Introduction
Working online
SM-Marks Online works differently with desktop markbooks that store markbooks in local or a network server. In SM-Marks Online every markbook has an owner. The owner is the user who created the markbook, either by importing or creating an new markbook and adding data to it. The owner is the only user who can:
- Share the markbook
- Delete the markbook
- Rename the markbook
- Use the File|Lock command
- Use the Edit|Lock results command
- Use the Edit|Preferences|Calculation methods command
- Set the password for the markbook
- Set the owner of a class
- Set the owner of the markbook
After creating or importing a markbook, it is only shown in the list of markbooks in the File, Open command when the owner (the user who made the markbook) is logged into SM-Marks Online. No other user can see the name or open the markbook until the owner shares the markbook with the relevant users.
Sharing a markbook
The File|Share command lists all the SM-Marks Online users at a school and any user you want to share the markbook with are added to the Share with list. Then the next time that other user checks the File, Open command your markbook will be listed and can be opened.
Setting the class owner
Each class in a markbook initially does not have an owner. Entering the teacher for the class provides a label for the class on screen and when printing, but does not have affect who can edit the results in the class. The Options|Set class owner command sets the user who is considered the owner of the class. After setting a class owner, only that user (and the owner of the markbook) can enter results into the class.
This command allows you to provide an extra level of security to a markbook to prevent accidental entering of information into the wrong class.
Changing the owner
If you create a markbook for another user, for example you are the import expert who makes all markbooks in a school, you are the owner of each markbook you make. But you can transfer the ownership to another user, for example the head teacher, with the Options|Set markbook owner command. The new owner can then set who to share the markbook with.
- The setting of the markbook owner only takes full effect when the markbook is closed. This means that you have temporary ownership of the markbook to do other administrative actions on the markbook, or change the owner again, until you close the markbook.
Limiting what other users do
Except for the list of actions above, other users you share a markbook with have full editing abilities, unless you choose to limit them with the File|Lock command or the Edit|Lock results command.
All other users who share the markbook are able to add and delete students and tasks. If you need to control this the File|Lock command limits these actions to only users who know the password for the markbook. When a markbook is first created the markbook password is not set, and so if you plan to lock the markbook you sets the password in the Options|Set markbook password command.
- Until a markbook password is set, only the owner of the markbook can do actions that normally prompt for a password.
For example, when the tasks are locked with the File|Lock command, a prompt appears for the markbook password to be entered if a user sharing the markbook tries to delete a task. Without the correct markbook password, the Action, Delete, Tasks command cannot be used.
- The markbook password should only be given to users who you specifically want avoid the limits that you have set for the other users sharing the markbook.
Edit Lock results command
Turning on the Tasks option in the File|Lock command does not prevents shared users from entering results into any of the tasks in a markbook. This means that there must be an element of trust when sharing a markbook users and you want them to enter results (for their assessments and exams, for example). This trust is required because if a user is allowed to enter results, you are assuming that they are entered correctly.
If there are results that you want to protect from accidental, or otherwise, changes, the Edit|Lock results command be used on specific tasks in the markbook.
- The information in a task with Locked results turned on, can only be altered by the owner of the markbook.
Editing time-outs
Opening a markbook in SM-Marks Online is different from opening a markbook in a desktop markbook. This is because the markbook is shared and you do not have unlimited access to the data in the markbook.
For example, when entering results in a task, you should first select the class you are working with. While you are entering results into that task no other user can enter results in that same task in that class. Other users can have the markbook open and can view the same class, or edit results in another task, but they cannot edit the same task as you. When you finish entering results and do something else, the task and class you were editing is "released" so other users are free to edit. You can enter results when All students are selected, but while you do this no other teacher can enter results into the same task in any class.
An important consideration is illustrated in the following scenario. A user opens a markbook at home, selects a task and starts to edit the results in it. While the results are edited other users are prevented from making any changes to the same results. Now, suppose the user who is editing leaves the computer without finishing by clicking on Save (or Cancel) and leaves the markbook open for the day. As long as any data is being edited, no other user can edit the same results for the rest of the day (or weekend). To prevent this problem, SM-Marks Online does the following.
- When a user starts editing in the markbook, a timer is set to make the editing session expire after 30 minutes.
What this means is that if a user starts editing and leaves the computer and does not click on the Save button before 30 minutes pass, then the editing "expires" and the class is available to be edited by any other user.
A consequence of this behaviour is that if you start editing a task in a markbook, then even if you have not finished you must click on the Save button before 30 minutes pass. You can then click on the Edit icon again to continue editing. If you do not click on Save before the 30 minutes pass you may still be able to save your changes, but it is not guaranteed, if another user has started editing in the same class. if that happens then you will lose any changes made since you last clicked Save.
- Click on the Save button when editing a column before 30 minutes to make sure your results are saved.
Login sessions
When you login to SM-Marks Online if you do not do any actions for more than 30 minutes, the login expires and you are automatically logged out of SM-Marks Online. This is done so a user who stops using SM-Marks Online without logging out cannot leave a markbook open for an unlimited amount of time.
- Every time you do an action in SM-Marks Online your login session is refreshed, and the login is valid for a further 30 minutes.
It is recommended that you consciously logout of SM-Marks Online when you are finished with it, and close a markbook when you have finished with it.