| | 14. Rosters and Student Management
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| This lesson explains how to use CATE rosters and manage student information. |
- Read the material on this page
- Follow the links and read the relevant Help material
- Take the practice quiz
- Observe FTF demonstration
- Do the exercise
Read the Quick Guide for an overview of the subject.Quick Guide for student rosters
Introduction to Student Rosters
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From this point on, we leave behind the tools for creating and maintaining Web-based educational materials, and we move into the field of managing students, student information, and communications in an online environment.
The CATE Student Rosters module (sometimes referred to simply as the Student module or Rosters module) is a key component of what we refer to more broadly as "student management."
Just like SRJC classes, the CATE system is built around sections and rosters. Whenever you create a section homepage, you automatically get a corresponding CATE roster. However, CATE rosters are not exactly the same as SRJC rosters. SRJC rosters are for the most part impervious to your efforts to edit them. CATE rosters, on the other hand, can be manipulated in certain ways designed to help you manage and understand your students.
For your SRJC rosters, students appear and/or disappear as they add or drop your class. For your CATE rosters, you need to decide how you want to configure them so that either students will be added automatically, or else they will need to go through the check-in process. For online classes, you need to use the latter approach. If you do nothing, then your CATE roster remains empty. In some cases, that might be okay. If it's okay, then you don't need to learn this material.
But keep in mind that rosters serve many purposes, and in many cases other aspects of the CATE system rely on your rosters. You will need to use and understand rosters if you plan to utilize one or more of these parts of the system:
- Password protection for presentation pages, schedules, etc
- Password protection for tests, quizzes, exams
- Gradebook
- Message List
- Chat room
- In Box
- iTunes U
- Blogs
- myNotes
If you use CATE rosters, then you'll need to know about the following aspects of student management:
- Setting roster options
- Check-in process
- Auto-population
- Editing student data
- How passwording works from the instructor perspective
- How passwording works from the student perspective
- Student statistics and logs
Student Management Procedures
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In general, student management can be divided into three separate aspects: set-up procedures, ongoing management during the semester, and end-of-semester procedures.
Set-up
The set-up procedures are by far the most time-consuming, but they only need to happen one time. Once you have your class website properly constructed, configured, and linked together, then you can use it over and over and over again semester after semester without going through the set-up procedures again. Furthermore, the system will automatically do all the work for you, including the overall structure, navigation, and authentication.
Ongoing management
While you're teaching the class, you'll also need to pay some attention to ongoing student management, but this doesn't usually consume a great deal of time:
- Process check-ins (unless auto-populating)
- Monitor and manage late arrivals, drops, email changes, etc
- Monitor and manage class Message List
- Monitor and manage chat room
- Monitor and manage gradebook
End of the semester
Finally, when the class is over, you'll need to take a few minutes to perform the end-of-semester routines, such as finalizing and submitting grades, cleaning up, and revising dates, section number, etc for the next semester. At the end of every semester and beginning of every semester we send out a reminder about taking care of those simple procedures, and we always remind you about the end-of-semester maintenance checklist.
In the same way that we learned in an earlier lesson how section homepages always get re-used from semester to semester, it is absolutely critical to remember that your class website will always be recycled in the same way. You will archive, purge, and re-use the exact same components semester after semester.
Instructors who follow that simple process will find it extremely easy to segue from one semester to the next. Instructors who fail to do so are the ones who always run into trouble, cause problems for their students, and need to be bailed out by teams of specialists.
Options for Populating Your CATE Roster
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If you've come this far, it's because you've decided you'll be utilizing some part of the system requiring CATE rosters and/or student authentication. Having made that decision, next you'll need to decide if you want to use the check-in option or the auto-population option for your CATE roster.
Although other advantages and disadvantages exist, from the student perspective there is one major difference between the two roster options. When using the auto-pop option, students can use their SRJC student ID numbers and passcodes to access CATE pages requiring authentication. When using the check-in option, students can only use their CATE usernames and passwords.
If you're teaching an online class, you must use the check-in option.
If you're not teaching an online class, here is the general recommendation (although your specific situation might be different).
- If using no CATE components requiring rosters/authentication: Skip all this entirely
- If a gradebook is the ONLY component you're using that requires rosters/authentication: Use the auto-population option
- In all other cases: Use the check-in option
Having decided which option to use, next you must actually set the option and its parameters.
In order to do so, use the Roster Options page. You can reach that page via two different routes. It doesn't matter which route you take. Both lead to exactly the same place. It's like having a room with two doors, and you can enter the room by either door.
Therefore, do one of the following:
- Log into your CATE account, go to the Section Homepage module, go to the appropriate section, and click the "Roster Options" button.
- Or, log into your CATE account, go to the Student Rosters module, go to the appropriate section, and click the "Roster Options" button.
