License

The Diploma for Windows software products are owned by Brownstone Research Group. You may install the software at your office and home. You may make copies of the program disk(s) for backup purposes. You may not make copies of the disk(s) for any other purpose, nor may you distribute the programs, or any of their components, to a third party without written permission from Brownstone Research Group. With the exception of Diploma's Proctor program (which may be installed and used on one local area network), the software products may not be operated on more than one computer at a time.

Acknowledgments
The Brownstone software development teams owe much to the academic and publishing communities. Special thanks are extended to the faculty and administration of Berry College (especially to Dr. Gloria Shatto, Dr. Gary Waters, Dr. Janna Johnson, Dr. Leo Anglin, Joe Walton, Buck Foley, and Dan Boyd), and to the staff of Brownstone Research Group (especially to Elaine Greco, Gina Hutcherson, Kristin Morton, Wendy Price, Shellie Miller, Annette Jones, Kerrylyn Moroney and David Lindrum).

Software Development Teams

The Diploma Development Team: Derek Mooney T. Mack Brown Jonathan Shoaf Denise Riedlinger Cristian Jansenson Winston Sharp III Stephen Halbgewachs Joey Brosnan Jennifer Iredale Kris Acheson Trevor Scoggins

The Exam IV Development Team: Virgil Buell Ken Cobb Mark Krenek Ken Offer John R. Stewart T. Mack Brown Tim Taylor Ron Garrett Patrick Garrett

Diploma Software and Documentation, 3rd Edition Exam IV Software and Documentation Copyright 1991-1999 by Brownstone Research Group Diploma is a trademark of Brownstone Research Group Windows is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. Exam IV is a trademark of Brownstone Research Group "Apple," "Macintosh," and "MacApp" are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Exam IV was written with MacApp(r) : (c) 1985-1990 Apple Computer, Inc. The MacApp software is proprietary to Apple Computer, Inc. and is licensed to Brownstone Research Group for distribution only for use in combination with Exam IV. APPLE COMPUTER, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING ITS PRODUCT INCLUDING WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO ITS MERCHANTABILITY OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

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Diploma for Windows

Diploma can be used to write questions, print exams, administer network-based tests, collect grades, curve averages, generate reports, and more.
Installing Diploma ................................................. 2 Starting Diploma ................................................... 2 The Exam Program
Creating a Test ............................................................... 3 Selecting Questions Randomly ...................................... 4 Adding Instructions to a Test .......................................... 4 Printing a Test ................................................................ 5 Conserving Paper........................................................... 5 Adding More Questions to a Test................................... 6 Exporting Tests to Word Processors.............................. 6 Exporting Tests to Web Browsers .................................. 7 Writing New Questions ................................................... 7 Editing Questions ........................................................... 8 Network-Based Testing Installation................................ 9 Publishing Network-Based Tests ................................. 10

The Gradebook Program

Creating a Gradebook File ........................................... 11 Student Sections .......................................................... 11 Grade Categories and Weights .................................... 12

Diploma's Help System ....................................... 13

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Installing Diploma
To install Diploma successfully, your computer must be running Windows 95 (or later), have at least 8 MB of free space on its hard drive, and at least 16 MB of random access memory. To Install Diploma: 1. Exit all Windows applications. 2. If you are installing from a CD, insert the CD into your CD-ROM driveusually drive D. (If your computer automatically installs CDs, an Install button will appear. Click it and skip to step 5.) If you are installing from diskettes, insert the first disk into your floppy disk driveusually drive A. 3. Click Windows Start button and select Run. 4. Type D:\Setup.exe (or A:\Setup.exe for floppy disk installations) and press the [Enter] key. 5. Follow the installation instructions as they appear.

Starting Diploma
To Start a Diploma Program: 1. From Windows, click the Start button, Programs, and Diploma. 2. Double-click the name of the Diploma program that you want to operate. After a moment, the program will start.

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Creating a Test
If a publisher provided you with pre-written questions, you can begin to create tests immediately after installing Diploma.

The Question Bank Window To Create a New Test: 1. Start the Exam program. 2. Click the New Exam button in the Question Bank window. The window will expand. 3. Click the Question Files tab and double-click the file whose questions you want to select. A list of questions will appear. 4. Point to a question that you want to incorporate into the new test and double-click. The question will be added to the test. Repeat steps 3-4 until the test contains all desired questions. 5. Double-click the word "Instructions" at the top of the new exam's question list. An editing window will appear. Write your instructions, then click the OK button. 6. Click the Save button. Type a description of the file (Example: "Test 1, Fall 2001") and press the [Enter] key twice. The file will be saved.

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Selecting Questions Randomly

To Add Questions to a Test Randomly: 1. Complete the first three steps as outlined above. 2. If a box labeled Randomly Select is not visible in the Question Bank window, click the Options button located in the bottom left corner of the Question Bank window. Click the Select Randomly option. 3. Click inside the box labeled "Randomly Select." Type the number of questions that you want to be randomly selected; then press the [Enter] key. The randomly selected questions will be added to the new test. Note: To select questions from only a particular group of questions, hold down the left mouse button and drag the cursor across the desired range of questions before entering the number to randomly select.

