GL Assessment Testwise - Moving from CSV file to Wonde - Some questions and thoughts.

[David44]

Historically, we have uploaded a CSV file to Testwise containing student data. This CSV file contains a unique identifier field which we have populated with the student admission number. We then place those students in various sittings within Testwise and then download the CSV file(s) representing those sittings. The downloaded CSV file(s) contains the unique identifier and individual Testwise code for each student. We run the downloaded file(s) through a Powershell script which uses the admission number to look up the student email address in AD (we store the admission number in their AD record) and sends each student their individual Testwise code.

 

Testwise now supports Wonde so we could use that instead of uploading a CSV file of student data to them. Unfortunately, when Wonde is used the unique identifier field is populated with the students UPN rather than the admission number that we have been using in the CSV file. This messes up our process as we do not store the student UPN in the AD record so we are either going to have to start storing the UPN in the student AD record or use the UPN to look up their email address from a SIMS report rather than AD.

 

This forced change in process has got me thinking, is there is a better way to do this and how do other schools get the individual Testwise code to students?

 

It makes me also realise what an incomplete system Testwise is, is it really too much to ask that they send the Testwise code to the students rather than us having to do it, or for them to just support SSO with Google/Microsoft accounts as any system should be doing in 2024.

 

It's also worth noting because I can't find any mention of it on their website, nor was I told when I asked GL Assessment to request our data via Wonde, when the Wonde sync runs in the scenario I describe above, where the existing data and the Wonde data have different unique identifiers, rather than it create a duplicate student record as I would expect, it updated the existing student record that had the admission number as the unique identifier and changes the unique identifier to be the UPN, it must have matched other fields (name, DOB etc). That is not what I expected to happen. It should never change the unique identifier field of an existing record. The reverse is not true, if you then upload a CSV file with the admission number as the unique identifier, it DOES create a duplicate record.

Edited June 25, 2024 by David44

[Steve21]

Not sure if it's changed, but in Wonde when you download any CSV there is normally a drop-down box that allows you to pick the Unique Identifier, UPN/MIS ID/Admission Number etc?

 

If that's the case and you pick admission number I assume that means you wouldn't need to change your process?

 

Steve

[David44]

I believe, although willing to be proved wrong, that that option only applies to a CSV file downloaded from Wonde that we then manually upload to Testwise (i.e. Wonde> School> Testwise). It doesn't, as far as I know, affect the transfer of data directly between Wonde and Testwise.

 

We have never used this option as we, up until now, create our own CSV file without involving Wonde.

 

 

[Steve21]

Does it actually do it automatically for you then? Normally with Wonde it won't show the CSV option if you have it automated.

 

For example our school uses Accelerated Reader with Wonde automated and we don't see the CSV option - Another Trust school has it manual and the CSV option shows up, so I always assume you only get that option if it's manual not automated.

 

Steve

[David44]

Wonde doesn't transfer data automatically at the moment because we have disabled it (we have approved the data request from GL Assessment but only for selected students and then not selected any students under 'Access Control') due to not having time to change our internal process to distribute codes to students before the NGRTs tests we have this week.

 

We only have two companies approved in Wonde but what you say certainly rings true, the other one (Sparx) is fully approved and we don't see the CSV download option for that.

[howartp]

This forced change in process has got me thinking, is there is a better way to do this and how do other schools get the individual Testwise code to students?

We don't give the codes to students; we have the rooms logged into generic accounts when they arrive, opened on the test login page, and the code is printed on a label stuck to the monitor/placed on the keyboard for the student to type in.

 

Honestly if we emailed them, 50-80% of the class would "not be able to find them" when it came to doing the test!

[Sonic007]

Jumping in on this post....

 

About to setup Wonde connection to Testwise (GL Assessment).

I've been told reg groups do not sync over so does that mean I have to manually sort all our students into groups?

 

Thankyou for your help.

[Chrisauk]

3 hours ago, Sonic007 said:

Jumping in on this post....

 

About to setup Wonde connection to Testwise (GL Assessment).

I've been told reg groups do not sync over so does that mean I have to manually sort all our students into groups?

 

Thankyou for your help.

Yes, unfortunately its a manual task at the moment. I spoke with their support team last week about this and apparently its in the pipeline to be available soon but no ETA provided.

[Sonic007]

Thankyou Chrisauk

 

It seems strange this is not imported as all our assessments are done by group. I phoned up and was told it's just not possible so I guess we will see what is coming in the future after what you've been told.

 

I think I am going to have to continue to manually import csv files for the time being and the upcoming new academic year.

Edited June 18 by Sonic007

[JazzFlute]

3 hours ago, Sonic007 said:

Jumping in on this post....

 

About to setup Wonde connection to Testwise (GL Assessment).

I've been told reg groups do not sync over so does that mean I have to manually sort all our students into groups?

 

Thankyou for your help.

Yes, all students sync from Wonde, but they are not automatically placed into registration groups or classes. You have to create the classes yourself and then move the students into the appropriate "groups", as they call them.

 

To be honest, it's quite disappointing. The initial setup is a fairly sizeable task, and it doesn't end there. Any students who join after you've completed the setup—for example, new starters who arrive after the academic year has begun—must be manually added to the relevant groups. If they aren't, they won't be included when tests are assigned and won't receive any access codes.

From previous conversations I've had with them, I get the impression that this isn't something they can automate. It appears to have been an issue ever since the Wonde integration was introduced, so unfortunately it seems to be a limitation that users simply have to work around.

 

I name the classes/groups with a suffix of Academic year at the end for example Year1 2025-2026, otherwise you wont know what class is what if for instance you name then just Yea1, Year2 etc.

[Sonic007]

Thanks JazzFlute. It's not the best is it.

Not got the time to be ploughing through sorting students into groups. I think I will continue to do the csv import.