Exams - WordPad

[IcedBreeze]

Hi guys,

 

Currently for exams we're using Microsoft Word with all proofing disabled for Exams, however it requires a manual set-up each time.

 

Would it be best to use WordPad instead, is there anything I need to look out for or can WordPad just be opened and used right away?

 

It seems ok to me but I don't know if I'm missing something, there is no proofing in Word Pad right? No way the user can get around it?

 

Many thanks for your help.

[mjk]

We use abiword because it is easy to install without a spell-checker.

It also autosaves which is important for exams.

[howartp]

We use Wordpad with no problems.

 

The rest of the account is locked down to stop them using word or Internet etc, but nothing is modified in Wordpad

[RichCowell]

We've always used Wordpad too, it's worked here, but I'm intrigued about @mjk's suggestion of ablword, so going to investigate that for the next lot of exams.

[RLR]

We use WordPad too. Just put a shortcut on their desktop for the exam accounts.

[rush_tech]

We use wordpad, opens on login and it's the open program that they can run locked down by GPO.

[mjk]

We've always used Wordpad too, it's worked here, but I'm intrigued about @mjk's suggestion of ablword, so going to investigate that for the next lot of exams.

 

We did use wordpad, but a couple of years back we had some issues with nervous students logging out without saving. It caused some major headaches rescuing the work and we decided that we needed an autosave feature. Abiword fitted the bill.

[rush_tech]

We just print the work when they are done and keep a word pad template in the home directory for the next time.

[RLR]

The autosave sounds goods. We had an issue earlier on this week where we had 2 power cuts within 30minutes of each other and a student lost all her work both times. They are told to save regularly but they don't listen.

[mjk]

We just print the work when they are done and keep a word pad template in the home directory for the next time.

 

We have an issue with using follow me type printers on exam accounts. We don't have printers in every room, just dotted around the school.

So the upshot is that students can't print in exams and we get the exam department to pull off all the files and print in one go. If the kids save their work that is.

[mrbios]

Using Notepad++ with all the settings disabled (config files easily deployed to devices via GPP) and an autosave plugin which automatically saves their work to the network every 1 minute to avoid any loss of work through hardware issues. (They do it on laptops, so i don't trust them)

 

Each laptop, of which we have 22, has a folder of it's own in a hidden network share, each laptop autosaves to its own folder so no one ever see's another persons work. Laptops are also locked down so that nothing but notepad++ and printing works.

 

Works really well

[IcedBreeze]

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments, they're helpful!

[SteveSaywell]

This might help, allows you to use Word with restrictions in place via GPO

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/office-software/150363-office-word-2010-2013-disable-spell-check-student-exams.html

 

Used WordPad before but using word has been so much better this year, also allows header & footer which WordPad doesn't

[caffrey]

I set the shell to wordpad.exe instead of explorer.exe

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\Shell

 

But I like the sound of the autosave editors, the laptops we use are 12 years old and the batteries are dead - I cringe that the kids are using them...

[SteveB_NI]

I use Wordpad here too but as there are no batteries in the laptops auto save would be handy so will look at other suggestions.

 

Saying that though I was asked to set up about 10 laptops for this exam period - all barely used if at all. But no one will admit that here of course!

[nickbro]

We use Word, just change the permissions on the Proofing folder to block the dictionaries from the exam users. Laptops are used, batteries are a bit iffy in them as they are 6 year old devices, have a total of 15 used during exam season, including 2 which are stand alone devices for use at the exam hall off site.

[pastymaster]

Wordpad here as well that we normally get saving to an SD card in-case of a machine failure. It's worked well so far (touch wood) but I'll look into ablword as the autosave feature would certainly be a bonus.

[ass17]

We're are wordpad and media player (for use in language listening exams). Heavily tied down GPO for exams account. No icons apart from stated above.

[JoeFulford]

I use WordPad here for my exams. I use separate exam accounts that are locked down. I usually go and log the accounts on, automatically opens WordPad and just save the document in each of their areas. I'm going to look into MJK's suggestion however as the auto-save features would be great for us.