Interwrite PRS User Manual page 56

54 Classes – Class Roster Function Buttons
Roster Function
Buttons
Response to a Question, his name is removed from the list to verify transmis-
sion receipt. When the Question's Countdown Timer has expired, the
remaining names in the Attendee List are of those students who did not
respond to the Question.
Both Display Modes are useful in helping the instructor monitor Class
participation during a Session. An option to toggle between the two Roster
Display Modes is available from the Preferences menu on the Session dialog
Toolbar, and can be used at any time during the Session to view either the
Response Grid or the Attendee List.
The Function Buttons above the Roster List Window in the Classes Section
represent the options available for creating and maintaining Class Rosters.
Imported Rosters can come from a variety of sources, including
third party Course Management Systems and other Class defini-
tions. Click on the Import Roster Function Button when you want to import
an existing Roster to associate with the selected Class.
By default, the Import Roster Function Button displays the PRS/Roster
directory. You can browse to another location to find the Roster you want to
import for this Class definition. Rosters associated with PRS Classes must be
in a .csv file format. Imported Rosters can come from a variety of sources.
They can be created in PRS for another Class, created as a .csv file in Excel,
downloaded from the PRS Web Registration Application (Chapter Seven), or
created in a Course Management System, such as Blackboard (Chapter
Seven), WebAssist or Web CT.
If you want to create a Roster from an existing MS Excel spreadsheet, here
are a few tricks to make the process go smoothly. PRS can read only those
Rosters stored in a .csv format. In addition, PRS expects a specific structure in
the .csv file. It is recommended that you use one of the example files
accessed on the GTCO CalComp Web site from the Help Menu, or create a
dummy Roster file. Use the Add Names Function Button to add one name,
real or phony, and include any other information you want in your Roster file
from the choices available in the Add Names dialog. Name and save the file.
When you open it in Excel, you will have the proper file structure into which
you can copy and paste roster information from your existing spreadsheet.
The .csv file format does not accept embedded commas in names, which is
why student names are broken down into separate First Name, Middle Initial,
and Last Name fields. When you save the file, you will be asked whether you
want to save the formatting. Click on the Yes button. When you exit Excel,
you will be prompted again to save the file. You do not have to save it again,
unless you want to save it in the Excel .xls format.
Chapter 3