GradeMaster 600 scantron machine Scanning and Exporting Data (DataLink)
What appears in DataLink when you scan tests
1. Whether you’ve just scanned your Key, or you double-clicked on a saved DataLink Test Key file, make sure that they key appears in the DataLink window. As soon as you run your first test through the scantron machine, you’ll see a data readout appear on the computer, at the same time the scantron machine is printing on the scantron itself.
Incorrect scores will be highlighted in yellow on your computer screen. See below.
- If the student’s name doesn’t appear, and you’ve already setup the Student Data File from the I: drive (see the “Student Data” How To if you’d like to try this!),
or if you are not using scantrons that allow students to enter the last 6 digits of their Student IDs, and have setup the Student Data File from the I: drive, you can manually enter the student’s name into the DataLink program (which will both make your Excel file complete, and allow you to export your scores directly to Easy Grade Pro Web.
See page 6 for more information about manually entering student IDs.
2. Since the GradeMaster 600 scantron machine will print the scores directly on the tests, if all you need is the data, it’s not necessary to associate the student names in DataLink. Once you’ve run all of your scantrons, you can check and/or correct any scores which have scanned incorrectly (generally due to partial erasures)
- Click on the cell you wish to edit, and type the letter of the darkest entry, etc. You can see at the very top the correct answer for Question 19 was “A”—if the student didn’t fully erase the B, give them credit by replacing the “AB” with an “A” J
If you notice a lot of incorrect scans, and your students’ test papers don’t appear to have many erasures, email Hilary or your Department Tech Rep—every 5000 scantrons (50 teachers’ tests or so…), the machine needs to be re-calibrated. It’ll only take a minute!
3. Once you’re satisfied the scanned data is correct, you can save the scanned data so that it can be re-opened in DataLink at a later time. You can also export the data into Excel—see step 4.
- To save the scanned tests as a DataLink file, from “File,” select “Save Test” from the drop-down menu.
- Save the test somewhere sensible—it’s probably not a good idea to put it in the I: drive like a saved test key. Instead, save your class’s scanned data to your H: drive, or your flash drive, etc.
Quick Review: There are three “GradeMaster/DataLink” file types…
- Shortcut to the DataLink program
- saved Test Key—no class data
- saved Class Data—key with your students’ results
4. In addition to saving data so that it can be opened and manipulated in DataLink, you can export your data (and very helpful analyses) directly to Excel!
- From “Scanner Results,” select “Export to Excel” and then any of the listed options from the pop-up menu. “Complete Test Results” will export an Excel file with all of the listed options in tabbed worksheets.
- Again, save your Excel file in your H: drive or your flash drive, unless your Department Chair asks for Benchmarks (or something like that) to be uploaded to the I: drive specifically.
What can be exported from DataLink?
- If you chose to export the “Complete Test Results,” when you open the saved Excel file, you will see the following tabs along the bottom edge of the window:
- Class Roster – If you’re using the ID scantrons forms, this is a great overview—your students’ names will appear automatically.
If “Name” and “ID” are blank, and you think you’ll want to recall later which student belonged to scantron #1, you can type the students’ names in the “Name” column.
- Detailed Item Analysis
If you need to know something about your test questions in general, and the information’s not here…you don’t need to know it.
- Standard Item Analysis
What most Curricular Offices want to see for Benchmark examinations.
Red cells contain information about the correct answer for each question.
- Scanner Results
Similar to what is displayed in the DataLink window as you scan.
- Score Distribution
Also helpful for reporting Benchmark and Final Exam results.
- Score Distribution Chart
Look at that beautiful Bell Curve. Just don’t look at the location of its center…
To Manually enter StudentIDs
If you’ve already imported the Student Data List—see the “Student Data” How To for more information, you can lookup students by their ID and attach their name to a scantron. Since the easiest way to do this is by opening the original “Student Database” Excel file and searching for the student, the usefulness of manually entering StudentIDs for Easy Grade Pro Web import is…not very useful. J But, just so you know it is possible…
1. Open the original “Student Database” Excel file.
It is located in I:\TECH\GradeMaster\
2. When the “Student Database” file opens, you’ll notice that the EGP Web Students ID is in the left-most column, their Full Name and Grade are in the middle column, and their GradeMaster (all numbers) ID is in the right column. Please do not make any changes to the information in this file—it will be futile, since the file is “refreshed” with new student information every 7-10 days!
3. The shortcut key combination Ctrl+F will open the “Find” window, or you can select “Edit” and then “Find” from the drop-down menus.
4. Enter the name of the student (Last Name, First) you wish to lookup first in the window, and click the “Find” or “Find Next” button. Partial names are fine!
5. Back in DataLink, right-click on the “ID Number” and select “Edit ID” or “Change ID” from the drop-down menu.
6. Enter the number to the right of the student’s name in the Excel “Student Database” file in DataLink window. See below. Click the “OK” button, and the student’s name should automatically be entered as well.
7. If the name in the database is not correct, you can Edit it. Just right-click and select “Edit Student Name’s Student DB Entry” from the drop-down menu.
8. When the “Edit Student Name” window appears, you may make changes. Remember, for EGP Web import, the “First Name” field is the student’s Last Name, First Name, and the “Last Name” field contains the EGP StudentID
page 7 of 7