KS3 ICT Pilot

[browolf]

this program is soo gonna destroy networks, group policies, etc etc

[pshuttle]

I have been responsible for setting this up at our place. It has been pretty much hell! It seems that the postmaster password keeps getting corrupted for what seems like no reason on a fairly regular basis. RM say "it is a known issue".

 

Oh right thanks.....

 

Pete

 

PS Thats just the start of the issues.

[beeswax]

@overworked: "EDIT: Found the answer in the RM support page. Give tomcat write permission to the drive root."

 

Keep an eye on tomcat, and more especially postmaster. once I'd got past the registration part of the setup I had several problems not being able to log on to the APS. Discovered with the help of people here and RM that postmaster had stopped running. You then have to stop tomcat and restart postmaster followed by tomcat. always in that order. do this from cmd net stop "postmaster" (same for "tomcat") then net start "postmaster" (same again for "tomcat")

good luck

beeswax

[GrumbleDook]

The problem I am having is the import of student details ...

 

I have created the file as per instructions ... only to find the export from SIMS (using the PLASC information) is not liked by the APS.

 

It started with SEN ... they wanted the code and each field must be filled ... so the original answer was to but Y or N in ... except that this is wrong ... and so we find the proper codes.

 

First Language ... we have it as the word ... instead it must be a code, and that means ENG for English, OTH for other ... and so on ... and it seems that the only language that is important is English.

 

I then had to shuffle the order of the columns around ... subject and registration groups, first language and postcode.

 

and then it doesn't import the teaching sets and ILAs ...

 

I am not getting frustrated by this ... honest.

 

I haven't even rolled out the DPS yet ... and this is for Monday for evaluation by staff.

[broc]

That's easy...(been there, got the t-shirt...)

 

You need PLASC 05 format data , not 06. I hit this problem too. There is a utility (download from QCA site) to convert the PLASC file. If you go to the support site and search for PLASC2006Conversion.zip then you will find the answer.

 

Brian

[deanc]

OK Current problems on this:

 

failed to install due to disk quotas being enforced, no warnings just an error box with an ok button (yes i know it saya this in the manual but i had followed the instructions in the back to stop this)

 

get the school registration corrupt message and had to change the permissions on the root of c

 

the tests didnt seem to want to install via GP, god knows why, gave up in the end and did it manually

 

it failed to recognise the plasc file (2006) ended up doing it via csv

 

quite what will happen next wednesday when the kids want to start using it for the familiarisation materials.

 

Dean

[deanc]

OK Current problems on this:

 

failed to install due to disk quotas being enforced, no warnings just an error box with an ok button (yes i know it saya this in the manual but i had followed the instructions in the back to stop this)

 

get the school registration corrupt message and had to change the permissions on the root of c

 

the tests didnt seem to want to install via GP, god knows why, gave up in the end and did it manually

 

it failed to recognise the plasc file (2006) ended up doing it via csv

 

quite what will happen next wednesday when the kids want to start using it for the familiarisation materials.

 

Dean

[GrumbleDook]

OK ... had a good chat and prolonged online messages with the KS3 support team.

 

I now have the xml schema for the import file and have generated the correct file. I might even build this into a SIMS.net report, save it and send it to them.

 

I have also asked for a complete list of the codes for each field and I will post them on here with the schema once I have permission (after all, we are not meant to be having this discussion since the Non-Disclosure Agreement is still around .... I wasn't here ... you have never seen me before!)

[glensc]

NDA? Funny enough one of the teachers here mentioned that they'd heard there was such a thing with this.

 

I've not been asked to sign one, in order to install the software, so can only imagine that it applies to the contents of the tests and not the install and configuration procedure(s), which, if there were, would after all be counter productive to RMs aim, to get the thing rolled out to as many as possibly as easily as possible.

[GrumbleDook]

Whoever is the Main Contact is responsible for this ... it may be a member of the Manglement Team ... it may be your exams officer ... it may be your Head of ICT.

 

Because there is at least one public discussion group on the tests (run by BECTa) I have formerly asked if it is ok to continue discussing things ... irregardless of NDAs etc ...

 

It will be damned hard for them to say no. This is mainly so I can repost some of the solutions I have been given, including xml schema and descriptions of codes.

[GrumbleDook]

Just had a response ... "post away"

 

There are more resources available on the teachernet.gov.uk, and you no longer have to be signed on to the KS3 test to access the support knowledge base on the RM site, only an account on the site (which is free and easy to create)

 

Also, if anyone looks at the BECTa forum for the KS3 tests, can then repost queries in here and feed back on them too ... and vice versa.

 

Hmmm ... M$ were being helpful the other day .... RM are being helpful now ... Apple have moved over to Intel ...

 

Damn ... I have been transported to a parallel dimension.

 

Perhaps the Geeks shall inherit the Earth after all?

[OverWorked]

Urrgh...

 

I've successfully (as far as I can see) installed the APS, registered it, and the DPS on a couple of workstations.

 

I've just read the "setting up and managing users" chapter. It did my head in.

