouse cursor was located appears below. You now see the names and task scores for tasks 1, 3, and 2. You could now alter the data, if you wished. (g) Adding a new input task You can add a new task by pressing <AltT>. Move to the second task column (task #3). Now, press <AltT>. You will see a list of all the tasks, and the Define Task Menu that allows you to define number, letter, or extra credit tasks. Press "N". You are then asked for the new number. You can enter any number. For example, type in "5", then <Rtn>. Since task 5 is already defined, you are asked whether to 20 First Use replace the old task, insert the new task before task 5, or to exit without defining a task. Pick "I". You are now asked for the task name. Notice that, above, tasks 5 and 6 both look like the same task. You are asked for the new name, with "Number 3" suggested as the new name. Delete the name with <F10>. Now, type in "Number 4", and <Rtn>. Next, you are asked for the total points for the task. The program uses the total points for calculations, and for checking data input. Press <Rtn> (which causes the 100 to be accepted as the total points for the task). You now return to the Define Task Menu. You could define as many tasks as you want here. However, for the tutorial, press "X". The new task is listed just after the one where the cursor was. You could enter data, if you had test scores. (h) Exiting To leave this part of the program, type an <AltS>. The data you changed is saved into memory. It isn't saved to disk unless you press "S" on the Main Menu or exit the program. 2. Analyzing grades We can see a plot of the scores on task #1 by pressing "P" when we are on the Main Menu. A list of all the tasks is shown, and you are asked which task to plot. Type in a "1", then a <Rtn>. The program automatically determines the high and low scores for the plot. If you want to pick your own high and low scores, you need to go to the "O" (Option) part of the Main Menu (see the Advanced Manual). You next see a menu, the Print Menu, that will list several options, such as printing to a printer, disk file, etc. Just press "S" (screen only). The plot is displayed. The mean, median, and mode are shown, along with +1 and -1 standard deviations from the mean. At the bottom right of the screen is a message: "Press any key to continue." When you are through looking at the plot, press any key on the keyboard. You will return to the Main Menu. The advanced mode offers many more options. 3. Writing scores If you want to list some of the task scores of the class on the screen, press a "W" when on the Main Menu. You will see another menu, the Write Data Menu. To print out grades for 21 all the students in the class, press an "S". You can then choose to display task scores, attendance, or an attendance summary. Pick "T", task scores. You are then asked for the list of tasks to display. Type "<F1>", then <Rtn>. You have just told the program to list all the tasks in the class. <F1> is used frequently in the program to designate "all of the above". Next, you are asked if you want to display the student names, and/or IDs. Press "B" to display both. Last, you will see the Print Menu. Press "S" on the Print Menu to see the scores. The first screen shows a list of all the tasks, the points that are possible, and part of the class. The listing will stop after every screenful of students. When the screen stops, press a key to see some more data. Since only 7 of the tasks fit on the first listing, the program will repeat with tasks 8 through 14, and 15 through 16. When you have seen all the scores, the Write Data Menu will appear again. Press "X" or <Esc> to go back to the Main Menu. 4. Defining Special tasks; Press "T" on the Main Menu. You will see the Define Task Menu, with several different options. We can define three different special tasks, averages ("A"), percentages ("P"), and sums ("S"). In the list of tasks, there is a column labeled "Type". This is the letter used to define the task type. Task #1 is "N" (number), task #2 is "L" (letter), etc. If you want to define an average, you type an "A". The program asks for the number of the new task. Type a "16", then <Rtn>. The program then asks for the name of the task. Type "New average", then <Rtn>. The program then asks for the tasks to average. Type in "1 3 5 ", then <Rtn>. You are now asked if this is correct. Type "Y". You are now back at the Define Task Menu, except that task #16 is listed. Sum and percent tasks are done the same way. In the advanced mode, several other special tasks are available, including weights, attendance, and discarding the lowest of a group of tasks. 