We
will always find a solution to problems of
creating
your
4Matrix application - contact Mike on 07801
278497
if this page has not resolved the issues. |
Creating 4Matrix2008
Your 2008 school 4Matrix application is created from the examination data in three simple steps.
The starting point is to visit the web page at www.4matrix.org/pack and follow steps 1-3
The downloadable notes at step 1 provide full background information about the process – which takes about 20 minutes.
We recommend your IT systems manger carries out this operation - in case he/she needs to adjust any network settings, provide password access, or permit files to be downloaded, or links to work, or access to folder areas.
Missing examination subjects
Each year there are a few new examination subjects that will be missing from the data extracted from SIMS. If you have subjects missing from your 4Matrix application send your 'sims_gcse_2008.txt' extracted text datafile to us using our secure upload page, plus the missing data (ideally on an excel workbook) and we will merge it for you before returning it via a secure, password-protected web page.
4Matrix for Excel2007
Note that the second blue box on the ‘More Options’ page contains a version of 4MFilemaker08 that will create an Excel2007 version of 4Matrix. This is the version from Office 12 with the thick blue ribbon menu. You can run both versions of 4MFilemaker 2008 to create versions of 4Matrix to run with the older and newer versions of Excel. Known issue: Use right mouse click on pupil name to see their results.
Correcting your data
You can make corrections, for example, adding or deleting pupil entries, updating grades in several ways.
1. Change the data in SIMS and rebuild your 4Matrix application
2. Find the SIMS_GCSE_2008.txt file generated in the same folder as 4Matrix. Edit it with absolute accuracy using a spreadsheet and resave as a text file. Put it into the 4MFilemaker09 folder and double click 4MFilemaker08. It will process this text file in preference to the exported data (xml file in %temp%)
3. Upload your xml or text file to us from our secure upload page and tell us what changes you need to make. Use the username 'school' and password 'confident' to enter the secure area.
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Further
technical support
Please note that the expert on the Extraction step is
Marcous at TASC software 01902
824281 and the expert on the Conversion step
is Bob - Bob@4Matrix.org or 07904 375639
If you have a technical problem which is not
referred to on these pages, or you have not been
able to resolve, please email us at: contact@4matrix.org
If it is urgent please email us first with details
and your contact telephone number and then phone Mike :07801 278497
We guarantee that we will help you resolve any technical problem you have with using the 4Matrix software - as long as it isn't due to irregularities with the school's network settings, and hence not within our control. |
Terms and Conditions
Customers making use of this service do so under our operating Terms and Conditions. The main point to bear in mind is that you should always check the validity of the data you are using and the accuracy of the 4Matrix application corrected. 4Matrix was not developed for accountability, or for providing official returns. We do not gurantee accuracy of the data displayed in 4Matrix. We cannot accept responsibility should a school report inaccurate data through the use of 4Matrix.
Our Data Protection Policy
New Media Learning Ltd is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998 for all purposes in the use of school examination data : Registration Number: Z9896584
Click here to read our Data Protection Policy
Becoming familiar with 4Matrix
A good way to get a guided tour is to load up the example application (www.4matrix.org/example) and give me (Mike) a call (01277 232352) I will talk you through its use.
Contacting us
You can contact me, Mike at mike@4matrix.org (general enquiries) or Bob on bob@4matrix.org (technical enquiries) or via our office number: 01277 232352. If you would like to provide a quote for our website (+ or - : we will print everything) then we would be delighted to hear from you.
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Help with each step in the File Creation Process
PART
1 Extracting the examination data from
SIMS
Visit the Tasc Software web page at:
http://www.tascsoftware.co.uk/4matrix
TASC are our partner company who are
experts in all aspects of the SIMS database
and a SIMS Premier Partner, licensed
to perform complex remote operations
on the SIMS database.
If
extraction halts because your license is
not yet active then contact Mike on 01277 232352 to check your licence status.
If extraction fails then read
the log
file called
'4MGCSE2008.log'
To see
the log
go to
Start>Accessories>Run and type %temp%
Double
click
log to
examine
in Notepad.
If extraction works your data will be in a file called '4MGCSE2008.XML' in a folder called %temp%
To see
this file
go to
Start>Accessories>Run and type %temp%
If
you still have
a technical
problem using
the Extraction
service after
trying the
suggestions
here and in the creation notes, then please phone
the TASC helpline
at 01902 824281 and ask
to speak to
Marcous.
If
you can't resolve your extraction problem
then you could try our back up method as
a temporary solution - using a SIMS RepDef
report file. (See right hand column for details)
PART
2 Correcting the data extracted from SIMS
PART 2 is a new step introduced this year by TASC as a way to trap data that cannot be processed by 4MFileMaker. It will not be known if SIMS correctly identifies and handles all new subjects correctly until results day. The most important data is the identity of the examination subject. It needs a correct QCA reference name. If this is incorrect then 4MFilemaker wont be able to match it to stored data and may fail during conversion - for example, if it cannot match this name to ethnicity data, or national comparative date. The error could be something like 'could not match ethnic groups'.
PART 2 if the data is 'unassigned', i.e. empty identity fields or wrongly identified subject names, it will prompt the user to add the correct the identifiers. If you do not know this information then you may need to contact us. The solution is to correct the data and build the application manually. Send an email to mike@4matrix.org and upload your XML file from our secure web page. To see
this file
go to
Start>Accessories>Run and type %temp%. Look for the file called '4MGCSE2008.XML'.
PART
3 Converting the data to a
4Matrix application
To create 4Matrix 2008 after extracting your data right click here
to choose your 4MFilemaker program.
The expert on the Conversion step
is Bob - Bob@4Matrix.org or 07904 375639. Contact him by email first.
If the Conversion PART2 using 4MFileMaker
completed, the data will be converted from
XML to a text file called SIMS_GCSE_2007.txt and
placed in the same folder as 4MFileMaker.
This text file can be dropped into Excel
(right click>Open With>Excel) to
examine it and to check the data.
Is it
the correct year group?
Are the subject names correct?
Has every subject been extracted?
Are short and long courses correctly identified
If you have an error message (e.g.referring to ethnic groups) this is probably because there is an error in subject names extracted from SIMS causing a failure to match data.
Ensure
you have an exported
XML file in the %Temp%
folder called '4MGCSE2008.xml' (old name='T0a7sc4M~Y11g.xml')
To see the XML file
go to Start>Run>%temp%
If the conversion got to the end but there is a problem with the data in the application created, then check
the SIMS_GCSE_2007 text
file (inside
the folder
on the desktop
that you created).
Check that
the extracted
data is for
the correct
cohort and
that essential
fields are
populated.
If there are problems with the data
Upload
this text file
or XML file (in %temp%) to us from this
link.
We will try to make
a 4Matrix application
for you from this
data. Please note
that we are registered
under the Data Protection
Act. This is a confidential
service to schools.
BACK
UP DATA EXTRACTION SYSTEM
If the remote data extraction service fails
to work despite trying all the suggestions,
then the temporary back up is to use a SIMS report
definition file.
Download
the SIMS report file from here
Download
instructions on its use from here
Please
note that the report will not extract
the same range of data as the TASC
extraction service.
Problems with Excel or networks? click here
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