 

The DPS workstations keep reporting "Upload in progress. Please try again later", then if I try again, various random things happen: either I get the same message again, on I get "connection failed", or it appears to work.

 

I've been fully registered since 3:00 yesterday, but no test have appeared yet - how long should they take?

 

I'm really having a wonderful time with this.

[wesleyw]

You have to install tests via MSIs to the workstations!

 

These should be in your KS3 QCA Test folder. Can't remember where do you download the test from?

 

Wes

[GrumbleDook]

Give it a day to register ... a day to work out that you should have tests ... and then a day for the tests to be pushed out to you.

 

I did it the other way around ... once I had registerd and things where happy I concentrated on the getting the users on and the students on ... and then on deploying the DPS ... and by that time the tests are here and ready.

[OverWorked]

You're right. I'm setting up the users now. I'll do the pupils next.

 

I've looked in the TPS folder but there's no .msi's there yet.

[beeswax]

@weslyew: "These should be in your KS3 QCA Test folder. Can't remember where do you download the test from?"

 

the tests are pushed out to you from the qca, manually, via wheelbarrow, and this can take 48 hours, as some bus drivers won't let passengers on with wheelbarrows unless they, the qca, pay the additional extra baggage fee. I believe high level negotiations are underway as I write between the qca and the pensioners association, in order to develop a cohort of fit and healthy pensioners willing to take on the task of delivering these tests via wheelbarrow on the nations buses. only those with free bus passes need apply.

 

beeswax

[secman]

Chaps,

 

I have been scanning the posts to see if anyone has come across the sort of issues we are having with the QCA Testing software.

 

My collegue has got the thing running on a "virgin" PC. Now we have run it under WINSUITE (on an XP Pro SP2 PC) we have come across some problems. When you run the software from a PC we get a message saying that the system needs read write access to a number of Folders (e.g. BACKUPS, DATA, SAVED etc.)

We have checked the permissions on the folders and users have modify permissions as instructed in the manual.

 

Anyone any ideas?????

 

Thanks

[SmartArt]

I was suprised at how well the QCA Testing DPS software works, even on 1Ghz P3 with 384 RAM, and even (dare I admit we own these ) 1.1GHZ Celerons with 256 RAM.

 

Its actually quite amusing to watch the ICT teachers turn pale as they realise that kids are supposed to learn how to work out how to use stuff not just be battery publisher users - this software should sort that out with no hiding place.

 

I've come to this thread late but after reading that comment I think I had better put that posting straight:

 

This won't sort out weak ICT teachers from the good ones because what's being tested in this abomination is skills based! The National Curriculum - you know, what teachers have to teach, and no arguing because it's "da lore" - is cognitive based - thinking skils based not actual doing skills based; so ALL ICT teachers are going to be in the dodo, even ex-teks like me.

 

Sorry if that's bent your preconception out of joint.

 

[OverWorked]

Right,

 

I've just tried to import the pupil data from an Integris PLASC xml file. I get this:-

 

Error: The file you have chosen to import is not the correct XML format. Click Browse to choose another file.

 

Exactly what format does it want? Getting this to work is like wading through treacle.

[SteveT]

Right,

 

I've just tried to import the pupil data from an Integris PLASC xml file. I get this:-

 

Error: The file you have chosen to import is not the correct XML format. Click Browse to choose another file.

 

Exactly what format does it want? Getting this to work is like wading through treacle.

 

It doesn`t understand the PLASC2006 file. You need to download a conversion utility from RM to convert back to 2005 format.

 

It might then work!!!! :?

[OverWorked]

Thanks Steve,

 

I found the answer on RM's support site just before your reply came through.

 

If anyone else wants to know (this will probably affect everybody), it's content ref. TEC562770

[Sylv3r]

The postgres and tomcat services are now refusing to start up on my server now - what a nightmare this peice of software has been so far.

[beeswax]

The postgres and tomcat services are now refusing to start up on my server now - what a nightmare this peice of software has been so far.

have you tried starting them from cmd? net start "postmaster" first, followed by net start "tomcat".

beeswax

[Sylv3r]

The postgres and tomcat services are now refusing to start up on my server now - what a nightmare this peice of software has been so far.

have you tried starting them from cmd? net start "postmaster" first, followed by net start "tomcat".

beeswax

 

Yes ive tried that - theres something on the RM website about the passwords being wrong, but that didnt seem to make much difference. I'll have to get on the phone to them tommorrow.

[beeswax]

I should have put this in my first reply, have you tried "formally" stopping the services, net stop "tomcat" and net stop "postmaster" before restarting? It worked for me until yesterday. I've been logging on to the APS 2 or 3 times a day to check the connection (because of building work I haven't been able to get much more done, and of course the head asked the fateful question yesterday as well, "how's the website coming along?") but yesterday I couldn't log on, firstly timed out, and then a 404. postgres and tomcat both running on the server. I ran an audit and have emailed it off to RM so that they can compare it with an earlier version sent a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if it's going to tell them anything.

beeswax