Import complex data

Hi,

Have just downloaded the app to trial it in school, and I want to know if it is possible to import more complex models into the gradebook? The picture attached gives a flavour of what we need.

Basically, I have a preset series of columns that I need for each group, and dont want to have to make them manually for each one.

Ideally I would want to import the various column header and their subheaders into a tab called Unit 1, and then another set of different headers into another tab called Unit 2 and so on...

It would also be nice to be able to set up the editors so that I can use ticks and crosses for the different bits of work, and Pass/Merit/Distinction for the overall marks.

Lastly, is there an easier way of putting in ticks and crosses into the cells? A simple tap to toggle between tick/cross/empty would be really useful!

Thanks in advance!

Dan

Welcome dansmith9,

About complex data:
I think what you need is the copy tab function (tap&hold on a tab, then copy). This allows you to copy a tab's structure into the same group , any other, or all of them at once.

It will keep the original tab's name, you can edit that name again with a tap&hold then Edit.

So, what I would do: Create an empty class called something like Reference, in which you hold your source tab's structures and then copy them at will to your target classes.

An additional option: If each class' tabs are exactly the same , you can even copy the whole reference class to a new one (from the chalkboard, tap&hold on a class, then copy)

We're preparing for our next major update a template like feature, where you save a class or tab as a template and then import it back where you want to (even to other iPads so you can share your setup), but for a "single" teacher the 'copy tab' I described should work as well.

About the editors:

You can actually select the quick attendance check as an editor (double tap on a column's header, then Editor) , which will behave almost like you need tick/cross toggle (to clear, tap&hold on a cell,then erase) . This has the 'small' inconvenience of tricking the app into thinking that the column holds actuall attendance info instead of something else and it will show up in the attendance summary.

Again, we'll improve those editors in our next major update, we gather all our user's feedback to make each update an impressive one!
Probably we'll add an editor that will allow you to select your icons and toggle between them. Still thinking about that...

Thanks for contacting us, if you feel something else has been left out, please let us know!

Hi, thanks replying - it was really helpful, and I think I am almost there.

Quick question about transferring the setup to another iPad in the current version. If I did a backup of my setup, copied that back to another iPad and restored from it, would it that restore work? Or is it locked down to specific iPads? I would try it myself, but dont have a second iPad to test it at the moment.

Secondly, I have made my template grade books now, and I think their massive size is causing a few issues when exporting. It might be to do with me using an original iPad and it not being able to handle the big files, but if I export to pdf, the app either crashes or produces an incomplete image like this:



I tried to make a report instead, but the long column titles I am using causes its own problems:



Is there an easy way to fix this?

Thanks!

Dan

Hi dansmith9,

That backup/restore you mention will work. It is not locked in any way to your iPad, you might get your iPad lost or broken ,and you'll still be able to restore your backup into a new device in no time.

About the attached PDF: It is due to a small delay in drawing all the conent of that page (it is intentional for compatibility with the iPad1), simply wait for about 3 or 4 seconds before doing that PDF and everything should work just fine.

About the report: I think it is due to larger than expected header/subheader, can't provide an easier fix than to shorten those texts. We're preparing a small update that will try improve this issue (probably shrinking the text size a bit...).

Thanks

PS: I've just increased the maximum size of attachments... you shouldn't have any trouble attaching normal sized images now!

Thats great - thanks. Need to learn not to rush the antique so much...

One last thing - are there any plans for being able to create reports for individual students? Something like the summary pane in the students details that can be exported and then given to individual students?

P.S. thanks for the image size increase - hopefully I wont need to use it too much now!

Absolutely, that report/e-mail will be in our next major update.

The list of improvements on each version is quite large (and sometimes overwhelming) and we're forced to leave some features out or we would never be able to deliver.

PS: About that iPad 1 ... it still is an amazing device, we do all our tests on the three iPad generations so that it works on them all.
The problem is now with the new iOS6 which does not support it... Our next updates will still support the iPad1 until our very last user moves forward to a new one.

Hi,

I have persuaded the department to buy into the software and we are all starting to use the trackers I created (on iPad 2's, so it is working much faster now than on my old iPad 1). It's all working really well, but I have just thought of one more thing to add to my wish list for the next update.

Would it be possible to make it so we could take the literally hundreds of attendance checks I have made for each class and convert them all at once into the new type of icon toggle editor you are planning? Even if it is done through an edit to the backup files in some way, or something similar.

I just had a horrible image of needing to manually change all those attendance checks by hand across 3 iPads and many, many classes...

Thanks!

Hi dansmith9,
iDoceo is consistent between updates, we take a lot of care in it.

An attendance check (or in fact any data contained in a cell) will always remain whatever editor you choose (in current or in future versions).

Nothing is implemented in new updates if it poses any kind of risk to previously inserted data...

Keep in mind that for example some users have 10 months old backups of data since iDoceo v1.0 and they are still able to restore them in the latest versions of the app!

Hope that addressed your question!
If something is still unclear just let us know