speckytecky Posted July 2, 2012 Posted July 2, 2012 Not sure if this is the right place for this thread - over to the Mods on that one. Our maths teacher approached me today and said she had received info that for the exams (we are KS3 EDB) the school has to provide the students with workstations / laptops that are internet blocked (we can do that with Impero - if it's not been priced beyond our reach by then) but also don't have spell check enabled plus there are a few other stipulations she wasn't quite clear about. Anyone got something readable on this?
X-13 Posted July 2, 2012 Posted July 2, 2012 (edited) said she had received info Request to see this information. If it was based on a conversation, tell her "IT doesn't initiate restrictions based on rumors or speculation." Go with the previous requirements if you have to do anything between now and the time thiese restrictions come into effect, unless updated documentation can be provided. Edited July 2, 2012 by X-13
GrumbleDook Posted July 2, 2012 Posted July 2, 2012 Technology Supported Assessment (I think this is the current buzz phrase being used) will differ from assessment to assessment and qualification board to qualification board. All boards are meant to issue a set of conditions which need to be stuck to during controlled assessment. This ranges from the usual space between candidate through to the technology access. With some assessments you might need to cater for a range of options as some candidates may have differing needs (due to ESOL, dyslexia, etc). The best people to chat with about this will be the course leader (eg HoD for English) *and* the Exams Officer. Stipulate a timescale which is manageable for setting up accounts with suitable access and control, agree testing of these accounts and agree a process for making changes (so they are 'signed off' by one or both of the above). Once this is done then have it ratified by the appropriate member of SLT (i.e. whoever looks after exams) and things should be sorted. Lots of opportunities will exist for communication to fall down so just make sure you have regular conversations about it and make sure you are kept in the loop for when the boards send any info through which might change things. The boards have known they need to give consistent advice for schools on this but it is still pretty sparse. 1
john Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 A useful book for you to read so you are aware of what is going on is the JCQ guide on conducting Examinations, it has in the current edition a 2 page spread on this area and you will surprised at how hard it is to tick all boxes!
speckytecky Posted July 4, 2012 Author Posted July 4, 2012 Thanks John, This is this is the book my teacher was quoting from. Tried to give you a thanks / rep but neither currently available? A useful book for you to read so you are aware of what is going on is the JCQ guide on conducting Examinations, it has in the current edition a 2 page spread on this area and you will surprised at how hard it is to tick all boxes!
bossman Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 @john: Which boxes do you find hard to tick where workstations are concerned may I ask?
john Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 Having basically no other single app on them is always a good one, depending on the inspector who may calleth if you get someone that is IT literate and not retired who a computer is a nusance to they will want to check that there is NO WAY that any other app can be launched. They used to have, but cannot remember if its still in as I last read this book a few months ago, but you were not allowed to have them networked at all to anything, yes that is right no network at all so all stand-alone so your idea of use Impero to lock it down wouldn't work.
bossman Posted July 4, 2012 Posted July 4, 2012 @john: I have a defined user template which has no internet access and can only run the required software for the exam as for spell checker I have reg keys which disable this which I can allocate out to the ICT suites which are being used for the exams. Defined user gets no access to any drives except their own work area which they can only access when they log on and these workareas are cleared after every exam. 1.25m between exam users and no use of USB drives or anything else for that matter except the computer they are accessing. We can add and detract apps from this defined user template as we see fit and it has served us well, good old RM MMC for ya John worth every penny
speckytecky Posted July 5, 2012 Author Posted July 5, 2012 Oh how I wish thanks / add to rep were enabled to me on this thread? How do you guys then get round the requirement to print out immediately at the end of the exam?
