FAQ

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions which you can search or browse. You can also use the following options which are shown on the right of most screens to contact our staff:

  • the blue support chat button (if our staff are online) or
  • the grey message button (if our staff are offline).

We are located in Canberra, Australia and and are usually available from 6am to 10pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time-UTC+10 or Australian Eastern Daylight Time UTC+11). It is currently   in Canberra, Australia.

The following table shown times in 12 world cities to pick the best time for a support session (ideally between 6am and 10pm Canberra time).

Licensing, buying and activating eMarking Assistant (11)

How do I generate complementary licenses for my colleagues?

You can use the following process to generate complementary licenses for your colleagues (the names of the buttons and links may be slightly different depending on what version you are using):

  • ask your colleague to download the 30 day trial and install it (eMarking Assistant) or use it (Automated Analytic Rubrics) on their computer
  • ask your colleague to write down the license ID (e.g. abcde-fghij) that is shown in the “Help and license information”. Press Alt/F8 and then click the “?/Install” button (eMarking Assistant)
  • on your computer, navigate to the “Help and license information” window then click the “Generate complementary licenses” and follow the prompts by entering the License ID of your colleague’s computer to obtain their activation
  • on your colleague’s computer, navigate to the “Help and license information” window and click the “Enter activation or extension code” button and enter the  activation code
  • you will then see the updated status showing that both licenses will expire on the same day.

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Can I pay using my Credit Card?

Yes. You can use your VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express credit or debit card to buy eMarking Assistant in the following way:

  1. go to the product page and select the type of license, the length of the license and the click the Add to Cart button
  2. on the Cart page, click the Proceed to checkout button
  3. on the Checkout page, enter your email address (so I can send you your activation code) then scroll to the bottom and select the Credit or Debit card or PayPal payment option then click Proceed to PayPal
  4. On the PayPal page, scroll to the bottom and click the Pay with a credit or debit card and then enter your details

Payment using  Credit Card is shown in this video.

 

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How can I contact eMarking Assistant or get assistance?

You can contact eMarking Assistant and get assistance in any of the following ways:

  • click the blue Online support button (on the right of most pages) to start a text or audio chat if our support staff are online
  • click the grey Offline message button (on the right of most pages) to send a message if our support staff are not online
  • sent an email to info@emarkingassistant.com
  • contact Peter Evans via phone on: +61 (0) 407 742 851
  • contact Peter Evans via Skype on:   evans-pj Skype evans-pj

eMarking Assistant also runs regular online webinars in the last week of every month. We can also arrange an online screen sharing if required for trouble shooting.

Self help assistance is also available via:

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How do I find the license ID and status of my license on my computer?

Follow the instructions at the bottom of this FAQ to check the status of your eMarking Assistant or Automated Analytic Rubrics license in the following way. The following  information  is shown:

  • has it been installed (eMarking Assistant) or run (Automated Analytic Rubrics) and if so when and what was the version e.g. 2.1.2
  • what is your license ID e.g. ABCDE-FGHIJ
  • has your subscription been activated and if so when?
  • when will the status change?
  • is it a primary, secondary, complementary or site license?
  • what operating system are you using?
  • what version of Office are you using?
    on your computer by doing the following:

If using eMarking Assistant do the following:

  1. open any Word document and show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window which shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested.

If using Automated Analytic Rubrics do the following:

  1. open the “Automated Analytic Rubrics” document and show the “Help and license information” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. The “Help and license information” window shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested..

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How do I find my license ID

Your eMarking Assistant license ID is 10 lowercase letters followed by a version number (e.g. abcde-fghij-1.94) that is uniquiqe to your computer. Once you have installed eMarking Assistant you can find your eMarkign Assistance license ID in the following way (the ID is also shown at the end of the instalation process):

  1. Open any Word document
  2. Show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8 or either:
    1. Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Toolbars Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
    2. Word 2007 or later: Add-ins tab > Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
  3. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window.
  4. Your eMarking Assistant license ID will then be shown (e.g. abcde-fghij-1.94)

If you do not provide your eMarking Assistant license ID when you purchased eMarking Assistant you can email it to info@emarkingassistant.com with your full name, the date your purchased eMarking Assistant, and the method of payment.

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How long does the 30 day free trial last

The “30 day trial” of eMarking Assistant expires on the first Wednesday of the month after you have used eMarking Assistant for 30 days. Thus, if you installed the trial on March 13, the 30 days is up on April 13, and the trial expires on Wednesday 2 May. I generate and email the activation codes on Tuesday night, so any purchses should be done before Tuesday.

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Once you have installed the 30 day trial of eMarking Assistant you can see the exact expiry date in the following way:

  • press ALT F8 to show the the eMarking Assistant toolbar
  • click the “Help” tab and then the “Computer ID, License & Buy” button to show the “Help and License information” window.
  • the expiry date will be shown in the status window

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How do I activate the eMarking Assistant license?

If you have not already done so you should install the 30 day trial of eMarking Assistant (see Installing eMarking Assistant in the FAQs)

You can check the status of the eMarking Assistant license (has it been installed and if so when? has it been activated and if so when? when will the status change? is it a primary or a secondary license? what is the version number? etc) on your computer by doing the following:

  1. Open any Word document
  2. Show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8 or either:
    1. Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Toolbars Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
    2. Word 2007 or later: Add-ins tab > Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
  3. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window. The status will then be shown in the status window.

You can activate your 30 day trial by doing the following:

  • Open any Word document
  • Show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8 or either:
    1. Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Toolbars Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
    2. Word 2007 or later: Add-ins tab > Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
  • Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window
  • Click the “Enter activation or extension code” button and enter your 10 letter activation code which would have been emailed to you
  • A message confirming when the license ends will be displayed

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How can I install eMarking Assistant on a second computer for my own use?

Yes, you can install eMarking Assistant on a second computer for your own use.

This is in recognition that unfortunately teachers often mark assignments and grade papers both at work and also at home (and sometimes even on holiday). Do the following to install eMarking Assistant on your second computer (the names of the buttons and links may be slightly different depending on what version you are using):

  • if you have not already done so install eMarking Assistant on your first computer and activate it
  • download the eMarking_Assistant.doc file (you can download this from http://eMarkingAssistant.com) and save it on your second computer computer and then to install 30 day trial
  • on your second computer, show the “eMarking Assistant” toolbar and use the “?/Install” button to show the “Help and license information” window and then obtain the License ID on the second computer (e.g. abcde-fghij)
  • on your first computer, navigate to the “Help and license information” window then click the “Use your 1st computer to generate an activation code for your 2nd computer” and follow the prompts by entering the License ID of your second computer to obtain the corresponding activation code for your second computer
  • on your second computer, navigate to the “Help and license information” window and click the “Enter activation or extension code” button and enter the second computer activation code
  • you will then see the updated status showing that both licenses will expire on the same day.

