Desktop Reporting Quickstart

An overview of the reporting process using the Desktop Reporting Tool.

1. Logging in

When starting the program for the first time, you will be asked for the name of your institution. This will be remembered in the future, but you can change it if necessary from the File menu after you have logged in. Choose 'Download updates from server' to create a new cache of data to run your reports from:

Online help is available if you have trouble logging in.

If you have previously logged in, a cache of data will have been created for you to run reports from. You can choose whether to use it or create a fresh one by downloading updates from the server:

Download updates from server- Checks online ePortfolio submissions, and downloads assessments to the hard drive of your computer. You must be connected to the internet for the program to check your username and password.
Use local data without downloading- Uses the data that you have already downloaded. The program stays offline in this mode, so and internet connection and logging in are not necessary.

Enter your Chalk & Wire username and password- you must have administrator privileges to run reports.

2. Running a Report

To make a report, first decide which data you want to study.

If you simply want a look at straight forward variables- like Overall average by rubric, or performance levels by student name- you need Desktop Reporter's Standard Tab. This gives you quick access to fixed reports (see below).

You may want a more complex look at your data. Queries can be made on various criteria, such as information from a certain time (ie. last month only), or gender-specific data. This can be achieved from the Custom Tab (see below).

Now run the report, either by clicking on the report name in the standard tab, or specifying criteria and clicking Report in the custom tab. This generates statistics based on your query.

3. Exporting a Report

Once you have created a report, you may want to use the data in other programs.You have two ways of making reports available to programs such as Word or Excel- you can save or export information.

Use the File menu of the Desktop Reporting tool to Save or Export a report:

Save a report to create an html copy that you can keep on your pc. This preserves the reports formatting and is useful for presentation and archiving purposes. Data gathered from the Explore tab can also be saved in this way.
Export a report to create a non-formatted file that makes further analysis easier. You have a choice of export format that includes tab-delimited, comma separated values, or xml. Which of these you choose will depend on the program that you want to bring the data into, but the first two especially are widely accepted.

4. Storing a Report

First, add a new library from the Libraries tab. Once you have done this, the easiest way to save a report into it is by clicking the Add to Library button underneath:

You are then asked which library, or library section, you want to put the new report in:

You can also add a page from the Libraries Tab, by following this procedure:

First you need to create that report from the Standard or Custom tabs.
Select the Libraries tab.
Select the part of the library that you want to add the report to (in the example below, the folder March was chosen)
Click the Add to Library button at the bottom of the screen (the cross icon).
Choose Page currently on display from the Add to Library dialog.

This will then add the report that is currently being shown to the folder that you have indicated. The report's default name is used, but you can rename it by clicking on the name in the list of Library pages.

Home > Standard | Custom | Explore | Libraries