Sending Messages:

The Administrative Control Application gives instructors the ability to "broadcast" up to two separate written announcements or messages to an entire class as well as sending one to an individual. To use the messaging system, you need first to navigate there by using the now familiar "Group Parameters" menu at the top of any screen, where you should select "Messages":  

click on picture to go to a full-screen version  

The messages screen offers you two message fields for broadcasting to each course section whatever announcements or messages you want students to receive. Move your cursor into the first (top) field if you haven't yet posted any messages and type your message. If a message already exists that you wish to retain, leave it and use the second field to post your new message. All students in your selected section will see these messages as soon as they login to their textbook following your posting to the server. You post a message by clicking on the "Save Messages to the Database" button beneath the two message fields:

 

click on picture to go to a full-screen version  

Sending a Message to an Individual Student:

There is also a procedure for sending messages to an individual student, but it requires that you first identify the student's database record ID prior to posting. We discussed this procedure in the section on posting individualized certification testing deadlines, but will review it here as well. To set your Control Application to work with a given individual student's database record, which is required for ALL individualized settings, you first should navigate to the "Scores" screen by using the "Get Scores" button at the far right of the services bar at the top of your application:

 


click on picture to go to a full-screen version  

After you arrive at the Scores screen, use the "Get Scores for Section (your active section)" button to obtain a list of all students currently enrolled in the section you currently have active:

 


click on picture to go to a full-screen version  

The "Data Manipulation" button at the upper right of the data field will allow you to alphabetize your listing if you desire, which is a good idea for your next task. You need to find the individual student for whom you wish to send a personal message, then select that student by clicking on his/her line of data in the data field. Your click will hilight this line. Now click on the button labeled "Get Student ID" as illustrated:

 


click on picture to go to a full-screen version  

This will bring you a dialog box telling you that you can now set Personal Deadlines, Personal Testing Parameters, or send a Personal Message to the selected student:

 


click on picture to go to a full-screen version  

Now that you have identified the individual student by his/her database record ID, you merely click on the button labeled "Compose Personal Msg." This brings up two fields. The first will contain any and all personalized "settings" you may have established, such as personalized testing deadlines or other testing parameters (such as extended time on questions). The student does not ever see this information. It is shown merely to inform you that you do or do not have such individualized settings for this student (which, of course, is one means for checking whether you actually have established such settings). The second, or lower, field is for typing your specific student message. Buttons along the bottom of the message panel allow you to "Delete Personal Message", "Get Personal Message" that might exist already for this student, and "Send the Message" to the student's record where s/he will see it the next time s/he opens the textbook:

 


click on picture to go to a full-screen version  

Next Topic.....(Getting Test Scores for your Class)