UW iClicker Registration Information for
Students and Instructors
Starting the Fall 2014 term, University of Waterloo students will register
their iClicker on a page in their LEARN course.
LEARN
is the course management system used by UW.
Contents
Guide for the iClicker Student
- Register your clicker:
In your LEARN course on a page in the Content area your instructor
will have made a link titled Register iClicker. Click this link
to go to the iClicker Registration page. Here you will find
an input box for new clicker ID registrations, and a list of
clicker IDs you have already registered with the iClicker company.
You can also remove an unwanted clicker ID on this page as well.
Images on the page show you where to find your clicker ID on the back
of your clicker.
You can use the clicker in your class without having to first register it.
Guide for the iClicker Instructor
- How to create a iClicker registration page in your LEARN course:
On the Content page of your LEARN course, make the following clicks:
Add Existing Activities > External Learning Tools > Register iClicker
This will create a link called Register iClicker. Students
click on that link to see an illustrated page where they
can check their current registered iClicker IDs and be able to add
or remove their clicker ID.
Students can use clickers in your class without having to first register.
Students will be stopped from registering a clicker ID if that ID has
already been registered to another student in the same class.
If you wish to find out who has registered that clicker ID you can use
the iGrader program's SYNC Import Roster button to get a list of the
clicker IDs used by your course. See the FAQ section below.
- UW iClicker software to use:
I recommend using version 6, not version 7 of the iClicker
software.
Version 7 is brand new this Summer and is undergoing changes.
Please pick up a copy of UW's version 6.4.1 here:
- Windows:
-
http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~pkates/LT3/clickers/software/UW-iclicker-WIN-v641-Nov5-2014.zip
- Mac:
-
http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~pkates/LT3/clickers/software/UW-iclicker-MAC-v641-Nov5-2014.zip
These links will also be listed in section Files below
along with other links.
This copy of version 6.4.1 software includes extra iClicker/LEARN integration
files
that allows instructors to easily keep their iGrader program course roster
and their UW LEARN gradebook updated.
These UW specific integration files are also listed separately in the
section Files below.
iClicker software obtained from the iClicker web site does not
include the extra iClicker/LEARN integration files mentioned above.
- Using the iGrader program the first time:
Start the iGrader program in your iClicker software folder.
If prompted to download your class roster then do so by clicking the
Download Roster button.
Your computer will need an internet connection.
The iGrader program can transfer clicker marks to your LEARN course
using the UW version of the iclicker software.
See pages 14-19 of the
iCliker/D2L Integration guide.
Files
- UW iClicker version 6.4.1 software that includes the iClicker/LEARN
integration files needed to allow the iGrader program to download
a LEARN course roster and upload a file of clicker marks into the
LEARN course gradebook.
- Windows:
-
http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~pkates/LT3/clickers/software/UW-iclicker-WIN-v641-Nov5-2014.zip
- Mac:
-
http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~pkates/LT3/clickers/software/UW-iclicker-MAC-v641-Nov5-2014.zip
Unzip the file to your computer desktop and use the iClicker program in
your classroom. Keep all the files inside the iClicker folder as they
need to be run from within the folder.
- UW iClicker/LEARN integration zip files:
It is easier to use the iClicker software from one of the links above which
already includes the iClicker/LEARN integration files. But, if you
have an existing iClicker folder you would like to reuse and want
the course roster and clicker mark file synchronization offered by the
integration files then download the zip file and unzip the files
in your iClicker/Resources folder.
- Windows: http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~pkates/LT3/clickers/software/UW-WIN-v641-iclicker-d2l-sync-files-Nov5-2014.zip
-
- Mac: http://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~pkates/LT3/clickers/software/UW-MAC-v641-iclicker-d2l-sync-files-Nov5-2014.zip
-
- iClicker software from the iClicker download page:
Don't use these links unless you also use the integration zip files above.
But, the easier way is to use the zip files in the first item above.
FAQ for the iClicker Instructor
- How do I give the iGrader program a course roster and the clicker IDs of my students so it can calculate clicker marks?
- How do I upload the single Total clicker marks column to my LEARN gradebook?
- Where did my clicker marks file go?
