English-AQA and Restrictions

[alan-d]

Having a chat with our head of English and she informs me that the exam boards are looking to stop internet access and spell checking in some english lessons. We don't have the full details yet but it raises the question of how it could be done.

 

It's easy enough to block internet access and use of the spell check but how would we do it for certain students at certain times on specific laptops during a 2 week timetable?

 

The clients will be used by other subject students and even the same students learning a different subject on the same laptop

 

GPO to the client laptop - will work but will effect all users at all times.

 

GPO to the students - again will work but will effect other subjects.

 

Any thoughts on this or even better, clarification of what AQA are planning would be useful.

[limbo]

We were on the pilot for some of these exams so have a bit of experience.

 

The story actually goes a bit deeper because the students are not supposed to have access to the files they generate in these lessons at any time other than in the lessons.

 

We resorted to setting up an additional login for each student (and used their candidate number as the username). We had these in a separate group to the main student logins so we could permenantly apply the restrictions.

 

This is going to get more complicated this year because last year these sessions were overseen by exam invigilators who logged the computers on ready for each student. This year it is going to be done in normal classes so either the teacher has to log everybody on and not share the password, or we have to enable / disable accounts to a timetable.

 

Not fully thought it out yet, but working on it.

[timbo343]

We have a seperate account for users in these situations where their "work area" is different to their userarea and we enable/disable the accounts and give the teacher a new password everytime they have lesson.

[alan-d]

I forgot about the separate accounts option although there are still some things that need ironing out as you say.

 

The other thing is, who has access to those accounts? I presume the invigilators\teachers will have read only access?

 

Is the work printed off and sent out or is it done electronically?

 

One day Exam Boards will think things through before coming up with stupid ideas - like that's going to happen!

 

On a slightly different tack - How will BSF schools cope when there isn't a technician on hand to enable and disable these accounts?

[Sylv3r]

This is part of the 'controlled tests' exam boards are looking at. Its not just English involved but Geography, Art, Music......

[limbo]

With the English pilot (and also did one for Business Studies) we gathered the work together afterwards and put it onto a CD - there were very specific instructions about how the work had to be presented, folder names etc.

 

I am thinking about maybe having an online drop in / collection box for the start and end of each session that is only available within the lesson window but not fully formed yet, got to have a few more discussions with the exams team.

[NikChillin]

You could always create a group in active directory setting GPO's for that group, drop them in there for the time period and remove them afterwards.

[mjs_mjs]

In AD there is logon times which you could use and set the GPO to not log them off when they finish. If i remember correctly then you could set a half hour periods where they can logon.

[alan-d]

With the English pilot (and also did one for Business Studies) we gathered the work together afterwards and put it onto a CD - there were very specific instructions about how the work had to be presented, folder names etc.

 

I am thinking about maybe having an online drop in / collection box for the start and end of each session that is only available within the lesson window but not fully formed yet, got to have a few more discussions with the exams team.

 

Are those specific instructions available anywhere? I can't see anything on the AQA web site.

[limbo]

I got passed the instructions by the exams team - and not got them any more.

 

From memory it was a folder on the root that was the school name and center number, then a folder for each candidate named their candidate number with the files in that.

 

A label hada to be attached to the CD with school and center number on and then it was posted off. Cannot remember whether this was all the work or just a sample for moderation - got a feeling it was the latter.

[alan-d]

OK - Thanks