Adding Instructions to a Test

Instructions can be placed at any location in a test. To Add Instructions to the Top of a Test: 1. While a new test is being created, double-click the word "Instructions" at the top of the new exam's question list. An editing window will appear. 2. Write your instructions. You can write multiple paragraphs if needed. Click the OK button to save the instructions. To Add Instructions to Other Locations in a Test: 1. While a new test is being created, highlight the question (in the new exam's question list) in front of which your instructions should appear. 2. Click the Tasks button beneath the new exam's question list. Select the Add New Instructions option. A window will appear. 3. Write the instructions then click the OK button. The instructions will be saved at the selected location in the new exam.

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Printing a Test
To Print a Test: 1. Click the Exam Files tab and highlight the name of the file that you want to print. 2. Click the File command on the menu bar. Select the Print option. The Print Window will appear. 3. Adjust the settings to suit your needs. You can request that questions be scrambled, determine the number of copies and versions that will be printed, and alter layout options. Note: By clicking the Layout button, you can specify margin and other layout settings. By clicking the Preview button, you can see how printed pages will look before printing them. 4. Click the Print button. The file will be printed.

Conserving Paper
Several options are provided in the Page Layout window that can reduce the number of printed test pages. To Minimize Page Count: 1. Click the File command on the menu bar and select Page Layout. The Layout window will appear. 2. Make any or all of the following adjustments:

Reduce the size of the margins. Minimize the line count between questions. Click the Question Formats button and a) permit the text of
questions to be broken between pages, and b) use the paragraph or side-by-side style for multiple choice answers.

On-Line Documentation
Note: These pages outline only some of Diploma's features. A comprehensive help system (installed with the software) describes all of Diploma's features and is available by pressing F1 whenever the software is running. See page 13 for more information.

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Adding More Questions to a Test

After reviewing a printed test, you might decide to add questions to it or delete questions from it. To Alter the Contents of a Previously Saved Test: 1. From the Exam Files tab, double-click the desired file. 2. Click the File command on the menu bar and select the Reorganize File option. (Note: You might be asked if you want to reorganize using the questions in the exam file, or the questions from the original question file(s). If you have not edited any question text, the choices are the same.) 3. To add a question to the file: see steps 3-4 of the Creating a Test topic. To delete a question: highlight it, then press the [Del] key. To reposition a question: highlight it, then hold down the right mouse button and drag the question. 4. After all changes have been made, click the Save button.

Exporting Tests to Word Processors

To Export a Test for Use with Word Processors: 1. From the Exam Files tab, click the desired test. 2. Click the File command on the menu bar. Select the Export command and the RTF option. A window will appear. 3. Adjust the scrambling and layout options as needed, then click OK. The test will be formatted and a window will appear. 4. Type a name for the exported test and select its destination directory. Click the OK button to save the RTF file.

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Exporting Tests to Web Browsers

Tests can be exported to HTML for use on a campus intranet or the World Wide Web. These tests can grade themselves and are ideal for practice. (Note: We suggest that you create a dedicated directory to receive HTML tests prior to exporting them.) To Export a Self-Grading HTML Test: 1. From the Exam Files tab, click the desired test. (Note: Use files containing multiple choice and true/false questions only.) 2. Click the File command on the menu bar. Select the Export command and the HTML option. A window will appear. 3. Click the directory into which the HTML test should be saved. 4. After a moment, the HTML file and its associated image files will be ready for use with a web browser.

Writing New Questions

New questions can be written in a variety of formats and can be added to any file. To Write a New Question: 1. From the Question Files tab or the Exam Files tab, double-click the file into which you want to add a question. 2. Click the Options button below the question list and select the Write New Question option. A window will appear. 3. Click the check box corresponding to the question format that you want to use; then click the OK button; the Question Editing window will appear. 4. Type the questions text in the Editing window. Include the correct answer if needed. 5. When you have finished writing the question, click the disk button (above the question) to save it. The question will be added to the current file.

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Editing Questions
To Edit Questions: 1. From the Question Files tab or the Exam Files tab, double-click the file that contains questions to edit. The files question list will appear. 2. Highlight the question that you want to edit by clicking it once; then click the View button below the question list. The Editing window will appear. 3. Alter the question as desired. (You may edit its text, attach a graphic to it, modify its format, change character attributes and much more. See the Help topic called "Editing Questions" for additional information.) 4. Click the disk button above the question to save your changes.