5. Quitting the program Press "Q" on the Main Menu to leave the class. Since we changed some of the data, the program will ask you if you want to save the data before exiting. Press "N" (don't save the data). 22 First Use C. Starting a new class To start a new class, start the program as in section A, by typing "GRADE". This time, instead of moving to a class and pressing <Rtn>, type in a name of a new class (one not listed-- like "Math"). The Main Menu will then appear. At the bottom left of the screen is listed the words "New class". 1. First, if there are more than one section of students in your new class, you will need to increase the number of sections. You can have up to 254 sections of students in each class. Press "O" when on the Main Menu. On the second menu, press "S" (change the number of sections). Type in the new number, then <Rtn>. Then exit back to the Main Menu by pressing "X" or <Esc>. If you have several classes that use the same tasks and turn in the same assignments, calling them different "sections" of the same class lets you easily compare them. The program allows printing and statistics of each section separately, or of all of them. 2. Next, you want to enter the names of the students. Enter the names by pressing "N" on the Main Menu. There are two choices. You can type in only names ("N") or type in names and IDs ("I"). The advanced mode also allows input from text files. Names, IDs, and sections of students can be changed at any time. After you choose "N" or "I", you will be asked for the section in which to add students. If you are typing in the names, just type in the names (ending each name with <Rtn>). If you are also typing in IDs, type them the second column. If a name was entered incorrectly, you can change it by using the cursor keys to move back to it, then changing it. When you have finished entering names, press <AltS>. By default, names have up to 20 characters, and IDs 15. These sizes can be changed in the advanced mode. Example: If you are on the Main Menu, type an "N", then "N" again. The program will ask for the section number. Type in "1", then <Rtn>. You can now type in names, ending each with a <Rtn>. If you misspelled a name, but did not notice until you were on the next name, press <Up Arrow> to move to the previous name. Retype it in correctly. After the last name has been entered, press an <AltS>, and an <Esc> when the program asks for the section number. NOTE: The program can sort the names alphabetically. If the names are entered last name first, they will be sorted by last name. If they are entered with the first name first, they will be sorted by first names. The program will check 23 for duplicate names, so you cannot put the same name into the same section twice. In the advanced mode, you can print the names "flipped", where the last and first names are reversed, or with first names, only. 3. Tasks are assignments for students. They can be exams, tests, homework, projects, etc. If you have task scores to enter into the program, press "T" when on the Main Menu to define the new assignments. Initially, no tasks are listed. VAR Grade requires you to define a task before you can enter data into it. This is like most database programs, but unlike spreadsheet programs. Making you define the tasks saves memory and ensures correct calculations of grades. The Define Task Menu is shown. To define a task, you first choose a task type. You are then asked the name and, if it is a number or extra credit task, the total points. You can continue to define as many tasks as you like. There are six types of tasks that can be defined in the beginning mode, eleven different types in the advanced mode. You must define a task before you can enter task scores for it. Note that if you are grading with numbers, scores cannot be entered that are higher than the total points of the task (NOTE: you can change this. See the Advanced Manual). If you are using letter grades, only letters defined by you can be used (the "default" grades are A to F, with + and - grades, but these also can be changed). Example: Press "N" to define a number task. Type in a "1", then <Rtn>. You are then asked for the name of the task. Type "New". You are then asked for the total points. If you want it to be worth 100 points, just type a <Rtn>, otherwise, type in a new number, then <Rtn>. For tasks worth 100 points, it is easier to use the <F1> key to pick the next task, and give it 100 points. You only need to type in the name of the task. 4. Next, you can enter the scores. You may enter scores for multiple tasks or for only one. You can enter the scores "by individual" ("I" on the Main Menu), or "by section" ("D" on the Main