- I used the SYNC Upload Scores button to upload clicker marks but nothing changes in the LEARN gradebook. Why?
- Can the SYNC Upload Scores function and the LEARN gradebook calculate my student's final clicker mark?
- Why can't my students register their clicker? What is this "connection reset" problem about?
- Why do I get a warning message every time I upload clicker marks using SYNC Upload Scores?
- Can my students share a clicker when they are in different sections in my course?
- How do I give the iGrader program a course roster and the clicker IDs
of my students so it can calculate clicker marks?
If using the iGrader program for the first time then the program
will prompt you to download your class roster. Do so by clicking
the Download Roster button.
If you want to update your class roster and clicker ID information
during the term, then
- Start the iGrader program and click the SYNC button,
- Click the Log In button in the small pop-up window that appears,
- Fill in your LEARN login name and password in the UW login page,
- Click the Continue button that appears in the browser window,
- Click the Import Roster button that is present on the iClicker Integrate
pop-up that appears. This small pop-up window may be hidden behind
another window so look for its icon in the task bar in Windows OS.
If you check the box titled Save my login credentials then
your UW login name and password will be encoded and stored in one of the
XML files in the the iClicker Resources folder. Use of this feature
is not recommended.
- How do I upload the single Total clicker marks column to my LEARN gradebook?
The iGrader SYNC Upload Scores button uploads the file uploadfile.csv into
your LEARN gradebook. This file is made using the green arrow iGrader
Export button. The Export operation allows you to save clicker marks
from a set of clicker class dates (i.e. mark columns) and also gives a
Total column of clicker marks when more than one days' marks are saved.
There is no iGrader option to export/save just the Total column of
clicker marks using the D2L/LEARN management setting in the iClicker software.
(Please contact me for other options.)
The iGrader SYNC Upload Scores button uploads each column of marks in the
uploadfile.csv file into a separate column item in a LEARN gradebook,
except the Total marks column.
But, if you edit the uploadfile.csv file to include just the Total column
then the SYNC Upload Scores button will upload the Total mark column
into your LEARN gradebook.
It is important to keep the Total column title as it is created by
the iGrader Export function i.e. the Total column title looks like
Total Points Grade |10
The number 10 may be different in your file, but be sure to keep the whole
title otherwise you may get a new LEARN gradebook item titled Username,
instead of Total.
If you have an existing LEARN gradebook item you want to use for your
total clicker marks, called TCM say, you can edit the uploadfile.csv
file and change the Total column title to be
TCM Points Grade |10
Alternatively, you could upload the marks file as is with all the days'
clicker marks and delete the new corresponding LEARN gradebook items you
didn't want.
The number 10 in the column title indicates the maximum total clicker
mark possible. The iGrader program will increase it during the term.
It becomes the points value of its corresponding LEARN Gradebook item.
The name of the file to edit is "uploadfile.csv" and is located
in your iClicker folder at iclicker/Classes/Your-class/uploadfile.csv.
If you run a multi-section course and your sections don't necessarily
have the same clicker questions then you should consider having a
different Total title for each course section to allow for different
total clicker maximum amounts per section.
- Where did my clicker marks file go?
Once you have successfully uploaded the uploadfile.csv marks file
into LEARN using the SYNC Upload Scores button the file is
moved and renamed into a backup folder called ./Uploaded/CSV
with a time and date attached to the file.
If you try the SYNC Upload operation again you will get a warning that
tells you to make another uploadfile.csv file using the iGrader program and
then upload it.
If the SYNC Upload Scores gives any warnings at
all, even ones where the operation does upload the marks file, then the
uploadfile.csv file remains in place in the iClicker course folder
for your examination.
- I used the SYNC Upload Scores button to upload clicker marks but
nothing changes in the LEARN gradebook. Why?
The LMS (learning management) setting is General by default in the
iClicker program. With this setting, the iGrader program can generate
an uploadfile.csv file of clicker marks but not upload the file to LEARN
because it is formatted in a manner not understood by LEARN.
There is no warning given when this happens.
Change the LMS setting in the iClicker program to D2L (Desire2Learn) and then
re-make the uploadfile.csv file using the iGrader program. Then
click the SYNC Upload Scores button.
