Doctopus Two Questions

[GMiller]

I have two questions about using Doctopus.  

1) Do you have to create a separate spreadsheet for each assignment,

or is there a way to have one spreadsheet and add multiple assignments?

I'm thinking I'm doing it wrong.  I am creating a separate spreadsheet for each assignment. Seems like more work than

the designers of the script intended.  But, I cannot see how to add other assignments to the SAME spreadsheet, and have

those new assignments take advantage of the setup I did for one spreadsheet.

2) Also, am I supposed to keep the assignment out of the VIEW ONLY folder that gclass creates?

If you put assignments in the VIEW folder gclass creates, they are automatically there.

Am I supposed to put them in a folder outside of what gclass creates and let Doctopus go find them?

Thank you, 

Gerald Miller

[jgerber]

You can run Doctopus multiple times in the same spreadsheet.  I've been doing this for several months without any issues.  Each time you go to distribute a new document, create a new sheet [or make a duplicate of your master roster sheet] for the assignment and then go through the sets to set up and distribute the documents to the students - changing the sheet, folders, doc names, etc.  This allows you to use a single spreadsheet to house multiple assignment distributions.  The downside is that you can only embargo, attach Goobric, etc. on the last sheet you created [unless you go in and reset the info to a specific sheet].

I place the doc that I am going to have Doctopus distribute to my students in a separate folder that only I can access.  I also have Doctopus place the student copies it makes in a folder in the original doc's folder.   On a side note, I usually place the files that Doctopus creates in the dropbox folder for each student that was created with gClassFolders.  This helps my students as they know that any doc I want them to edit is going to be located within the dropbox folder.

J

[larowc]

Gerald and J,

This is a great question and a great answer! Got me to looking closer at Doctopus.
I'd like to ask you a follow up question.

1) J, I  tried what you said in your post, and I was able to create a new sheet and add a new assignment.

2) However, I'm not sure what the Doctopus script is asking for when, IN STEP 3,  it's looking for a Destination Folder.

It creates a folder automatically, or lets you create a new folder.

3) Why can't we say where the folder should be placed?  

4) Where is it putting these folders each time we make a new sheet and run Doctopus for a new assignment?

It seems to be putting the new assignments in the original folder that Doctopus created for that spreadsheet, right?

please see attached screen shot

Carol LaRow

[jgerber]

Carol - 

In Step 3, you have the option of having Doctopus place the new docs it is about to create in a new folder that it creates OR placing them in any existing folder in your Drive.  

Before I use Doctopus to distribute an document, I create a folder and place my template doc [which you tell Doctopus to located in Step 2] inside the folder.   I then have Doctopus place the distributed docs in that same folder in step 3 [I browse the drop list of my Drive folders and then select the right folder].  This is my personal choice as I like to have my student work organized by assignment folder in my Drive.  

I believe when you have Doctopus create a new folder, it places the new folder inside the template doc folder that you selected in step 2.   

John