Menu). "By individual" lists all the tasks for one student, while "by section" or class lists for every student in the class only those tasks that you have chosen. With either method, the program lists the students in order. You can use the cursor keys (up, down, etc.) to move to a new task or student. Pressing <Rtn> will cause the program to move to the next task, while using the cursor keys will move you up, 24 First Use down, or over to new tasks. Use <AltC> to pick new tasks to put into the columns. NOTE: The program can switch between "using" or "not using" edit keys. Using edit keys will let you use the left and right arrow keys to move between the letters in a cell. If you are "using" edit keys, you move between students with <Ctrl>-cursor keys, as the left and right arrow keys move only within the cell. Pressing <CtrlE> when entering data will change back and forth between "using" to "not using" edit keys. 5. When you are finished entering data, press <AltS> to exit the section and save the data to memory. Next, when on the Main Menu, type an "S" to save the data to a disk file. The program will ask for the class name. Most of the time, you will just type <Rtn>. If you want to change the name of the class or the directory in which it is located, you can do so before pressing <Rtn>. D. Entering data In general, if the program asks you to "enter" data, end it with "<Rtn>" or a cursor key, and when you are asked to "press" a key, only one key needs to be pressed (no <Rtn>). 1. Menu choices The program accepts as input only the keys listed on the menu, and will respond to the key when it is pressed. When you are asked for a menu choice, to select it you can (a) press the key, OR (b) use the cursor keys to pick the correct choice and press the Return or Enter key, OR (c) use a mouse to select the choice and press the left mouse button. 2. Entering numbers When you type numbers in, you must press the return key (<Rtn>) or, a cursor key (arrow, page up and down, etc.) to signal the end of your data. A <Rtn> alone, with no number, tells the program: (a) do not change the current value; OR (b) end current input of the number; OR (c) let the program choose the appropriate number. 25 Which possibility (a, b, or c) that the program will use is stated when the data is requested. 3. Selecting and entering names When you enter words or names, you must press either the return key (<Rtn>) or a cursor key (arrow, page up and down, etc.) to signal the end of your data. When names of classes or students are listed on the screen, the cursor keys can be used to select the student or class name. Select the desired name with the cursor keys, then press <Rtn>. E. If you are lost or want to leave a section of the program If you are lost, or want to return to the Main Menu, you can usually reach it by repeatedly pressing the <Esc> key. The <Esc> key can also be used to exit a section of the program that you don't want to be in. F. Starting another class Elementary school teachers teach several different subjects to the same students. It is convenient to keep grades for each of the subjects in different classes. VAR Grade has features that allow you to combine and separate the subjects. To write the current students to a new class, pick option "W" on the Main Menu. Then, type "V". You will be asked for the name of the new class. Type it in. The current students, including names, IDs, and section numbers will be written to a new class. Task scores will not be written. To write out scores for more than one subject for a student, type "W" on the Main Menu, then "N". Next, pick a name of a student. You will be asked whether to display task scores, attendance (if it is being used), or "designate subjects to list". Pick "D". Shown is a list of up to ten subjects. You need to specify each one you want to use. When finished, type <AltS>. You will now return to the "Print by Name" Menu. If you print out task scores, you will display or print scores for each of the classes you chose, as well as the current class. G. Advanced mode Although some advanced features were mentioned in these tutorials, there are many other features as well. After you are familiar with the beginner's mode, you are strongly urged to type 26 First Use "B" on the Main Menu. This will put you into advanced mode. The Main Menu will look only a little different, but the other menus will have more significant changes. For example, if you type "P", for plots, there is now a large number of different plots you can try. You can change fonts, and so forth. Until you use the advanced mode, you haven't fully tried the power of VAR Grade. H. Exiting the program Normally, you exit