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How can I check if I have the latest version of eMarking Assistant?

New version of eMarking Assistant are released based on feedback and suggestions from users. Your license entitles you to upgrade to the current version.

Upgrading to the new version involves downloading the new version and then clicking the "Install or Upgrade eMarking (or eRubric) Assistant" button at the start of the document (in earlier versions this was titled "Install and start your 30 day trial"). Existing reusable comments and eRubrics will continue to be available and you do not need to uninstall the old version. You can elect to reinstall the default comments if you want.

You can look to see if there is a new version by:

  • showing the eMarking Assistant Toolbar (ALT F8)
  • if you are using eMarking Assistant, clicking the HELP tab on the toolbar then clicking the Install, Computer ID & Buy button.
  • noting the version and build date which is shown about 1/2 way down the status window
  • clicking Check for updates will load a web page listing your current version. Scrolling up the page will shown any newer version and listing the enhancements and a link to download the latest version.

A list of all versions is shown on the following page: http://www.emarkingassistant.com/community/mod/forum/view.php?id=14

Upgrading to the new version involves downloading the new version and then clicking the "Install or Upgrade eMarking (or eRubric) Assistant" button at the start of the document (in earlier versions this was titled "Install and start your 30 day trial"). Existing reusable comments and eRubrics will continue to be available and you do not need to uninstall the old version. You can elect to reinstall the default comments if you want.

Peter Evans

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How do I claim my free license if I have won one?

Every third person who installs eMarking Assistant or Automated Analytic Rubrics will be shown a message (at the end of the end of the installation process or the first time they use it) saying that they have won a free 1 year license.

To claim your free license you need to send your license ID e.g. ABCDE-FGHIJ-1.9.9 and whether you are using eMarking Assistant or Automated Analytic Rubrics to info@eMarkingAssistant.com and I will send you your activation code.

You can redisplay you license ID in the following way:

  1. press ALT / F8 to show the “”Help and license information” window
  2. if you are using eMarking Assistant you will been to also:
    1. click the “?-Install” tab which is near the bottom right of the toolbar
    2. click the Show license ID, expiry date, version and web site button to show the About eMarking Assistant window
  3. then copy the License ID which is shown about 1/2 down the page.  The license ID is 10 letters followed by the version number e.g. ABCDE-FGHIJ-1.9.9

I will then send you your activation code for your 1 year free license.

If you work for a university, school or company you may want to apply for a free 12 month trial for your site using the information on:

Apply for a free 12 month trial for your university, college, or school

Privacy policy: We will not share your personal details with anyone.

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Commonly viewed FAQs (2)

eMarking Assistant and the Oct 2016 update of Office 2016 or Office 356 on Windows

Update (4 Nov 2016):

On Nov 2 2016 Microsoft released an update which solves this issue (read more on the Microsoft site).  They mention that this update is not yet available “if you’re an Office Insider on the Slow level or an Office 365 commercial subscriber on First Release for Current Channel”. I will post an update in the eMarking Assistant newsletter when they have fully fixed the problem.

If you disabled Office updates you can install the fixed update by opening Word and then:

  1. turn on automatic updates: File > Account > Update Options > Enable updates
  2. update your Office : File > Account > Update OptionsUpdate Now

If you disabled eMarking Assistant you can now enable it by:

  1. File > Options > Add-Ins > select Word Add-ins in the menu at the bottom of the screen > Go 
  2. Put a tick next to eMarking Assistant.dot
  3. click OK

—old message below here included for reference—

Summary:

If you are using Windows Office 2016 or Office 356 (see below to display your version), I strongly suggest that you disable automatic Office updates (instructions below) until I have investigated the issue with the latest Office update. It is much easier to disable automatic updates than roll back to a previous update!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this issue or you can provide any additional information.

The problem:

I have verified that the latest (October) update to Office 2016 or Office 365 causes Word with eMarking Assistant to either:

  • not open or
  • to be non-responsive or
  • ask you to disable eMarking Assistant

There have been numerous reports from publishers of other Add-ins that there is a problem with this Word update. Microsoft have acknowledged the problem:

“On October 4th, 2016, we [Microsoft] released an Office 2016 Click-to-Run update which … unfortunately … introduced an issue that affects the way VBA form controls … behave in some situations…. In some cases, your Office app may stop responding when you attempt to open a macro-enabled file containing form controls…. We are deeply aware how important it is to resolve this issue and we are actively working on releasing a fix as soon as possible.” (read in full).

The solution:

When Microsoft releases their fix, I will announce this on this page and in the eMarking Assistant newsletter. Until then you should use the following workaround.

1. Turn off Office automatic updates in the following way:

  1. Open Word
  2. Use the File menu and select Account. This will show the word version and the latest Office update (see image below)
  3. Click the down arrow  next to Update Options and select Disable Updates. You will also need to click Yes to confirm you want to make the change.

2. If Word does not start or is unresponsive you can restore Word update  16.0.7167.2060 in the following way:

These instructions are a simplified version of the instructions from Microsoft at https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/kb/2770432. The video at the end of this page demonstrates the process:

  1. Right click the Windows logo at the bottom left of your screen and select the Command Prompt (admin) option to open the command window
  2. Type the following into the command window to move into the correct folder
    cd %programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun
  3. Type the following into the command window to download and run the update
    officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.7167.2060
  4. You may then see a downloading window and it may take several minutes to download
  5. If you see a repair dialog box, click Online Repair, then click Repair, and then click Repair again.
Command window showing reverting to a previous update

Command window showing reverting to a previous update

 

 

 

 

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What versions of Office/Word for Windows can I use eMarking Assistant with?

You can use eMarking Assistant with Office/Word 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013 (both 32 and 64 bit versions). You can use it with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7 and 8 (both 32 and 64 bit versions).

eMarking Assistant will not work with:

  • Office Starter editions (provided free with some new computers and supported by showing ads).
  • Office Web App which is a cut down version of Word for use within a web browser
  • Windows RT or Office RT which is provided with cheaper tablets using the ARM or RISC processors to achieve longer battery life.

The version of Word that you are using will be briefly shown when Word starts. You can also see what version you are using by either:

  • clicking the File tab > selecting Help > looking on the right of the screen
  • clicking the Microsoft Office button (top left) > Word Options button  > Resources heading
  • clicking the Help menu > About Micosoft Office Word menu item

Buying a full version of Office

Many Australian and overseas universities provide Microsoft Work at Home licenses to allow staff to buy Office at very low prices e.g. $AU30. Contact your university for details.

Staff and students can purchase Microsoft Office University from http://www.itsnotcheating.com.au/ site for approximately $AU99

Office Home and Student is available as either a:

  • 1 PC – 1 user for approximately $AU189
  • 3 PCs – 1 household for approximately $AU239

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Using eMarking Assistant on different types of computers (Mac, Win 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7, Win 8, Win 10) (6)

The F5, F6, F7, & F8 or ALT/F8 function keys do not work (FN lock)

If the function keys do not operate correctly in eMarking or eRubric Assistant this may be because your computer uses these function  keys to perform special actions e.g. start or stop multimedia, switch between different screens or perhaps turn WiFi on or off, rather than generate the standard function key codes. This will generally be shown as small icons on the function keys (see below).