Soulfish Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Having basically no other single app on them is always a good one, depending on the inspector who may calleth if you get someone that is IT literate and not retired who a computer is a nusance to they will want to check that there is NO WAY that any other app can be launched. They used to have, but cannot remember if its still in as I last read this book a few months ago, but you were not allowed to have them networked at all to anything, yes that is right no network at all so all stand-alone so your idea of use Impero to lock it down wouldn't work. One of the reasons we've just bought a batch of dedicated laptops and MP3 players. After reading through the JCQ regs with our exam officer we decided easiest solution for us was to have a batch of laptops that was configured with locked down user accounts with no spell check etc with the network/wireless cards actively disabled/drivers not installed. Our exams officer looks after the laptops during exam season, we look after them the rest of the year . Also trying to find MP3 players for A-Level MFL exams was difficult! Finding something that wasn't cost prohibitive, while meeting the JCQ requirement of not being too small (it says that in the guidelines!) AND being easy enough that our students wouldn't struggle to use them was an interesting challenge. 1
bossman Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 @speckytecky: Printer is networked and mapped to all the computers in the exam room and at a certain time of the exam it is turned on to allow immediate printing of the exam material. 1
russdev Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 Having basically no other single app on them is always a good one, depending on the inspector who may calleth if you get someone that is IT literate and not retired who a computer is a nusance to they will want to check that there is NO WAY that any other app can be launched. They used to have, but cannot remember if its still in as I last read this book a few months ago, but you were not allowed to have them networked at all to anything, yes that is right no network at all so all stand-alone so your idea of use Impero to lock it down wouldn't work. Impero would work without the network cable as it will still continue to block even if no network cable it just will not get any updated policies etc. However any setup before the cable was pulled would continue to work. Russell 1
john Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 @john: I have a defined user template which has no internet access and can only run the required software for the exam as for spell checker I have reg keys which disable this which I can allocate out to the ICT suites which are being used for the exams. Defined user gets no access to any drives except their own work area which they can only access when they log on and these workareas are cleared after every exam. 1.25m between exam users and no use of USB drives or anything else for that matter except the computer they are accessing. We can add and detract apps from this defined user template as we see fit and it has served us well, good old RM MMC for ya John worth every penny Still on a network old chum which always used to be a no no. You need to remove the patch leads from the PCs / turn off wifi and disable it as they could potentially communicate with each other. Printing has changed this year and I cannot remember the exact terms but they are certainly in enough depth in the document related to printing for once
GrumbleDook Posted July 5, 2012 Posted July 5, 2012 @john from looking at notes from the last meeting on controlled assessment (around Computer Science actually) the term used by the boards is 'no access to networked resources or local resources and applications other than those specified for the test'. The latest version I can find of the advisory is at http://www.jcq.org.uk/attachments/published/1125/ICA%2011%2D12.pdf but it is with the caveat that boards may specify their own requirements, which might also differ from course to course and assessment to assessment.
speckytecky Posted July 6, 2012 Author Posted July 6, 2012 Moving off thread for a mo - there have been some fabulously helpful replies to this OP for which I'd usually add a thanks or at least add rep. For some unknown reason the Thanks button is not visible (is it just to me) on this thread and also the rep button is not working for all replies, clicking on rep for the reply from GrumbleDook for example brings up a shortened version of the Rep box with no options in it? Could the Admins have a gander at this please?
GrumbleDook Posted July 6, 2012 Posted July 6, 2012 Moving off thread for a mo - there have been some fabulously helpful replies to this OP for which I'd usually add a thanks or at least add rep. For some unknown reason the Thanks button is not visible (is it just to me) on this thread and also the rep button is not working for all replies, clicking on rep for the reply from GrumbleDook for example brings up a shortened version of the Rep box with no options in it? Could the Admins have a gander at this please? Have you raised it as a fault? EduGeek.net Site Problems I don't know ... they provide an area for support and people don't use it ... you might as well leave your laptop on a techie's desk and stick a post-it note on it saying "my thingy isn't working! I need it to work for my next maths lesson."
speckytecky Posted July 6, 2012 Author Posted July 6, 2012 Thanks Tony, Muppet me - I hadn't spotted that particular tool. Have you raised it as a fault? EduGeek.net Site Problems I don't know ... they provide an area for support and people don't use it ... you might as well leave your laptop on a techie's desk and stick a post-it note on it saying "my thingy isn't working! I need it to work for my next maths lesson."
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