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List:       lon-capa-users
Subject:    [LON-CAPA-users] Excel Lab Spreadsheets
From:       Robert_Brewington () er ! monroe ! edu
Date:       2007-05-29 22:23:39
Message-ID: OF53AEAFE6.F29E7317-ON852572EA.007B03FC-852572EA.007B03FD () notes ! monroe ! edu
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<font size="2">OK, I have developed a much better system for doing my Excel Lab spreadsheets. It requires use of an Excel add-in, which contains a bunch of utility routines used by the spreadsheet.<br><br>Changes:<br><br>- Instead of using a keyboard macro (potentially visible to the student) for the backdoor, you now use the mouse to Ctrl-Shift-Right click on a hidden region of the spreadsheet. No macros are visible to the student.<br><br>- Disabling protection (optionally) can prompt for a password. Per spreadsheet you can set a specific password, or you can use a default table built in. For example, I use a table of Messier objects and their common names. The password then prompts with a hint (the Messier number) and the correct response is the common name.<br><br>- A minimal amount of VBA code is now added to the Lab spreadsheet, since most of the work is done in the add-in.<br><br>- Hidden sheets are also protected by making the text white-on-white, and placing a large rectangle over the sheet. This way, even if a student somehow gets to view a sheet, they cannot see anything. They would have to unprotect the sheet to move the rectangle, and then realize to change the font.<br><br>- Hidden sheets are hidden so they do not show up in the Hidden sheet list. Once hidden, they require VBA code to bring back.<br><br>- I made a few utility worksheet functions to help evaluate the student input.<br><br>Anyway, this is all documented somewhat in the word document listed below. To see the stuff, go to /res/monroe/brewington/Common. You are looking for<br><br>LonCapa Spreadsheet Tools.doc&nbsp; (documentation)<br>BrewUtilities.zip&nbsp; (contains the .xla add-in file)<br>BrewUtilities.html&nbsp; (instructions for the student to install the add-in).<br><br>If you try it, let me know what you think!<br><br>brew<br></font>_______________________________________________
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