How can I better manage documents in a school application?

jason_barnes534

Hello - I am using Onshape in my engineering classes, with approximately 180 students split between 6 class periods.  We have an Enterprise trial account this year.  I am finding it difficult to go find individual students' projects on demand.  If I go to "documents shared with me" I have a list of about 400 documents now that we are on the second project, and the lag time to load the list with previews as you scroll through it makes it completely useless.  The search feature only works on the project names - not the usernames.  So, I have to sort by username, then scroll a bit, wait, scroll, wait as the list moves up and down due to load times.

I was going to see if the students could send me a link to their file via a google form, but it does not appear that we have the option for links.

I created folders for each class to split things up, but I do not see a way for students to share their documents to the folder without giving all students in the group the same access I need.  I need the students to not be able to open each other's files and definitely not edit them - unless we choose to work on a collaboration project (later in the class).

So, right now I have 400ish documents to grade, but not an easy, non-time consuming way to access them.  Do you have any suggestions for streamlining this?

Thank you!

susan_pedrick

I'm having the same issue, 120 students. I created teams consisting of each class. I'd like to make a folder for each class, create a document and give an individual copy to each student in the class. That way when they are done, I can go to the folder and see just that class of student work. Right now, I thing I have to make a copy for each student with their name on the copy then share it individually with each student. Way too much work... there has to be an easier way.

Domenico_D

Hi @jason_barnes534

One of the most important things to make collecting/grading work easier is implementing and enforcing a strong naming convention for documents. Something like [Class], [Lesson/Assignment], [Last Name], [First Name]. This will make it a lot easier to search for all the documents a class created for a project or just the work of one student. Potentially adding a line item on the rubric worth a point or two for correct document name could help enforce this.

Folders are great way to share assignments/document to a whole class, however anything in the folder will have at minimum the same permissions as the folder has. So if you give a class edit privilege's to a folder that they can create documents in, then they can edit anyone's work in the folder. If you want students work to be private to the student, either you have to create a document and share it with a student, or the student has to create the document. If you have a document that you want a student to start from, you can share the document with view only privilege's and add the copy permission. You can do this to a whole folder of your assignments so that the student can see and copy the assignment. When they copy the assignment it won't get added to the folder if they have view only privilege's. Instead it will be created in their My Onshape with just the student able to see/edit it. 

Another option would be to have each student create a folder that all their work will be in, and then share the folder with you. You'd still be stuck searching for the student though if you have a lot of students. So it might be easier to just enforce a naming convention and search for a students with by searching for their name.

To make it easier to submit/grade document there are also a few ways you can try. You can have students copy the URL from the browser of their document and submit it to you in an LMS like google classroom or through a form like you wanted. If you are the administrator of the enterprise they won't have to share it with you. If you aren't the administrator the student will have to share the document with you to be able to open it. You could also turn on Link Sharing. Link Sharing allows anyone with the URL to open the document in a view only form (including people without Onshape accounts). If you have an enterprise you need to allow users to use link sharing by adding them to the global permission "Share for anonymous access" in Enterprise Settings.

You can also use Comments/Action Items as a way to organize student documents for grading. Action Items applies to enterprises. Students can create a comment on a document they want graded, @you and then assign it to you. These comments then show up in your Action items tab. You can open the document from the action items tab, provide feedback by replying to the comment, and then mark it as completed after you've graded it.

 



There are lots of options. I'm sure there is more than what I laid out here. If anyone has a system they like to use I encourage them to share! 

steve_maietta

 Allowing the search bar to search from the "owned by" field would streamline this a lot.  I'm in a similar boat as those above.
I like the comments idea and the precision naming idea, but both add just another layer of demands and tracking down students.
~Steve