You'll now be at the page where you can set your roster options.
Two options, each with its own parameters, appear on the page. Each option is enclosed by a box to make it easy to see.
If you want the auto-population option, select the checkbox labeled "Automatically populate this CATE roster with students from your SRJC roster." If you want the check-in option, make sure that checkbox is NOT selected.
If you want the auto-population option, use the radio buttons and pop-up menus in the "Option 1" box to set the parameters.
If you want the check-in option, use the radio buttons and pop-up menus in the "Option 2" box to set the parameters. Optionally, you can enter messages for your students to see as they go through the check-in process.
After choosing your option and setting the parameters, save your choices by clicking the button labeled "Confirm Setting Roster Options" at the top or bottom of the page.
Note that you can only change the option when there are no students on your CATE roster. As soon as you have one or more students on your CATE roster, the option is frozen until the roster is empty again. If frozen, only the selected option will be visible on the page. The parameters for the selected option can be changed at any time.
Using the Automatic Population Option for Rosters
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If you're using automatic population for your roster (aka auto-population or auto-pop), you can choose to populate the roster yourself or simply allow your students to do so on their own, although in general you'll want to do the former. Likewise, you can send out reminders to your students about how auto-pop works.
For complete details about how to use the auto-pop option, and what this means for you and your students -- including information about some of the classic pitfalls for students -- be sure to study the relevant Help document:
Notes about Automatic Population of Rosters: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/notes_autopop.html
Using the Check-In Option for Rosters
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If you're using the check-in option for your roster, you will need to set your check-in paramters, remind students they must go through the check-in process, and you'll need to use the Roster module to accept students into class as they go through the check-in process.
For more information about how that works, be sure to study the relevant Help document:
Notes about the CATE Student Check-in Process: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/notes_checkin.html
This is the most common means of populating your CATE roster, and it's worth exploring exactly how it works from both the student perspective and the instructor perspective. We'll be switching back and forth during this explanation, sometimes wearing an instructor hat and sometimes wearing a student hat.
As the instructor, use the Roster Options page (see above) to choose the check-in option. You'll usually want to set the parameter with the radio button corresponding to "Only show Check-In form on this Section homepage between these dates" and set the start date as a day or two before the class begins and the stop date according to the official "last day to register/add with instructor’s signature or add code" for that section. Strictly for practice purposes, however, you probably want to choose the "Always show check-in form" radio button so you can follow along with this example.
As to the optional messages, for the time being you can leave them alone.
When you've set your parameters, save your choices.
Having chosen the check-in option and saved everything, your section homepage will now automatically include a new heading called "Class Check-In" and generic text about the check-in process for your students. The section homepage will also have a link to the class check-in page.
To follow along, put on your student hat and -- from the section homepage -- click the "Class check-in page" link.
The check-in page is where your students will go to perform the check-in process. It simply involves entering some basic information, including a unique username and password for use with the CATE system. You can play around with this page, but it will only accept a real student with a real SRJC student ID number, so don't expect to be able to go through the process successfully.
Instead, remove your student hat and put your instructor hat back on. More importantly, return to the CATE Student Roster module for this section. Look for the gray horizontal stripe with the bold heading "The following students are on file for section...." To the right of that heading, click the "Add Student" button. This is the back door that will allow you to enter your practice student into the system for use with this roster.
The page is almost identical to the version we saw while temporarily wearing our student cap. Go ahead and enter the information into the fields on the page. Note that you must enter a student number of "999999999" (that's nine nines) and you must create a unique username and password for the mythical practice student. After entering the information, click the "Submit" button and then follow through the onscreen instructions to complete the check-in process for your practice student.
Although this is a practice student entered via a route to which only the instructor has access, the data entry screen and instructions are the same for real students. Of course, they must enter a real SRJC student ID number, not 999999999.
When a student goes through the check-in process and enters the appropriate information, the following things happen.
- A check-in receipt is emailed to the student (at the email address provided by the student on the check-in page)
- Data entered by the student on the check-in page automatically flows into the online database for your CATE roster
- The system sends you email notification that the student has performed the check-in routine so you know to complete the process
However, simply by going through the check-in process, the username and password for the student -- whether real or practice -- are not yet functional, and the student can't yet participate in Message Lists, chat rooms, etc. That won't happen until you accept the student, thus activating him or her within your online classroom. That's why you get notified when a student goes through check-in.
After entering your practice student, click the "Continue" button to return to your CATE roster menu. Here you'll see the practice student has now appeared on your roster, flagged in red as "new" along with an "Accept" button to the left of the student's name.
Still wearing your instructor hat, click the "Accept" button.
The system will warn you this is not a real student. We already know that. Go ahead and click "Accept Anyway." After you do so you'll be returned to the roster page.
