Assessability – Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL USE

How does Assessability save teachers time?

Assessability allows teachers to record and organise assessment data quickly and easily. Rather than drawing up an assessment grid in your gradebook or creating a spreadsheet to show your results, you can enter grades with a tap of a button and Assessability will create your reports for you. If you need to make a quick checklist, for example when collecting permission slips or homework, Assessability allows you to do this digitally - all that is required is a title for your checklist and a timeframe, and then you can begin checking off your kids. Finally, organising your assessment schedule can now become a quick and simple task - all you need to do is drag the syllabus outcome to the relevant week that you wish to assess it in your ‘Assessment Calendar’.

Is Assessability available on Android?

No – at this stage, it is only available on iOS.

Is Assessability available on iPhone?

No - at this stage, Assessability is an iPad application only.

I started a new year but all my information from the previous year is missing?

Subscriptions to the app is on an annual basis. Therefore, teachers start with a clean slate at the beginning of every year. Users are required to download the class information at the end of the year. Don’t worry if you forgot, class information can still be obtained from Dataful for up to 6 months in the following year.

Is this app supported by the Australian education authorities?

No, this is not a government app, it was produced and developed by Dataful (a private company). The app references official government sources and outcomes are derived from the official syllabus for each state.

PRIVACY

How does Assessability protect the privacy of information I am storing in this app?

Assessability has a strict privacy policy, which you can find here.

Why do I need to use the Parent Consent form?

The Parent Consent form is provided so that you can obtain written consent from parents/guardians to store information about their child that may be personal or confidential in nature. If you do not obtain consent from parents or guardians, you will be liable for, and indemnify Dataful against, any claims made by the parent or guardian or student against Dataful in relation to the storage of their information or otherwise.

SET UP

Can I add my own Calendar?

The calendar is based on the term dates published by each state. If there are sufficient requests for teachers to be able to create a custom calendar, it may be considered in future versions.

Can I add my own Assessments?

The assessments or outcomes in the app are derived from the syllabus published by each state’s education authority. We understand that the situation might arise where a teacher may want to customise, supplement or perform additional assessments based on special requirements. Again, our intention is to make the app as useful to teachers as possible and this feature will be considered in future versions.

Can I add my own Grade scale?

Currently we only have a single fixed grade scale. We hope to add this feature soon!

Which Syllabus is available in Assessability?

Currently the app has outcomes preloaded from the NSW Syllabus and Australian Curriculum (TAS, NT, WA, ACT and QLD). Victorian Curriculum is in the pipeline - coming soon!

Can I assess students on Assessability when I am working with a small group?

Yes! Assessability was designed with small-group work in mind. Simply drag-and-drop your students into groups in the Set-up section, and then you are ready to go. For example, if you use group work in Mathematics, you can set these groups up using the ‘Add groups’ function and then select ‘Sort by Group’ to organize the students by group on your dashboard. From here, you can assess the whole group at once using the ‘Select group’ button or add comments/grades/photographs for each student as you work with them.

Why do the Groups disappear when I choose a different subject?

Assessability allows teachers to set up groups by subject. Therefore, moving between different subjects on the ‘Assessments’ page will change the student groups you see.

I am an RFF teacher and teach multiple classes. Can I still use Assessability?

Definitely! Teachers can add as many classes as required. To add a new class, tap the button ‘Create new class’ at the end of the setup process. Alternatively, if you want to do that at a later stage, use your finger to slide out the main menu (look for the ‘Open Menu’ tab on the left side of the screen). Click on ‘Create New Class’ and then follow the steps to add your students and syllabus.

DASHBOARD

Assessment

Can I add or remove students from my class?

You can add students at any time. Use your finger to slide out the Main menu (look for the ‘Open Menu’ tab on the left side of the screen) and select ‘Setup’ > ‘Manage Students’. Then, tap the ‘Add Student’ bubble and add away!

Deleting a student is more complicated as this also deletes all current records of the student – we could therefore advise caution in using this function. A student can be removed in ‘Setup’ > ‘Manage Students’ by tapping the ‘x’ symbol next to the student’s bubble. This will bring up a warning message requesting confirmation to delete all records as well.

Can I only assess one student at a time?

You can assess one student or select multiple students for assessment at the same time by adding them (tapping) to the first selection and then tapping ‘Assess’. You can also assess all members of a group simultaneously by tapping on the group name and all students in that group will be highlighted for assessment. You can also do individuals in a group. Remember to select the assessment before you select students for assessment!

What happens to an Assessment if I don’t complete it in the week that it is scheduled?

An assessment will remain ‘open’ until you finalise it by tapping ‘Complete Assessment’. You may return to an ‘open’ assessment at any time by scrolling back to the week in which the assessment was scheduled.

REMINDER: Grades are only added to the reports once you finalise the assessment by tapping ‘Complete Assessment’.

What information can I record in the assessment?

You can select a grade, add comments, record (using device camera) or add (from Photos) images of work. A student may also be ‘flagged’ to remind a teacher of an incomplete assessment or additional information or action that might be required. Flags will be visible on the Assessment Dashboard and may be cancelled by opening up the assessment window/pop up.

Once an assessment has been ‘Completed’ can I still change it later on?

A ‘completed’ assessment will be greyed out in the ‘My Assessments’ window and can be viewed but NOT altered.

Can I ‘complete’ an assessment without adding grades for all students (some are absent)?

Yes, you can. However, you will be reminded that some students have not been assessed before you finally complete the assessment.

Checklists

Can I add or remove students from my class?

Each checklist will require a name and can be scheduled to occur daily, weekly, every fortnight or month on a specific day (where applicable). Like an assessment, a checklist remains open until it has been completed. Non-repeating ‘open’ checklists will be moved from one week to the next until they have been completed. Checklists expire at the end of each term.

How can I view past completed checklists?

You may return to a ‘completed’ checklist at any time by scrolling back to the week in which the checklist was scheduled.

Reports

Why do the grades for some of my assessments not appear in the reports?

Grades are only added to the reports once you finalise the assessment by tapping “Complete Assessment”.

Can I view grades by groups?

No, grades (or any other info) assigned in a group will be reported against the individual student.

How is the average grade determined?

Each alphabetical grade is assigned a value and the average is derived by dividing the total score across all the recorded assessments. If the average grade contains a fraction the grade is represented by letters separated by a dash i.e. A/B represents a grade between 5 and 4 (A = 5, B = 4). Detailed grades can be viewed if required to make a final decision.

How do I see the detail grades for each subject/assessment?

Tapping on the subject (report by student) or student (view by subject) reveals the detail score of each outcome.

Can I see the comments or photos that were part of the assessment?

If a comment or an image was recorded during an assessment, an icon would appear on the detail report on the line with the specific outcome. Tapping on the outcome will show the assessment window with the comment and/or image.

What is a CSV file and how do I open it?

The .csv (comma separated values) file can be emailed or uploaded to your Google Drive account. This file can be imported into any spreadsheet program like Numbers © or Microsoft Excel © for use.

Manage

Where can I set my profile picture?

Your profile picture can be uploaded or changed under ‘Manage’ in the Main Menu (‘Open Menu’)

Can I update my personal information?

Your personal information can be updated or changed under ‘Manage’ in the Main Menu (‘Open Menu’)

How do I backup or save my information?

It is very important that you download your information from time to time. You can save information by sending reports to your email or Google Drive account in the ‘Manage’ section of the app. While all the information is held securely on AWS cloud, it is your responsibility to keep/make a copy of the assessment records before your subscription ends.