Function keys showing additional functions

Function keys showing special functions on a Dell computer showing special device functions

Function keys on a Macintosh computer showing special device functions

Function keys on a Macintosh computer showing special device functions

Each computer manufacturer uses their own way to switch between the standard F1 to F12 function keys and these special device functions and if you google the name of your computer manufacturer and “Fn lock” or “Function keys” or similar you will find information for your specific computer. Below is general information that many also apply to your computer.

Windows computers

To generate the standard F1 to F12 keys rather than the multimedia functions you need to hold down the Fn key. If you have a Fn Lock key you can press it to toggle between the standard F1 to F12 keys and the special multimedia keys. On the Dell computer illustrated above you need to hold down the Fn key and then press the ESC or Fn Lock key to toggle to the Fn key or special  key mode. On a Surface Pro type cover 2 you need to hold down the CAPS LOCK and then press the FN key to use the FN keys as FN keys

Macintosh computers

If you are using certain Macintosh computers you may need to:

  • set your keyboard to use all function keys by clicking System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > and tick the option “Use all F1, F2 keys as standard function keys
  • disable existing keyboard shortcuts by clicking System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > Keyboard shortcuts > then untick the options next to F5, F6, F7 and F8).

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How do I handle different file formats in eMarking Assistant?

I tell students that I will be marking their assignment with Microsoft Word for Windows and suggest that they submit their assignment as a Word 2007+ document i.e in .docx format. While Word will read many file formats letting students confirm that their document is correctly shown in the version of Word that you are using puts the responsibility on them to ensure that you can read it. Word will read many file formats (you may need to download the Microsoft Office compatibility Pack to allow Word 2007+ version to read pre-2007 documents).

If a student wants to submit a PDF, I also encourage them to submit the editable file as well to allow me to make more detailed and timely feedback. Word 2013 is generally able to read PDF documents but may make mistakes if the document layout is complicated.

I insert the following comment at the end of the assignment (go to the end of the assignment > select the eMarking info. for students comment > click the Text button) to ensure that students are aware of the types of comments or feedback that might be provided on their assignment. This is because Word on some computers may be setup to NOT show revision marks or comments e.g. show the Original rather then the Final document or not show margin comments.  Some versions of Word  or Office like programs may not show all comments e.g. light versions of Office used on tablets or the iPad


eMarking information for students

Your paper or assignment has been electronically marked and it may contain the following types of comments and feedback:

  • comments shown in the margin or at the bottom of the page;
  • Word revision marks shown in the text in a different colour;
  • highlighting in the marking rubric or the marking sheet for the performance standard that best describes your work
  • general comments at the end of your assignment
  • audio or video feedback which you can replay by clicking the speaker icon

example of comments created usng eMarking Assistant

If you can’t see the comments or the revision marks you may need to use the following options to display them:

  • in Word 2007 or later: Review tab > Tracking group > Show Balloons, show Final Showing Markup, and select options under Show Markup
  • in Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Reviewing toolbar > show Final Showing Markup and select options under Show Markup

If you are still not able to view these comments, you should contact your marker and request a PDF version of your marked assignment.

More information on eMarking Assistant including demonstrations, forums, and a free 30 day trial are available from: http://emarkingassistant.com

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How do I ensure that students can see all comments and feedback?

Some students may be using Word on a computer that is setup to not show tracked changes or comments e.g. in the Review tab in the Markup menu show Original is selected rather than show All Markup and in the Show Markup menu, Comments, Ink, and Insertions and Deletions are not ticked. Some versions of Word  or other “Office type programs” may not show all comments e.g. light versions of Office used on tablets or the iPad

To guard against this possibility, I insert the following comment at the end of the assignment (go to the end of the assignment > select the eMarking info. for students comment > click the Text button) to ensure that students are aware of the types of comments or feedback that might be provided on their assignment.


eMarking information for students

Your paper or assignment has been electronically marked and it may contain the following types of comments and feedback:

  • comments shown in the margin or at the bottom of the page;
  • Word revision marks shown in the text in a different colour;
  • highlighting in the marking rubric or the marking sheet for the performance standard that best describes your work
  • general comments at the end of your assignment
  • audio or video feedback which you can replay by clicking the speaker icon

example of comments created usng eMarking Assistant

If you can’t see the comments or the revision marks you may need to use the following options to display them:

  • in Word 2007 or later: Review tabTracking group > Show All Markup, and ensure that Comments and Ink and Insertions and Deletions are ticked in the Show Markup menu
  • in Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Reviewing toolbar > show Final Showing Markup and select options under Show Markup

If you are still not able to view these comments, you should contact your marker and request a PDF version of your marked assignment.

More information on eMarking Assistant including demonstrations, forums, and a free 30 day trial are available from: http://emarkingassistant.com

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How do I return the marked assignment as a PDF?

You may prefer to return the assignment to the student as a locked or unlocked PDF document using Word’s File > Save as > PDF option. This prevents the student from easily modifying the document and means that the student does not need to use Word. Most modern versions of Word will show tracked changes and comments when the document has been converted to a PDF document but you should check this with your version of Word.

You should also include the following comment at the end of the assignment (go to the end of the assignment > select the eMarking info. for students comment > click the Text button) to ensure that students are aware of the types of comments or feedback that might be provided on their assignment. This is because Word on some computers may be setup to NOT show revision marks or comments.


eMarking information for students

Your paper or assignment has been electronically marked and it may contain the following types of comments and feedback:

  • comments shown in the margin or at the bottom of the page;
  • Word revision marks shown in the text in a different colour;
  • highlighting in the marking rubric or the marking sheet for the performance standard that best describes your work
  • general comments at the end of your assignment
  • audio or video feedback which you can replay by clicking the speaker icon

example of comments created usng eMarking Assistant

If you can’t see the comments or the revision marks you may need to use the following options to display them:

  • in Word 2007 or later: Review tab > Tracking group > Show Balloons, show Final Showing Markup, and select options under Show Markup
  • in Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Reviewing toolbar > show Final Showing Markup and select options under Show Markup

If you are still not able to view these comments, you should contact your marker and request a PDF version of your marked assignment.

More information on eMarking Assistant including demonstrations, forums, and a free 30 day trial are available from: http://emarkingassistant.com

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Can I use eMarking Assistant on a Macintosh computer?

eMarking Assistant works on any version of Office for Windows. It does not work on Microsoft Office for Macintosh. See the “Can I use eMarking Assistant on a Macintosh computer?” FAQ if you  want to run eMarking Assistant on a Mac computer.

