The Spreadsheet Activity allows a sequence author to provide data in a spreadsheet format to Learners.
Learners can then perform their own calculations on and manipulations of the data.

By default, the Spreadsheet tool allows each learner to save their own individual copy of the spreadsheet. The activity can be configured to allow Monitors to mark each Learners spreadsheet.

View of the Spreadsheet Activity Basic tab.

There are two features on the basic tab common to all activities:

• Title: All Activities have a web page title which is presented at the top of the activity page when displayed in the Learning Environment. This is NOT the same title as the Title that can be set using the Properties Inspector.
• Instructions: All Activities have a text area that is presented beneath the title. This is where the main activity text to be displayed to learners is entered. The text can be formatted using the Rich-Text Editor. Image, Video, Audio and URL content can also be displayed in the Instructions area.
  
  h4. Specific Features for the Spreadsheet Activity

  Specific Feature: Spreadsheet Applet

  The Spreadsheet is where the data and calculations for the activity are entered. The Applet contains a comprehensive help menu, which is accessed by clicking Help in the top-right corner of the applet, and is reproduced here.

  You may also like to read the Simple Groupware manual available here.

  Some of the most useful spreadsheet functions are listed below:

  Spreadsheet Functions

  The Spreadsheet can be viewed in one of several modes. These are changed by clicking the labels in the top-right corner of the applet.

  • Values: shows all the calculated values on the screen (default mode)
    • Auto: calculates and updates values in real time
    • Manual: Disables automatic calculations (gives better performance)
      • Click Refresh to update the values in the spreadsheet if Manual mode is selected.
  • Formulas: shows the formulas in the spreadsheet.
    Formulas: shows all formulas on the screen
    Styles: shows all styles on the screen

  Cell References

  • A1 gives the value of cell A1
  • A2:A4 gives the values of A2, A3 and A4 in an array
  • [A2,A4] gives the values A2 and A4 in an array.
    NOTE: Cell values are always given using capital letters. ie: a1 will not give the value of cell A1.

  Maths Formulae

  • For addition of a row: sum(A2:A4) gives A2+A3+A4
  • For addition across columns: sum(A2:B3) gives A2+A3+B2+B3
  • For averages: avg(2,3,4) gives (2+3+4)/3 = 3
  • For minimum values: min(2,3,4) gives 2 (the smallest value in the array)
  • For maximum values: max(2,3,4) gives 4 (the largest value in the array)
  • For number of values: count(A2:A4) gives 3 (the number of values in the array)

  Keyboard shortcuts

  enter / start typing	edit cell
  ctrl+x or shift+del	cut cell
  ctrl+c or ctrl+ins	copy cell
  ctrl+v or shift+ins	paste cell
  del	empty cell
  cursor up	go up
  cursor down	go down
  cursor left	go left
  cursor right	go right
  home	go to first cell in row or page left/up if already in first cell
  end	go to last cell in row or page right if already in last cell
  page up	go 10 rows down
  page down	go 10 rows up

  Additional functions and commands can be found here.

View of the Spreadsheet Activity Advanced tab.

* *Lock When Finished:* ** Enabling this option in Spreadsheet means that the once the learner clicks Next Activity they will not be able to make further changes to the spreadsheet (if Learner editing has been enabled - see below.) Learners can still view the spreadsheet by returning via the progress bar.
If this option is disabled, Learners can edit their spreadsheets until the sequence is stopped by a monitor.

• Add Notebook... : This option is available on all Activities. Enabling this option creates a Notebook as part of the Activity, which Learner's can use to reflect on the activity just completed. The reflections are personal (ie: not shared with other learners).

h4. Advanced Features Specific to the Spreadsheet Activity

• Authors must select one of the following options:
  • Play Only
    When enabled, this option does not allow Learner's to save changes they have made to the spreadsheet. They can still edit the spreadsheet within their own LAMS session, but changes are not committed.
  • Learners are allowed to submit...
    This option is enabled by default. When enabled, this option means that each learner is required to submit a modified spreadsheet at the end of the activity. Their changes are saved and can be reviewed through monitoring.
    • Enable Spreadsheet Marking: When enabled, this option activates the marking component in the monitoring environment, similar to the Submit Files activity..

Unable to render embedded object: File (instructions.PNG) not found. View of the Instructions tab. This is the same for all activities.

The Instructions tab contains the same features for all Activities.

It allows the Author to create specific instructions for the activity, as well as upload files that may be useful for running the activity (ie: support documents, etc.). It is a resource that can be used by teachers who are running the sequence for their learners. (In the Monitoring Environment, the Instructions for an Activity can be viewed by double clicking the activity on the Sequence tab and then selecting the Instructions tab.

The instructions can be retrieved by other authors who open the activity, or by monitors running the sequence.

There are two types of Instruction possible, Offline and Online, depending on the mode that the teacher wishes to run the activity. The feature is useful for teachers who are sharing sequences with their colleagues as it provides an area where the Author can describe any learning objectives and/or the specific purpose of the activity.

h4. Conditions Specific to the Spreadsheet Activity The spreadsheet activity does not support output conditions at this time.

View of the Spreadsheet Monitoring Summary tab with marking features enabled.

Double Clicking a Spreadsheet activity on the Sequence tab opens the Summary Screen for the Activity.

The contents displayed on the Spreadsheet summary screen depend on the options selected when the activity was authored. In the activity shown here, Learners can submit individual spreadsheets, and monitor marking has been enabled.

The Summary Screen shows the names of the Learners who have submitted a spreadsheet and provides an interface for monitors to assign marks to Learner contributions. It also displays which spreadsheets have or have not been marked.

• Learner: Clicking the learner's name will open their spreadsheet (as saved in the sequence) in a seperate window.
• Marked?: This column dynamically changes according to whether or not the submission has been marked or not.\
• Mark Buttons: These open the marking interface where a monitor can insert a numerical mark and leave a comment for the learner.\

• View All Marks: displays a list of all marks assigned to learners.
• Release Marks: will display the learner's marks in the sequence view. Learners must log back in to the sequence to view their marks.
  

  Email Notifications If your System Administrator has configured Email notifications, Learners will recieve an email from LAMS when the marks are released.

• Download Marks: Allows monitors to download the learner marks in a Spreadsheet (.xls) format.

View of the Chat Monitoring Instructions tab.

In the Authoring Environment, Authors can use the Instructions Space to attach support files for a specific activity, or leave comments for othe Monitors about how a given activity should be run.

In Submit Files, the Author may suggest instructions for submitting files offline (e.g. a hand written or printed essay) if learners aqnd teachers are more comfortable with that format.