MUSO problems

Lack of linking to pages within MUSO

• As a document server, this means that all documents must be stand alone and linear. No cross-linking is possible. No web structures are possible. This return to linear, compartmentalised documents negates the whole thrust of "the Web".
• As a management tool, this means that, for example, reconnecting to the database when a stundent visits to query a mark, is a long process, requiring a succession of four screens. No aliases or short-cuts are possible. This is aggravated by the short time out period for staff, so that I typically go through this process ten times a day. The incentive to keep marks in a local database or spreadsheet is strong.
• I suspect that this is inherent to the WebCT product, and cannot be fixed. Providing a longer timeout connection for staff would alleviate some of the problems.

Grade book

• I regard this as the most valuable part of MUSO, and have strongly supported its use in preference to spreadsheets. It can provide an current class list, with secure, published progressive marks, with audit functions, and with entry accessibility to sessional staff. But...
• Fields automatically updated from Callista show wrongly as being updated by one of the section instructors.
• The initial entry of a mark is not audited, only subsequent changes.
• Initial entry allows a comment to be entered with the mark, but these comments are not saved. Comments from subsequent changes are.
• The mathematical functions are extremely limited, with the absences of comparisons (equal to, greater than) except for MIN(...) and MAX(...) and rounding, as required for marks return, being especially troublesome.
• The authcate code used for identification must be titled "User Id" in imported spreadsheets, but is referred to as "User Name" in the instructions for importing spreadsheets. (Sorry, can't give URL, see above.) It is also case sensitive, i.e. "User ID" will not be recognised.
• Text fields accept carriage returns, but export cannot handle them. They cause a new line in the exported spreadsheet.
• The export screen has a radio button for All members, with no alternative. Despite this showing as chosen, only the selected members are exported.
• Marks return files cannot be generated, so that, at the end of semester the marks need to come out into a spreadsheet for merging with a marks return file, and be exposed to all the dangers of handling and merging spreadsheets.
• Minor changes of name persist between MUSO and marks return files. For example, in ECE2061, student 19572611 is "Al Harthy, Raif" in MUSO but "AL-HARTHY, RAIF MOHAMED SALIM" in marks return files and exam script cover sheets, making the MUSO sort order different to the order of exam scripts, because of the presence or absence of the hyphen. When entering marks from scripts identified only by ID, this is dangerous.
• Grade book view can be inconsistent. This is difficult to document, but after editing a column, returning to the gradebook sometimes presents a changed view. It can also revert from selected members to the whole cohort.
• Reports are slow, do not give any indication of progress, and the Summary of Activity report does not seem to work at all.
• Much more difficult to change is the generally clumsy interface. Editing of calculated field formulae in particular is very crude.