The eRubric component  of eMarking Assistant is called Rubric-O-Matic and this works on both Macintosh and Windows versions of Microsoft Office (apart from Office 2008 for Macintosh).

If you do not have access to a Mac, you have two alternatives if you want to use the whole eMarking Assistant package:

  1. Several Macintosh computer users are using eMarking Assistant by running Boot Camp (included with most modern Macs) or Parallels on the Mac and then buying Windows and then buying a version of Office (Word) for Windows. Most educational institutions have a license with Microsoft that provides discounted versions of Windows and Office.
  2. An alternative is to buy a cheap Windows machine that has Word and then use the Windows version.

If you want to use only the eRubric component you can use the eRubric Assistant (free) package.

The reason eMarking Assistant is not available for the Mac:

Currently in VBA (the language eMarking or eRubric Assistant is written in) for the Macintosh it is impossible to highlight text in a document (e.g. the text you want to comment on) and then click another toolbar to insert a comment on the highlighted text (clicking the toolbar unhighlights the text). The technical term is that Mac VBA provides only modeless forms while the Windows version allows modeless and modal forms.

When eRubric Assistant (free) is being used on the Mac you can use function keys to select cells while on the Windows version you can use either function keys or a floating toolbar (a modeless form).

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What versions of Office/Word for Windows can I use eMarking Assistant with?

You can use eMarking Assistant with Office/Word 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013 (both 32 and 64 bit versions). You can use it with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7 and 8 (both 32 and 64 bit versions).

eMarking Assistant will not work with:

  • Office Starter editions (provided free with some new computers and supported by showing ads).
  • Office Web App which is a cut down version of Word for use within a web browser
  • Windows RT or Office RT which is provided with cheaper tablets using the ARM or RISC processors to achieve longer battery life.

The version of Word that you are using will be briefly shown when Word starts. You can also see what version you are using by either:

  • clicking the File tab > selecting Help > looking on the right of the screen
  • clicking the Microsoft Office button (top left) > Word Options button  > Resources heading
  • clicking the Help menu > About Micosoft Office Word menu item

Buying a full version of Office

Many Australian and overseas universities provide Microsoft Work at Home licenses to allow staff to buy Office at very low prices e.g. $AU30. Contact your university for details.

Staff and students can purchase Microsoft Office University from http://www.itsnotcheating.com.au/ site for approximately $AU99

Office Home and Student is available as either a:

  • 1 PC – 1 user for approximately $AU189
  • 3 PCs – 1 household for approximately $AU239

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Support and trouble shooting (17)

How to copy the “status information” and send it to eMarking Assistant

To help diagnose an issue you might be asked to copy the “status of eMarking Assistant” and send it to Peter.Evans@emarkingassistant.com

To do this:
  • show the toolbar by pressing ALT/F8 or go to the Add-ins menu and select Show eMarking or eRubric toolbar
  • click the ?_install tab near the bottom right of the toolbar
  • click the Install, activate or buy button
  • highlight all the text in the Status of your license on this computer box. This starts with eMarking Assistant license details: and ends with the current date and time.  Press CTRL/C to copy this to the clipboard
  • paste this into an email and send it to Peter.Evans@emarkingassistant.com
We will then diagnose the issue and reply to you.

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eMarking Assistant and the Oct 2016 update of Office 2016 or Office 356 on Windows

Update (4 Nov 2016):

On Nov 2 2016 Microsoft released an update which solves this issue (read more on the Microsoft site).  They mention that this update is not yet available “if you’re an Office Insider on the Slow level or an Office 365 commercial subscriber on First Release for Current Channel”. I will post an update in the eMarking Assistant newsletter when they have fully fixed the problem.

If you disabled Office updates you can install the fixed update by opening Word and then:

  1. turn on automatic updates: File > Account > Update Options > Enable updates
  2. update your Office : File > Account > Update OptionsUpdate Now

If you disabled eMarking Assistant you can now enable it by:

  1. File > Options > Add-Ins > select Word Add-ins in the menu at the bottom of the screen > Go 
  2. Put a tick next to eMarking Assistant.dot
  3. click OK

—old message below here included for reference—

Summary:

If you are using Windows Office 2016 or Office 356 (see below to display your version), I strongly suggest that you disable automatic Office updates (instructions below) until I have investigated the issue with the latest Office update. It is much easier to disable automatic updates than roll back to a previous update!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this issue or you can provide any additional information.

The problem:

I have verified that the latest (October) update to Office 2016 or Office 365 causes Word with eMarking Assistant to either:

  • not open or
  • to be non-responsive or
  • ask you to disable eMarking Assistant

There have been numerous reports from publishers of other Add-ins that there is a problem with this Word update. Microsoft have acknowledged the problem:

“On October 4th, 2016, we [Microsoft] released an Office 2016 Click-to-Run update which … unfortunately … introduced an issue that affects the way VBA form controls … behave in some situations…. In some cases, your Office app may stop responding when you attempt to open a macro-enabled file containing form controls…. We are deeply aware how important it is to resolve this issue and we are actively working on releasing a fix as soon as possible.” (read in full).

The solution:

When Microsoft releases their fix, I will announce this on this page and in the eMarking Assistant newsletter. Until then you should use the following workaround.

1. Turn off Office automatic updates in the following way:

  1. Open Word
  2. Use the File menu and select Account. This will show the word version and the latest Office update (see image below)
  3. Click the down arrow  next to Update Options and select Disable Updates. You will also need to click Yes to confirm you want to make the change.

2. If Word does not start or is unresponsive you can restore Word update  16.0.7167.2060 in the following way:

These instructions are a simplified version of the instructions from Microsoft at https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/kb/2770432. The video at the end of this page demonstrates the process:

  1. Right click the Windows logo at the bottom left of your screen and select the Command Prompt (admin) option to open the command window
  2. Type the following into the command window to move into the correct folder
    cd %programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun
  3. Type the following into the command window to download and run the update
    officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.7167.2060
  4. You may then see a downloading window and it may take several minutes to download
  5. If you see a repair dialog box, click Online Repair, then click Repair, and then click Repair again.
Command window showing reverting to a previous update

Command window showing reverting to a previous update

 

 

 

 

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How can I start an online support chat session or online screen sharing support session?

Starting an online support chat session

The online support button on the right of most pages allows you to:

  • start a text and or audio chat with out support staff (if they are online) or
  • send a message (if they are not online)

You can also contact Peter Evans via Skype using Skype ID  evans-pj

Online support screen sharing session

Often the easiest way to sort out an issue is to use a screen sharing application called Mikogo (see below for instructions) to view your screen. If you use Skype we can also view your screen in Skype.

Arranging a time for a screen sharing session

If you want you can arrange a time for a support session by sending a message using the online support button. We are located in Canberra, Australia and are usually available from 6am to 10pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time-UTC+10 or Australian Eastern Daylight Time UTC+11). It is currentlyin Canberra, Australia.