- Can the SYNC Upload Scores function and the LEARN gradebook
calculate my student's final clicker mark?
Yes if you follow the directions above in question 2
to edit the uploadfile.csv clicker
marks file to upload the Total clicker marks column since that column
also tells the LEARN Gradebook the maximum points value of the clicker mark.
- Why can't my students register their clicker? What is this
"connection reset" problem about?
If a student tries to register their clicker using the iClicker
page in your LEARN course but sees a message like
Waiting for lmsreg.iclicker.com.
The connection was reset.
then the student's browser has the common safety setting "Ignore 3rd party
cookies". The LEARN system iClicker integration addon code is trying to add a
browser cookie owned by iClicker (the 3rd party) to the student's browser cookie
folder and the browser won't let it happen unless told to allow it.
Every browser has a simple, but different way to give permission for this.
- Why do I get a warning message every time I upload clicker marks using
SYNC Upload Scores?
This happens with a multi-section clicker course.
The SYNC Upload Scores function warns in a "Transmission Report" when
a mark of 0 is asked to overwrite a non-0 mark. The report says
Uploaded score is less than existing score in LMS
for student <A> for new score <B> in gradebook item <C>.
The clicker marks you are uploading into LEARN include 0 marks for
the students not in your section (blanks are treated as 0s by SYNC Upload
Scores).
Two or more sections of a course will be trying to upload 0 marks to
replace non-0 marks.
This is only a warning message and the 0 mark does not overwrite
a non-0 mark.
In fact, the SYNC Upload Scores function will change a mark in the
LEARN gradebook only if the new mark is higher than the old mark.
A second warning is given by the SYNC Upload Scores function in the
"Transmission Report" when the maximum possible points value of an
iGrader mark column is less than the current maximum possible points
value in the corresponding LEARN gradebook item. The warning lines are
Uploaded points possible less than existing points possible in LMS.
This will happen in multiple-section courses that ask a different number
of questions on the same day. This is more than a warning since no
marks are uploaded in this case.
In addition to uploading a student clicker mark, the SYNC Upload Scores
function also changes the LEARN course gradebook item maximum possible
point value to be what the program iGrader believes to be the max
possible points. If different lecture sections use a different number
of questions or a different iGrader marking scheme then a different max
possible points value will arise. The transmission report will show the
warning line above for every student in the whole class.
When the maximum possible points value of an iGrader mark column is greater
than the maximum possible points value in the corresponding LEARN gradebook
item then the marks upload operation is completed without a warning.
- Can my students share a clicker when they are in different sections
in my course?
Not if the multi-section course uses a single LEARN course.
The iClicker/LEARN integration tool uses a complete course roster,
not a course section roster,
in the iGrader program. Each student in a course needs to register a
different clicker ID. A duplicate clicker ID in a course will be rejected
by the clicker registration page in LEARN. Students can still share
a clicker (i.e. register the same clicker) in different courses.
Clicker registrations are shared among LEARN courses so a student can
register their clicker in one course per term and use it in any other
LEARN course without further registration in those courses.
If two students register the same clicker in different LEARN courses
and then use it in different sections of the same course then only
one student will get marks from the iGrader program.
The iGrader program only keeps clicker IDs that are
unique per student when it downloads the roster and clicker ID files from
the LEARN course and iClicker servers.
Unfortunately, iGrader gives no warning or information about removing duplicate
clicker IDs from the clicker ID file RemoteID.csv. iGrader removes
duplicate clicker IDs in that file by deleting all instances of the
duplicate clicker ID but the first one in the file. Consequently,
any votes made by a second student using the clicker are awarded to the
first student in the file with that duplicate registration.
The only way to see duplicate clicker IDs in the RemoteID.csv file
is to use the SYNC Import Roster button as described above in the FAQ
but quit the iGrader program after the roster and clicker ID files
have been downloaded without letting iGrader restart and modify the new
clicker ID file. Duplicate clicker IDs will be retained in the RemoteID.csv
file until iGrader runs again.
Paul Kates
Mathematics Faculty CTE Liaison
pkates@uwaterloo.ca, x37047
Last modification date: Mon Dec 9 16:35:01 2019.
Previous modification date: Mon Feb 9 11:46:07 2015.