The Question Editing Window

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Network-Based Testing Installation

Tests created with Exam can be administered over a local-area network with Proctor, Diplomas network-based testing program. Results from network-based tests can be merged into the Gradebook program. To administer network-based tests, your network administrator must install Proctor. To Print Proctor Installation Instructions: 1. Click the Start button, select Programs, and then click Diploma. 2. Locate the Documentation & Help icon and click it. The help system will appear. 3. Under the Network Testing heading, click the topic entitled Setting Up the Network. New instructions will appear. 4. Under the Network Administration heading, click the topic entitled Instructions for Network Administrators. Follow the directions to print the instructions. Give the printed instructions and the Diploma software to your network administrator. The administrator will perform the first steps of the installation and return the instructions to you to complete. After completing the installation, make the following adjustment. (Note: Before making this adjustment, ask the network administrator for the full pathname to Proctor.exe on the network.) To Adjust Your Copy of Proctor: 1. Right click the Windows Start button. A menu will appear. 2. Click the Explore option. Windows Explorer program will appear. 3. Double-click the Programs folder, then double-click the Diploma folder. 4. Right click the Proctor icon. A menu will appear. 5. Click the Properties option. A window will appear. 6. Click the Shortcut tab. Change the text in the Target box to the full pathname used by Proctor.exe on the network. 7. Type the same text into the Start-In box (but omit the final \proctor.exe text). 8. Click the OK button and exit Explorer.

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Publishing Network-Based Tests

When publishing a test for your students to take over a local-area network, you can specify whether the test has a time limit, if the questions should be scrambled, and so forth. To Publish a Test: 1. In Exam, click the file that you want to publish. 2. Click the File command on the menu bar. Select Online Testing, the Network option, and choose the Publish Network Test choice. A window will appear. 3. Select the test's style and alter the available settings to your preference. Click the OK button. A new window will appear. 4. Type the name that will identify the test to your students in the box labeled "Test Description." Enter your name and the class name in the appropriate boxes. (If you elected to save students' results, you will be asked to specify the location of the test's answer key. Select the directory where the students' Gradebook file is located. The answer key will be accessed automatically when the students' results are merged into their Gradebook.) Click the OK button. 5. Thats it! Students can now use Proctor on the network to take the test.

Proctors Results Window Diploma for WindowsPage 10

Creating a Gradebook File

A Gradebook can contain up to 3,000 students organized into as many as 40 sections of students, and 300 assignments divided into as many as 25 grade categories.

Gradebooks Main Window To Create a Gradebook File: 1. Click the File command on the Gradebook programs menu bar. Select the New option. A new Gradebook file will appear. (If you havent made changes to the default Gradebook template, the new file will contain one student section and one grade category.) 2. Click the New Student button to add students to the file. Click the New Assignment button to add assignments. 3. Save the Gradebook file with a unique name.

Student Sections
You may organize your students into as many as 40 student sections. To Add a New Student Section: 1. Click the New command on the menu bar. Select the Section option. A window will appear.

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2. Type a unique name for the new section. (Note: The first time that you name a newly added section, you will be asked to provide a name for the existing section.) 3. Click the OK button. The new section will be added and a navigation tool will appear above the section names. Click it to select the section whose students you want to see.

Grade Categories and Weights

Grade categories are collections of similar assignments. "Tests" and "Homework" are typical categories. Using weights, categories can be adjusted to contribute to final averages in specific ways. Similarily, assignments within categories can also have independent weights. To Create a New Category: 1. Click the New command on the menu bar. Select the Category option. A window will appear. 2. Type a unique name for the new category. Adjust settings (display preferences and weights) as needed. Click OK. 3. A tab for the new category will appear. Click it. 4. Click the New Assignment button to add assignments to the category. To Adjust Category Weights: 1. Click the tab of the desired category. 2. Click the Edit command on the menu bar, and select the Category option. A window will appear. 3. In the box marked "Category Weight," adjust the weight to the desired percentage, then click the OK button. To Adjust Assignment Weights: 1. Click the assignment whose weight needs to be changed. 2. Click the Edit command on the menu bar and select the Assignment option. A window will appear. 3. In the box marked "Assignment Weight," adjust the weight to the desired percentage, then click OK. (Note: If the box is not visible, close the window. Click the Edit command. Select the Category option. Set assignment weights to be set individually. Click OK, and retry.)

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Diplomas Help System

Press the [F1] key on your keyboard when operating a Diploma program to start the help system. Because the help system is context sensitive, pressing F1 will frequently lead you directly to the information that you need. If not, click the Search button at the top of the help screen; it can guide you to any of the following topics:
Exam Topics: Answer Formats
Answer Keys Breaking Text across Pages Changing Question Formats Conserving Paper Deleting Questions File Descriptions Finding Questions Graphics Instructions to Students Internet Tests Justification Layout Options Margins Moving Questions Multiple Versions of a Test Naming Files Origins of Questions Paragraph Formatting Previewing before Printing Rebuilding Files References Renaming Files Running Headers & Footers Scrambling Side-by-Side Answers Standard Font Tabs Viewing Questions

Gradebook Topics: Assignments

Averages Bonus Points Categories of Grades Class Name Curving Custom Letter Grades Deleting Display Options Dropping Scores Editing Scores Exporting Grades ID Numbers Importing Rosters Incomplete Grades Letter Grade Cutoffs Maximum Scores Network-Test Results Passwords Points Earned Removing Students Reports Search Command Sorting Students Student Sections Templates Unattempted Grades Weights Withdrawing

Network-Testing Topics:
Installing Proctor on a Network Logins Removing Tests Scrambling Student Rights Subscores & Subtests Test Styles Time Limits

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