The following table shown times in 12 world cities to pick the best time for a support session (ideally between 6am and 10pm Canberra time).

How to Connect to a Mikogo screen sharing session

  1. At the arranged time, go to the eMarking Assistant site and click the Online Support button that is on the right of most screens. You can then enter your name and the reason for the chat and then click the Start Chat button.
  2. You can move the chat window to the side of the screen to allow room to show Word. If you have a microphone you can click the mic button at the bottom of the chat window to talk rather than type
  3. Go to http://go.mikogo.com and enter the nine number Session ID that will be provided to you, your first name, make sure that Connection Program is selected, and then click Join session
  4. When the Mikogo program has finished being downloaded you can Open or Run it.
  5. The Mikogo window will then open and you will see that you are connected into the session
  6. You may then be asked be a presenter so the eMarking Assistant support staff can see your screen.

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Security in Microsoft Word (enable macros and protected documents)

eMarking Assistant and Rubric-O-Matic use Microsoft Word macros to provide functions which will help you mark assignments and provided feedback. However, macros can also be potentially harmful and you should only enable macros from trusted sources. The macros in the eMarking Assistant and Rubric-O-Matic documents have been locked to prevent modification or inclusion of malicious macros.

It is important that you do not change the security settings in Word (FILE > Options > Trust center > Trust center Settings > Macro settings & Protected view) so all macros in all documents are enabled without notice (see video at the end of this page).  The safest options are to set Word to open documents in Protected mode and disable macros but to notify you so you can override these on a document by document basis.

Depending on what version of Microsoft Word you are using your screen might look different but the general process is similar (see video at the end of this page). You can also find information by searching for your version of Word and “enable macros” or “protected mode” or “enable content” or “enable editing” or “reading mode” e.g. “Word 2013 enable macros”.

“Protected mode” is displayed at the top of the document

Recent versions of Windows and Office record where the file was downloaded from. If the file came from the internet or a network drive, the file is often opened in “protected mode” and you need  to follow the prompts to “edit it” before you can use eMarking Assistant”. Sometimes Word will say that the file is “potentially dangerous”.

“Enable content” or “Enable macros” is displayed at the top of the document

When you open the document you may see a pink or yellow ribbon at the top of the document saying that you need to Enable Content or Enable Editing or Enable Macros before you can start using eMarking Assistant.

The document is opened in “Reading mode”

Recent versions of Windows and Office may open the file in “Reading mode” which displays in a large font and you need to open the VIEW menu and select Edit document before you can use eMarking Assistant.

Old versions of Word might ask “Do you want to enable macros in this document”

Tick the box to enable macros in this document.

Old versions of Word might not display anything

Word macro security settings

Word macro security settings

Some versions of Word will be set to disable all macros without notification. All versions of Word have 4 settings as shown in the following image. In this case you should change the security level to disable all macros with notification and this will allow you to decide on a document by document basis if you want to enable or disable the macros.

To do this in Word 2007 or later

  1. go to the “File” tab > “Options” menu item > “Trust Center” link in the left margin > “Trust Center Settings” button > and set the macro settings to “Disable all macros with notification“ > click “OK” several times to return to the document
  2. quit out of Word by using the File tab > Exit out of Word
  3. When you reopen the eMarking Assistant document in Word you should be shown a banner and the top of the document asking you if you want to enable content and you should click “enable content

In Word 2003 or earlier

  1. use the “Tools” menu > “Macro” menu item > Security item > then set the security level to “Medium:” > then click “OK” to return to the document
  2. quit out of Word by using the File menu > Exit out of Word.
  3. When you reopen the eMarking Assistant document in Word you should be you will be asking you if you want to enable macros and you should click “yes“.

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The F5, F6, F7, & F8 or ALT/F8 function keys do not work (FN lock)

If the function keys do not operate correctly in eMarking or eRubric Assistant this may be because your computer uses these function  keys to perform special actions e.g. start or stop multimedia, switch between different screens or perhaps turn WiFi on or off, rather than generate the standard function key codes. This will generally be shown as small icons on the function keys (see below).

Function keys showing additional functions

Function keys showing special functions on a Dell computer showing special device functions

Function keys on a Macintosh computer showing special device functions

Function keys on a Macintosh computer showing special device functions

Each computer manufacturer uses their own way to switch between the standard F1 to F12 function keys and these special device functions and if you google the name of your computer manufacturer and “Fn lock” or “Function keys” or similar you will find information for your specific computer. Below is general information that many also apply to your computer.

Windows computers

To generate the standard F1 to F12 keys rather than the multimedia functions you need to hold down the Fn key. If you have a Fn Lock key you can press it to toggle between the standard F1 to F12 keys and the special multimedia keys. On the Dell computer illustrated above you need to hold down the Fn key and then press the ESC or Fn Lock key to toggle to the Fn key or special  key mode. On a Surface Pro type cover 2 you need to hold down the CAPS LOCK and then press the FN key to use the FN keys as FN keys

Macintosh computers

If you are using certain Macintosh computers you may need to:

  • set your keyboard to use all function keys by clicking System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > and tick the option “Use all F1, F2 keys as standard function keys
  • disable existing keyboard shortcuts by clicking System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > Keyboard shortcuts > then untick the options next to F5, F6, F7 and F8).

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How to edit a file that Word opens in protected mode (downloaded from the Internet)

Recent versions of Windows and Office record where a file came from (the internet, your local storage or network storage). Depending on how Office has been setup, files downloaded from the Internet or network storage might open in Word in protected mode. and this means that you are unable to edit it or run macros in it.

The following video shows you what you will see when you open a file in Word in Protected mode and how you can change this to open the file in unprotected mode or unblock the file.

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“{” and field codes are visible in my document — ALT F9 to show/hide field codes in your document

Microsoft Word uses field codes to hide additional functionality behind the text of Word documents e.g. the destination of a hyperlink.

Pressing ALT F9 shows these field codes throughout the document (see below).

Field codes are shown

Field codes are shown

Pressing ALT F9 hides the field codes (see below)

Field codes are hidden

Field codes are hidden

 

 

 

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“page #” is shown in some comments and how to resolve this

In rare circumstances, { PAGE \# ‘”Page: ‘#’ ‘” } (or something similar) may be saved in some reusable comments on some computers.  This is a Microsoft field code for inserting the page number into the document and you can press ALT F9 to display either the field code or the field result ( see FAQ or (read more from Microsoft).

If this occurs on your computer, I would grateful if you could contact me so I can identify why this occurs and resolve the issue.

