The eClass file will contain each student's last name, first name, id number, user id, and total score in the format expected by eClass (using comma delimiters).
Normally, two files will be generated when you request an eClass file:
- The first is a file with the suffix .log which contains a report of the matching process used to associate the data from the scanner file with the class list obtained from the Registrar's database.
- The second file is the end product of the matching process. It will normally have the suffix _w.csv.
- If answer sheets are scored which we did not (could not) match to the Registrar's class list, a third file will be created with the suffix _u.csv.
Please note that the first line in the *_w.csv file is a title line describing the data. It contains the text: Last Name,First Name,Student No,User Id,OMR Score. You will usually find it helpful to replace "OMR Score" with a more meaningful title. If the list of incorrect responses is requested the column heading for this field will be "Items Wrong" while the column heading "Scored Responses" will appear if the scored (R/w) responses have been requested.
The matching process is an iterative one that should generally result in an accurate association of the data in the scanner file with the student identification information obtained from the Registrar's database. The following steps are used (and may be proofed by examining the *.log file):
- Answer sheets having Names and ID numbers on them which correspond exactly with the information in the database are identified, matched and eliminated from further consideration.
- Answer sheets having ID numbers that are identical and Names which are reasonably similar to those in the database are identified, matched and eliminated from further consideration.
- Answer sheets having ID numbers which match the last 6 digits and Names which are reasonably similar to those in the database are identified, matched and eliminated from further consideration.
- Answer sheets having Names which are reasonably similar to those in the database are identified, matched and eliminated from further consideration.
- Identification information on any remaining answer sheets is manually examined and associated with students remaining in the Registrar's class list if such an association appears reasonable.
- Answer sheets that, in the judgement of the TSQS operator, cannot be matched to the official class list are not included in the eClass score file. These records, if any, will be identified in the *.log file under the heading "Number of remaining unmatched scanner records" and then placed in a separate file with the suffix *_u.csv.
The final information appearing in the *.log file is a listing of any students in the Registrar's class list who do not have an associated answer sheet identified in the scanner file. This list along with the list produced in step #6, in particular, should be reviewed before uploading the score file to eClass.
Excel Specific
The contents of the Excel file depends on which program is used to create it. If the Scansort program is used, the file will contain any biographical information that was read from the answer sheets (such as name, idnumber, special codes) plus all the scores derived from the keys that were used to process the job. If Examtab is used to create the Excel file, only 1 column will be created for the score which will be the score derived from the key for the appropriate test form. In this case, an option also exists to include a column indicating which key was applied to respective answer sheets. The first field in the Excel file contains the sheet number that was printed on the answer sheets when they were processed.
Relevant to both types of files
There are two optional text fields that may be included in these files. You may request either or both of these fields; the default is neither of them.
- The first option, obtained by marking the Wrongs bubble, is a list of item numbers corresponding to incorrect responses by the student. The field begins with W= which is followed by the numbers of the items that were incorrect. If a student has no incorrect responses, the field contains W=NONE.
- The second is a list of scored responses. This field begins with R= and is followed by alphabetic values corresponding to the student's responses.
- If a response is correct, the character will be in upper case.
- If an incorrect response will be in lower case.
- If the responses were scanned as numeric values, the numbers will be replaced by their corresponding alphabetic characters.
- If a response was not given for an item, '-' will appear in the corresponding position.
- If more than one response was given'*' will indicate this.
- If a correct response was not provided for an item (on the key), the corresponding character in the output will be '.'; 3 ... are used to indicate that 3 or more consecutive items were not keyed.
- If an operator was asked to confirm the match, a '?' will appear between the identification number and the name in the log file.