the program by going through the Main Menu. To exit, pick the "Q" (quit the program) option. If any data has been changed since the last time the it was saved, the program will ask if you want the new changes to be saved. You can also exit from almost anywhere in the program by pressing Ctrl-C (the Control key and the "C" key simultaneously: <CtrlC>). Again, if student data has been changed, you will be prompted about saving it before leaving the program. I. Using a Mouse If you have a mouse, it is used by the program. The mouse cursor is a box, larger than a character, and is seen on the screen as having different colors than the surrounding text. Both two and three button mice are supported. NOTE: Mouse drivers over two years old may not work correctly: you should get a newer version from the manufacturer of the mouse. Button(s) Meaning <Left button> Select. If the button is pressed while the mouse cursor is at a menu choice, that choice will be selected. If the mouse cursor is at a number or name, the cursor will move to that place. If the mouse cursor is outside the current window, this will usually cause that window to close. If the mouse cursor is inside a window, but at no choice, number, or name, nothing Button(s) Meaning <Left button> (continued from previous page) will happen. If there is more information than can be seen on one screen, "mouse bars" will appear on the right and/or bottom of the current window. Pressing on these bars will move you the screen to a different part of that information. <Right button> Escape. This is equivalent to pressing the escape key. <Center button> [Three button mice, only.] Clear the name or number. Equivalent to pressing the <F10> key. 27 J. How Special Keys are Used These keys are not used in all parts of the program, but will be used in most parts. Other keys are also used, but these are listed on the screen when they can be used. Key Name of key Program Function <Esc> Escape Exit this program section. <Rtn> Return, Enter End of input. <PgUp> Page Up List previous screen. <PgDn> Page Down List next screen. <Home> Home Go to the first screen. <End> End Go to the last screen. <Tab> Tab Move to the next entry (cell). <ShftTab> Shift-Tab Move to the previous cell. <F1> Fn key 1 Use all choices, or select the next available choice. <F10> Fn Key 10 To delete the current entry. <AltH> Alt-H HELP--always available. <AltU> Alt-U Undo a cell when entering numbers or words. <AltV> Alt-V Run a designated program. <CtrlC> Ctrl C Exit from the program. If data has been changed, you will be asked whether it should be saved before exiting the program. <CtrlE> Ctrl E Switch between how the cursor keys work. <CtrlS> Ctrl S Stop writing to the printer or disk. K. How the Cursor Keys Work You have options as to how you want the cursor keys to work. If you don't redefine the functions of the keys, they work as follows: Key(s) Movement <Home>, <Ctrl-PgUp> Go to the first name or cell <End>, <Ctrl-PgDn> Go to the last name or cell <Pg Up> Go up one screen <Pg Dn> Go down one screen <Left Arr> Go left one cell or column <Right Arr> Go right one cell or column <Ctrl-Home> Go up one half column <Ctrl-End> Go down one half column <Up Arr> Go up one name or line <Down Arr> Go down one name or line <Ctrl-LtArr> Go left two columns <Ctrl-RtArr> Go right two columns <Backspace> Delete previous character 28 First Use You can switch between using or not using edit keys by pressing <Ctrl-E> (simultaneously press the "Ctrl" and "E" keys) anytime you are entering numbers or names (strings of characters). Furthermore, if you choose to use edit keys, you can use "insert" or "overstrike" modes. Just press the <Ins> key to switch between these modes. In insert mode, the characters are inserted at the position of the cursor, with the rest of the characters pushed to the right. In overstrike mode, the character typed replaces the one that was at the cursor. The cursor is fatter in the overstrike mode, so you can tell which mode you are in. If you "use" edit keys, by redefining their functions, you will be able to move left or right with the cursor keys: they will be acting as they would in a word processor. If you "use" the edit keys, they are redefined as below. Edit key(s) Movement <Home> Go to the first character of a cell. <End> Go to the last character of cell. <Left Arr> Go left one character in a cell. <Right Arr> Go right one character in a cell. <Ctrl-LtArr> Go left one name or cell. <Ctrl-Home> Go left four names or cells. <Ctrl-RtArr> Go right one name or cell. <Ctrl-End> Go right four names or cells. <Del> Delete the character at the cursor. <Ins> Switch between insert and overwrite. 29