People have found the following ways to resolve the issue:

  • press ALT F9 several times to toggle between displaying either the field code or the field result.
  • insert the comment into the document or margin > at the end of the comment press the Enter key several times to insert paragraph marks > show the paragraph marks by using the HOME menu, then Paragrap group and clicking the ¶ button > then select the comment being careful not to include the paragraph marks > then resave the comment. This is shown in the following video

  • If you have many comments which  include  { PAGE \# ‘”Page: ‘#’ ‘” } you can export all comment into a Word table (the Setup tab > Manage Comment banks menu > export comment bank). You can then edit the table to remove the field code. Then import the comment bank using the Setup tab > Manage Comment banks menu > export comment bank.

If this error occurs on your computer I would be grateful if you could contact me so I can identify exactly when this error occurs and then resolve it.

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How can I contact eMarking Assistant or get assistance?

You can contact eMarking Assistant and get assistance in any of the following ways:

  • click the blue Online support button (on the right of most pages) to start a text or audio chat if our support staff are online
  • click the grey Offline message button (on the right of most pages) to send a message if our support staff are not online
  • sent an email to info@emarkingassistant.com
  • contact Peter Evans via phone on: +61 (0) 407 742 851
  • contact Peter Evans via Skype on:   evans-pj Skype evans-pj

eMarking Assistant also runs regular online webinars in the last week of every month. We can also arrange an online screen sharing if required for trouble shooting.

Self help assistance is also available via:

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What version of Office, Operating system, processor you are using?

To find out the version of Office you are using:

  • use the File menu and select Help to see
    • the version of Office e.g. Office 2007 (version 13), Office 2010 (version 14), Office 2013 (version 15)
    • the bit version of office e.g.16 bit, 32 bit or 64 bit
    • the edition e.g. home, professional, professional plus, enterprise
  • in earlier versions you might need to use the Office button (large round button at the top left) or the Help menu and select About Microsoft Office

To find information about the Operating system and hardware:

  • use the Start button (at bottom left) > Control Panel > System and Security > System to see:
    • the version of Windows e.g. 2000, 2002, XP (2003) , Vista (2007), Windows7 (2010), Windows 8 (2013), Windows RT
    • The edition of Windows e.g. Home, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate
    • the computer brand
    • the Processor and speed e.g. Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 Q 740 @ 1.73Ghz
    • the Amount of Installed Ram e.g. 4.00 GB
    • the bit type of the system e.g. 32 bit, 64 bit
    • whether there is touch input

eMarking Assistant runs on all versions of Office for Windows since Office 2000 except:

  • Office 2013 running on Windows RT tablets running ARM based hardware
  • Office 2010 starter edition (ad-supported)

 

 

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How do I find the license ID and status of my license on my computer?

Follow the instructions at the bottom of this FAQ to check the status of your eMarking Assistant or Automated Analytic Rubrics license in the following way. The following  information  is shown:

  • has it been installed (eMarking Assistant) or run (Automated Analytic Rubrics) and if so when and what was the version e.g. 2.1.2
  • what is your license ID e.g. ABCDE-FGHIJ
  • has your subscription been activated and if so when?
  • when will the status change?
  • is it a primary, secondary, complementary or site license?
  • what operating system are you using?
  • what version of Office are you using?
    on your computer by doing the following:

If using eMarking Assistant do the following:

  1. open any Word document and show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window which shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested.

If using Automated Analytic Rubrics do the following:

  1. open the “Automated Analytic Rubrics” document and show the “Help and license information” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. The “Help and license information” window shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested..

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Why might eMarking Assistant become disabled and hide the Add-ins tab?

Occasionally conflicts occur between Word add-ins and one or both add-ins will be disabled. This is very rare and I am only aware of 4 times this has occurred in more than 5 years. If this does occur the Add-Ins tab (Word 2007 or later) or the Show eMarking or eRubric toolbar option (Word 2003 or earlier) will disappear. You can confirm that the add-in has been disabled by doing the following (In Word 2007 or later):

  • Using the File tab and selecting Options
  • Click the Add-Ins tab and looking in the Inactive or the Disabled Application Add-ins group and looking for the eMarking Assistant.dot add-in.

You can reenable the eMarking Assistant.dot Add-in by

  • using the Manage dropdown menu at the bottom of the page and selecting Templates then clicking Go…
  • Placing a tick next to eMarking Assistant.dot and clicking OK
  • You should now see the Add-ins tab containing the Show eMarking or eRubric toolbar option

If the eMarking Assistant.dot Add-in becomes disabled again you should arrange a time for an online support session or send the list of active add-ins to info@eMarkingAssistant.com and we will investigate the issue.

 

 

 

 

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Some firewalls and antivirus software may rename Word documents containing macros

(This is very rare and if you are unsure you may want to ask someone to assist you doing this.)

Some firewalls and antivirus software may rename Word documents containing macros and this will prevent you from enabling macros and thus installing eMarking Assistant.

To check if the file has been renamed you should:

  • check that the eMarking Assistant document file name contains .doc at the end
  • if it does not you need to rename the file by changing the bit after the dot to .doc i.e. change eMarking_Assistant_1_94.docz to eMarking_Assistant_1_94.doc
  • some versions of Windows have been setup to hide known file types and in this case you need to show the file extension by going to Windows Explorer > Organise > Folder and search options > View > Files and folders > and remove the tick from the Hide extensions for known file types > click Apply > click OK
  • When you return to your desktop you will then see the file extension and you can change it to .doc

Once you have renamed the file you should be able to enable macros in the document.

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How do I check if I have the latest version of eMarking Assistant?

New version of eMarking Assistant are released based on feedback and suggestions from users. An activated license entitles you to unlimited upgrades.

You can look to see if there is a new version by:

  • showing the eMarking Assistant Toolbar (ALT F8)
  • if you are using eMarking Assistant, clicking the Help tab on the toolbar then clicking the Install, Computer ID & Buy button.
  • noting the version and build date which is shown about 1/2 way down the status window
  • clicking Check for updates will load a web page listing your current version. Scrolling up the page will shown any newer version and listing the enhancements and a link to download the latest version.

A list of all versions is shown on the following page: http://www.emarkingassistant.com/community/mod/forum/view.php?id=14

Upgrading to the new version involves downloading the new version and then clicking the “Install or Upgrade eMarking (or eRubric) Assistant” button at the start of the document (in earlier versions this was titled “Install and start your 30 day trial”). Existing reusable comments and eRubrics will continue to be available and you do not need to uninstall the old version. You can elect to reinstall the default comments if you want.

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How do I uninstall eMarking Assistant?

Even if you decide not to use eMarking Assistant you will probably not need to uninstall it. Once your trial or license expires you will only see a reminder if you show the eMarking Assistant toolbar or use an eMarking Assistant feature.

If you do want to uninstall eMarking Assistant you can do so in the following way (see video at the end of this section):

  1. open the original eMarking Assistant document that you used to install the software. The document name starts with “eMarking_Assistant” if you need to search for it. If you have deleted it you can download a new version from http://emarkingassistant.com/)
  2. open the document and click the Uninstall eMarking Assistant button on the first page
  3. when you restart Word the eMarking Assistant toolbar or addins menu will be removed.

