Firstly I looked at Word it contained the following which was an advantage for Mrs Coston:
- Text can be saved and reused
- Can create graphs and numerical devices
- Create tables and columns that make it look neat and help readability.
When I looked at Excel it had all the above and more these were:
- Easy to search for particular items of data
- It is made of rows and columns so you don’t have to waste time on making them
- Calculations are performed based on the data
4) Can create charts.
In looking at the two software applications I have found out that Excel is most useful for Mrs costons data as it can do many calculations this is one of the reasons for using Excel and the other is it is easy and precise. I think most people use Word for letters and leaflets but it isn’t a good idea for the maths teacher’s data, as it doesn’t produce calculations.
My main aim is to change Mrs Costons paper based system to a computerised system, as it is easy and consistent.
The inputs that are going in to spreadsheets are:
- Name of the students
- What class they are in
- How many questions they got right
Outputs I will be looking for are:
- Percentage from the marks
- A good prediction grade to go on the report
- Two lists showing if the students ‘Failed’ or ‘passed’.
In order to incorporate the spreadsheet the data is taken from the following processes:
- Once each pupil has taken the exam the teacher will then mark the test paper and the points will be recorded.
- Once the formulas have been added it is used to define the percentage grade (e.g. points divided by total points available x 100)
- When the percentage has been established this is then compared to the grading list to define the final grade.
- Depending on the grades, the teacher will therefore declare if the pupil has failed or passed.
The diagram below illustrates what data will be the input and what will be the output:
In looking at the input of the data I will need all the information from the teacher to add to the spreadsheet so I can give her an accurate outcome.
The output will all depend on me, as I will need to be very careful when adding all the data, as all the information will need to be accurate and correct to get the right outcome. (E.g. if I have a small mistake when entering the pupils marks it will the effect the whole process and the teacher will get the wrong grade for the students.)
Hardware needed In order for me to make a spreadsheet I will need all the hardware below
VDU – This will be used to show me all the information in the computer I have entered and use the Windows Icons Menus and Pointers.
KEYBOARD – This will be used to type in all the data needed in the spreadsheet
MOUSE – Used for moving from programs and selecting options much quicker and easier.
DESKTOP –This stores all of the CPU (central processing unit), programs, files, and documents etc.
PRINTER – this is used to print out all the data needed
FLOPPY DISKS – To save vital documents and used as a back up of the original copy.
SCANNER- This is used to input data in the computer in a faster process
The scanner and the keyboard are two hardware’s, which can input data in to the computer. In comparing the two hardware’s I have found that the scanner is an easy and a faster method to input data as is takes less time to process, whereas the keyboard would take long as you have to type in the data.
Software needed
The software I will be using is Microsoft Excel to implement the final spreadsheet. This is the only program that can create a spreadsheet for Mrs Coston as it has all the functions needed, for example, calculations can take place in this software.
Security Strategy
In order for the spreadsheet to be confidential and private, I have discovered a protection strategy that Mrs Coston can use to keep her data safe from, many students that might try to hack into her document. This will also enable her to have her own password, which only she can access.
The following screenshots illustrates how the protection strategy can take place.
From this window I have been given an option to password to protect my spreadsheet making it unattainable by other people, and I also have choose to make the file read-only so people can read the document but not make any changes to it. Mrs Coston will have her own personal password once the spreadsheet is completed.
From the formulas in my design I prepared my a spreadsheet not making a lot of changes to my first idea but taking in context Mrs Coston’s requirement and comments when I did a questionnaire on her. My first design looked like this:
In looking at my design I can see that some errors have occurred, even when I did this using my formulas. I received the errors in the grade column as when I entered the input data of the percentages then the grade column should have automatically filled in but this did not happen. When I did one of my tests as I entered data from column 9 and downwards I received errors, these were not expected so I had to alter my formula a little in order for the output data to occur fast. The way I corrected this was by placing the dollar sign ($) in front of specific numbers when doing the calculations e.g. my previous formula for working out the pupil’s grades was =LOOKUP (D2, H2:H10, I2:I10) this formula produced the mistakes shown in the screenshot above so I modified the formula to:
=LOOKUP (E2, I$2: I$10, J$2: J$10), the new formulas outcome is shown below in the second screen shot. The dollar sign is an absolute cell this is used so the computer can refer to one particular cell.