Trust the system
It's important to remember that the system will carefully check the credentials of any student who attempts to check into your class, so don't worry about clicking the "Accept" button. If all is well, the system will proceed smoothly. If the system detects any kind of anomaly, you'll be warned and provided with an explanation so you can decide how you want to proceed.
Now that you've confirmed acceptance, the student -- whether real or practice -- is now fully active in your class. The student's username and password are now functional and the student can participate in Message Lists, chat rooms, etc according to the manner in which you've arranged your class website. At the time you activate the student, the system will also automatically notify the student via email that he or she is now accepted into class.
Here's more information about creating and using a practice student.
How to...Use a Practice Student: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_practice_student.html
And here's a diagram of the check-in process. 
Roster Buttons, Features, and Options
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At the roster level, multiple features are available for dealing with student management.
Immediately below the Help banner and aligned to the right is a shortcut button leading to the Section Homepage module for this section. If you've created a gradebook for the section, that shortcut button will also appear.
Below that is a gray horizontal stripe with the bold "Options for Section" heading. Some or all of the following buttons will be displayed there, depending on the circumstances.
Back to Menu: This leads back to the list of all your rosters.
Prev Roster: This button takes you to the previous roster on file, if there is one.
Next Roster: This button takes you to the next roster on file, if there is one.
Utilities: This button provides access to a series of useful utilities. More about these below.
Roster Options: As we've seen, this leads to the page where you can set the check-in or auto-pop option for this section.
Show Latest Activity: This gives you a quick snapshot of exactly what your students have been doing recently within your class website.
Statistics: Assuming you have everything configured appropriately, this button leads to a page with complete tabulations of all student activities thus far during the semester. Far more extensive than the simple snapshot under "Show Latest Activity."
Next on the page comes another gray horizontal bar with the bold heading "The following students are on file for section...." That bar also contains the "Add Student" button we used when experimenting with the check-in process. (See above.) If you have more than one student on file awaiting acceptance, the bar will also include the "Accept New Students" button, allowing you to accept students in bulk.
Beneath that horizontal gray bar you'll see two buttons for sorting the students on your roster. By default, they're sorted alphabetically according to last name, but you can change that to sorting by SRJC student ID number or by username.
Below those two buttons comes a list of all the students currently on the CATE roster for this class. This is broken into several columns. If the student has not yet been accepted into class, the first column will contain an "Accept" button for that student. The next column shows the current status of the student along with the last four digits of the student's ID number. The third column shows the name of the student. The next column shows the email address(es) on file for the student. The column after that contains a button that allows you to see the gradebook for the student exactly as the student sees it (assuming you're using a CATE gradebook for the class). And the last column holds a button allowing you to access a page with further details about that particular student. (See below.)
Note that as of Fall 2012, you can no longer see the username and password of the student.
Utilities
Upon clicking the "Utilities" button on the roster page, a variety of useful routines will become available to you. Depending on various circumstances -- such as which roster option you've chosen, whether or not your roster currently contains any students, the state of the CATE connection to the SRJC A&R database, etc -- some of the following buttons might or might not be available.
Check-In Reminder: If you've selected the check-in option (rather than the auto-pop option) for this roster, this utility will notify your students they need to go through the check-in process.
Show Class Roster: This will display the same kind of information you see when you access your SRJC roster via your Faculty Portal.
Delete Students: This utility will permanently delete all students from the roster. This should only be used when performing the purge routines at the end of the semester.
Update Drops: This routine connects with the A&R database to synchronize drops.
Archive Email: If you want to retain email information for your students after the class ends, this routine will capture that data for you.
Student Blogs: This utility allows you to create and manage this advanced feature.
Refresh Roster: When using the auto-pop option, this utility ensures you have all your students on your CATE roster.
Auto-Population Reminder: When using the auto-pop option, this utility will notify your students how that option works and what they need to do.
Information and configurations for this section
As noted above, the CATE system -- like SRJC -- is built around the concept of sections, rosters, and students. In the CATE system, most components need to be related in some fashion to one or more sections. This part of the roster page displays information about those relationships and allows you to change things on the spot.
- Students in this section have access to the following password zones: Under this heading you can see exactly which password zones can be accessed by students in this section. You can also add or delete password zones for this section. The same work can be performed within the Password Zones module.
- Students in this section can send messages to the following Lists: Under this heading you can see exactly which Message Lists can be used by students in this section for sending messages. You can also add or delete Message Lists for this section. The same work can be performed within the Communications module.
- Students in this section can receive messages (as email) from the following List: Under this heading you can see exactly which Message Lists will be sending emailed messages to students in this section. You can also add or delete Message Lists for this section. The same work can be performed within the Communications module.