Feel free to contact Peter Evans if you have any difficulty.

Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

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How do I temporarily disable eMarking Assistant (and then reenable it)?

You can delete eMarking Assistant by clicking the grey Uninstall eMarking Assistant button in the first section of the eMarking Assistant document. If you do not have the eMarking Assistant document you can download a new one from http://emarkingassistant.com/

If you can’t delete eMarking Assistant in this way or you want to temporarily disable it and then reenable it, you can do so in the following way:

  1. Open Word and file the location of the Word Startup folder then quit out of Word
  2. Open the Word Startup folder in File Explorer or Windows Explorer
  3. Either:
    1. If you want to temporarily disable eMarking Assistant, you need to click the Options button to show file extensions and then rename it from eMarking-Assistant.dot to eMarking-Assistant.disableddot
      1. To reenable it simply rename it back to eMarking-Assistant.dot
    2. If you want to delete eMarking Assistant, you can highlight the file and then press the Delete key

This method will work with any Microsoft Office Add-in or Template which is run from the Startup folder.

 

 

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How do I get the toolbar to show in any Word document (not just the eMarking Assistant document)?

The eMarking Assistant toolbar (and the supporting program/macros) are embedded in the eMarking Assistant document. If you want to use the toolbar in any document, you need to install eMarking Assistant so the toolbar and the macros are copied to Word’s startup folder so they are available any time Word is operating.  You can see if eMarking Assistant is installed by pressing ALT F8 to show the toolbar > clicking the Install, Comp.ID, License & Buy button > clicking the Show updated status button > reading what is shown in the status window.

To install eMarking Assistant so you can use it in any document, you need to click the Install eMarking Assistant button at the start of the document and follow the prompts as shown in the following video.

In some rare circumstances eMarking Assistant is installed but the add-in has become disabled and thus the toolbar is only visible in the eMarking Assistant document. You can check if the add-in has become disabled in the following way:

  • either:
    • (in 2010) click the File tab > Options item > Add-Ins selection
    • in 2007 click the Round Office button (top left) > Options button > Add-Ins selection
  • if eMarking Assistant is a Disabled add-in you can re-enable it by:
    • use the Manage drop down > select Word add-Ins > click Go
    • put a tick next to eMarking Assistant > click OK
  • The eMarking Assistant toolbar should now display when you press ALT F8

Once you have installed eMarking Assistant you can use it in any document by pressing ALT F8.

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View category→

How do I ... using eMarking Assistant? (14)

How do I generate complementary licenses for my colleagues?

You can use the following process to generate complementary licenses for your colleagues (the names of the buttons and links may be slightly different depending on what version you are using):

  • ask your colleague to download the 30 day trial and install it (eMarking Assistant) or use it (Automated Analytic Rubrics) on their computer
  • ask your colleague to write down the license ID (e.g. abcde-fghij) that is shown in the “Help and license information”. Press Alt/F8 and then click the “?/Install” button (eMarking Assistant)
  • on your computer, navigate to the “Help and license information” window then click the “Generate complementary licenses” and follow the prompts by entering the License ID of your colleague’s computer to obtain their activation
  • on your colleague’s computer, navigate to the “Help and license information” window and click the “Enter activation or extension code” button and enter the  activation code
  • you will then see the updated status showing that both licenses will expire on the same day.

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The F5, F6, F7, & F8 or ALT/F8 function keys do not work (FN lock)

If the function keys do not operate correctly in eMarking or eRubric Assistant this may be because your computer uses these function  keys to perform special actions e.g. start or stop multimedia, switch between different screens or perhaps turn WiFi on or off, rather than generate the standard function key codes. This will generally be shown as small icons on the function keys (see below).

Function keys showing additional functions

Function keys showing special functions on a Dell computer showing special device functions

Function keys on a Macintosh computer showing special device functions

Function keys on a Macintosh computer showing special device functions

Each computer manufacturer uses their own way to switch between the standard F1 to F12 function keys and these special device functions and if you google the name of your computer manufacturer and “Fn lock” or “Function keys” or similar you will find information for your specific computer. Below is general information that many also apply to your computer.

Windows computers

To generate the standard F1 to F12 keys rather than the multimedia functions you need to hold down the Fn key. If you have a Fn Lock key you can press it to toggle between the standard F1 to F12 keys and the special multimedia keys. On the Dell computer illustrated above you need to hold down the Fn key and then press the ESC or Fn Lock key to toggle to the Fn key or special  key mode. On a Surface Pro type cover 2 you need to hold down the CAPS LOCK and then press the FN key to use the FN keys as FN keys

Macintosh computers

If you are using certain Macintosh computers you may need to:

  • set your keyboard to use all function keys by clicking System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > and tick the option “Use all F1, F2 keys as standard function keys
  • disable existing keyboard shortcuts by clicking System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > Keyboard shortcuts > then untick the options next to F5, F6, F7 and F8).

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Faster ways to select and enter comments into the margin

Inserting reusable comments from the toolbar is a very common task in eMarking Assistant and for this reason there are multiple ways to do it.  Most people start with:

  • highlighting the part of the document you want to comment on, then
  • then using the mouse to highlight the comment
  • then clicking the into margin button.

But you can also use the following methods.

Once you have highlighted the part of the document that you want to comment on and clicked in the comment field of the toolbar, there are three ways you can select a specific comment:

  • start to type the name of the comment and the list will scroll to that comment
  • use the arrow keys on your keyboard or scroll bar on the toolbar to highlight the comment
  • use your mouse to select the comment (this is the normal way)

Once the comment is highlighted there are three ways you can insert it into the margin of the document:

  • double click the comment name
  • press the enter button
  • click the into margin button (this is the normal way)

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How do I distribute a comment bank to people who are marking papers for money?

Increasingly grading and marking is done by grading assistants or teaching assistants who are marking papers for money. eMarking Assistant allows the professor or course convener to prepare a comment bank document and marking or grading rubric and then distribute these who are grading the papers or marking the assignments. This increases consistency between the people who are marking papers for money, reduces the need for second marking or moderation, and promotes student confidence in the assessment process. The comment bank document can also include marking or grading rubrics.

If you are a professor or course coordinator you can:

  1. prepare your own comment bank document containing a Word table with the comments you want your assistants to use
  2. send your comment bank document to your markers with the eMarking Assistant document (or a link to the eMarking Assistant download page)
  3. ask your assistants to download and install eMarking Assistant and click No when asked to install the default comments. If they do insert the default comments they can delete all comments by using the Setup tab, using the Manage comment banks menu and select Delete all comments.
  4. then load your comments  (click the Setup tab, use the Manage comment banks menu and select Import comment bank).

Now you can be confident that all your assistants who are marking papers for money will have the same group of assessment comments which they can add to or customise if necessary. This basic set of comments is also valuable as it demonstrates the level of comments you want as well as the tone of comments.  Using a common set of comments (for policies or discipline conventions  across a program of courses) also makes the program much more coherent.