- Students in this section have access to these Chat Rooms: Under this heading you can see exactly which Chat Rooms can be used by students in this section. You can also add or delete Chat Rooms for this section. The same work can be performed in the Chat Room module.
Student Buttons, Features, and Options
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As noted above, your CATE roster displays a list of all the students currently on file for the section. Which students appear on that list? That depends on whether you're using the check-in option or the auto-pop option, what other parameters you've selected, how far into the semester you've gone, etc.
In any event, for each student on the list, the righthand column contains a button labeled "Edit/Delete Student." This button leads to a page of buttons, features, and options for that particular student.
Immediately beneath the Help banner is a "Back to Roster" button for returning to the full roster for the section.
Within the gray horizontal bar across the page you'll find a series of buttons. Note that the button corresponding to the current status for this student won't appear, because it's not needed.
Pend: This button allows you to temporarily deactivate the student. That means his or her username and password will no longer function, and the student can no longer participate in any class activities. This is useful if you're not sure of the student status, or if the student is suspended.
Accept: This works exactly the same as the "Accept" button on the main roster page.
Drop: Dropping can be done automatically using the appropriate utility to synchronize your roster with the corresponding A&R roster, or you can drop the student manually. Of course, you shouldn't do this unless you know for certain the student really has dropped the class. Furthermore, dropping the student via your CATE roster will have absolutely no affect whatsoever on the student's official A&R status.
Edit: This button enables you to edit information for this student. (See below.)
Move: If necessary, you can use this button to move the student from one section to another.
Delete: This is NOT the same as "Drop"! A dropped student remains on the roster, but his or her username and password are no longer functional. A deleted student -- and all data for the student -- is permanently and irretrievably deleted from the system. You almost never need to delete a real student, but you will probably want to delete a practice student when no longer useful.
Editing a student
Clicking the "Edit" button allows you to edit basic student data, including first name, last name, and email address. However, you seldom need to do so, because the student can do all that via the Student Configuration Manager.
The "Edit" button also gives you access to the "Note" field. You're the only one who can see this information, and it's just for you to enter and edit information you want to remember about the student.
Information for this student
The next part of the screen displays information about the student, including name, email, etc. Most of this information can be edited via the "Edit" button. (See above.) You can also use the buttons in this area to deal with this student's membership in online collaborative groups. (That topic is covered in another lesson.)
Student statistics and transaction log
This part of the page provides, first, a tabulation of activity for this student within the class website for this section, and then a moment-by-moment log of all activities for this student within the class website for this section. This information should be self-explanatory, providing a detailed record for your student. This can be very important for grading, for dealing with non-participating students, for investigating incidents of unacceptable collaboration, etc.
Study the Help module for this topic. Think of this as a chapter in your textbook.Help module
Notes about the Student Check-in Process: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/notes_checkin.html
Notes about Automatic Population of Rosters: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/notes_autopop.html
How to...Adjust Check-in Dates: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_adj_checkin.html
How to...Remind Students to Check In: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_remind_checkin.html
How to...Enter a Student: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_enter_student.html
How to...Accept a Student: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_accept_student.html
How to...Use a Practice Student: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_practice_student.html
How to...Automatically Drop a Student: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_autodrop.html
How to...Move a Student: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_move_student.html
How to...Edit Student Data: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_edit_student.html
How to...Make Student Notes: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_make_note.html
How to...View Student Logs: http://online.santarosa.edu/catedocs/howto_view_log.html
After studying all the material for this lesson, take the self-assessment quiz.CATE Online Training Quiz 09: Rosters and student management
Demonstration (For face-to-face sessions)
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We'll demonstrate how a student goes through the check-in process, how you accept students into a class, and how you manage students on your CATE roster.
Lectures slides (Rosters, Check-in, Web Groups, Passwording): http://online.santarosa.edu/presentation/?8998
To help you better understand the material, to integrate the different modules, and to demonstrate how an entire class can be constructed from various components, in each lesson you'll be creating a portion of a class website, so at the end of the process you'll have a complete model of an entire class.
To begin with, you should always use a practice course (such as CATE 101, ROCK 101, or BASE 101) for your exercises. After you've mastered the process and created material that's ready for your students, then you can convert your practice class into a real class that you're actually teaching and make it accessible. |
Here's the exercise for this lesson:
Set the roster options for your practice section so students can go through the check-in process.
Go through the check-in process as a practice student.
Accept the student into class.
Practice editing information for the practice student.
Take note of the activity log for the practice student.
Leave the practice student on the roster for the time being, because this student will be used in upcoming lessons.
When you're finished with the entire series of training workshops, then you can delete the practice student from the roster.
Lab (For face-to-face sessions)
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We'll walk around the room and assist individually as you undertake the exercises for this material.
Page 83561
WWII 101 A plain-vanilla sample class website
Rock 101 A fancier sample class website
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