If you are applying for online grading jobs, marking papers for money, or grading papers for money you may want to show the course examiner or convenor the eMarking Assistant site so they prepare a common comment bank which all markers can use. In this case I will happily send you a code that will extend you eMarking Assistant license.

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How do I handle different file formats in eMarking Assistant?

I tell students that I will be marking their assignment with Microsoft Word for Windows and suggest that they submit their assignment as a Word 2007+ document i.e in .docx format. While Word will read many file formats letting students confirm that their document is correctly shown in the version of Word that you are using puts the responsibility on them to ensure that you can read it. Word will read many file formats (you may need to download the Microsoft Office compatibility Pack to allow Word 2007+ version to read pre-2007 documents).

If a student wants to submit a PDF, I also encourage them to submit the editable file as well to allow me to make more detailed and timely feedback. Word 2013 is generally able to read PDF documents but may make mistakes if the document layout is complicated.

I insert the following comment at the end of the assignment (go to the end of the assignment > select the eMarking info. for students comment > click the Text button) to ensure that students are aware of the types of comments or feedback that might be provided on their assignment. This is because Word on some computers may be setup to NOT show revision marks or comments e.g. show the Original rather then the Final document or not show margin comments.  Some versions of Word  or Office like programs may not show all comments e.g. light versions of Office used on tablets or the iPad


eMarking information for students

Your paper or assignment has been electronically marked and it may contain the following types of comments and feedback:

  • comments shown in the margin or at the bottom of the page;
  • Word revision marks shown in the text in a different colour;
  • highlighting in the marking rubric or the marking sheet for the performance standard that best describes your work
  • general comments at the end of your assignment
  • audio or video feedback which you can replay by clicking the speaker icon

example of comments created usng eMarking Assistant

If you can’t see the comments or the revision marks you may need to use the following options to display them:

  • in Word 2007 or later: Review tab > Tracking group > Show Balloons, show Final Showing Markup, and select options under Show Markup
  • in Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Reviewing toolbar > show Final Showing Markup and select options under Show Markup

If you are still not able to view these comments, you should contact your marker and request a PDF version of your marked assignment.

More information on eMarking Assistant including demonstrations, forums, and a free 30 day trial are available from: http://emarkingassistant.com

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How do I pick an assessment comment from the list of all assessment comments?

eMarking Assistant toolbar showing the list of assessment \ comments and the text of the selected comment

eMarking Assistant toolbar showing the list of assessment comments and the text of the selected comment.

First show the eMarking Assistant toolbar by holding down the ALT key and pressing the F8 key to view all assessment comments in the comment bank.

You can can then highlight the name of the essay feedback comment you want to insert into the paper (the text of the assessment comment will be shown in the field at the bottom of the toolbar and images are show as a *) from the list of all assessment comments by doing one of the following:

  • scroll through the list of all teacher feedback comments and click the assessment comment you want
  • click anywhere in the list of assessment comments and start to type the comment name e.g. if you type “.apa-q” the comment named “.apa-quote block no quote marks” will be highlighted. If you keep typing (without a pause) you can get to “.apa-quote double quote quotations”. Once you pause typing you will need to start the whole string again e.g. if you type “.apa-q” pause “uote” the field will return to the first comment
  • you can also use the down arrow (in the assessment comments field or the keyboard) to scroll through the field

A future version of eMarking Assistant will:

  • remove the “.” from the start of each assessment comment
  • allow you to insert the assessment comment in the margin of the document by pressing the Enter key

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How do I edit comments in the comment bank for teachers?

You can edit your comment bank for teachers in either of the following ways (see also the video at the end of this page):

  1. add and edit comments while you are marking or grading
  2. add or edit the comment bank in Word

1. Add and edit comments to the comment bank for teachers while you are marking or grading:

  • to Add a new comment to the assignment: select the A new blank comment comment > click the margin button > then enter your new comment including test, links, images or tables
  • to Save a new comment in the comment bank: highlight the text of the comment or text > use the Use selected document text to: menu > select Save as a new reusable comment > enter a name for the comment
  • to Edit the text of a comment that is in the comment bank for teachers: highlight the comment name in the toolbar > click the margin or text button > edit the comment in the margin or text > use the Use selected document text to: menu > select Save as a new reusable comment > the old comment name will be shown and you can overwrite it or enter a name for your edited comment
  • to Delete a comment you never use: select the comment you want to delete > click the Delete comment button (red circle with a diagonal line)

2. Editing the comments and creating new comments in the comment bank for teachers document

(see also the following video) This is especially useful if you want to prepare and distribute a comment bank for teachers to adjunct grading assistants or contract markers so they can start using a common teacher comment bank of feedback. To do this:

  • obtain a new comment bank for teachers document by either:
    • export your current comments into a comment bank document: click the Setup tab on the toolbar > use the Manage Comment banks menu > select the Export comment bank item. This will open a new Word document and export all existing comments into a Word table with the first column containing the comment name and the second column containing the contents of the comment.
    • download a blank teacher comment bank document with 1 or 2 sample comments
  • you can now:
    • add new comments by adding rows
    • delete comments by deleting rows
    • edit the name or the contents of existing comments by editing the rows
  • you can then send the comment bank for teachers document to your contract markers or graders and ask them to import your new teacher comment bank. If a comment has the same name as an existing comment you will have the opportunity to overwrite the existing comment. Before they import your new teacher comment bank you may want to either:
    • delete individual comments by highlighting the comment and pressing the delete symbol (red circle with a diagonal slash) or
    • delete all comments by clicking the Setup tab and using the Manage Comment banks menu and selecting the Export comment bank item.

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How do I use eMarking Assistant as a free plagiarism checker for Word documents

eMarking Assistant provides a simple free plagiarism checker for Word documents by letting you highlight a phrase and then do a Google Web or Google Scholar search within the Word document. This is useful as it allows you to easily check phrases and sentences which you suspect might be plagarised (e.g. different tone or writing style or strange spacing) without the need to submit the whole document to a plagarism detection service.

The following video shows how to highlight a phrase in the Word document and then do a Google search from within Word to identify possible plagarism.

Showing how to use eMarking Assistant to enable a free plagiarism checker for Word documents.

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How do I find the license ID and status of my license on my computer?

Follow the instructions at the bottom of this FAQ to check the status of your eMarking Assistant or Automated Analytic Rubrics license in the following way. The following  information  is shown:

  • has it been installed (eMarking Assistant) or run (Automated Analytic Rubrics) and if so when and what was the version e.g. 2.1.2
  • what is your license ID e.g. ABCDE-FGHIJ
  • has your subscription been activated and if so when?
  • when will the status change?
  • is it a primary, secondary, complementary or site license?
  • what operating system are you using?
  • what version of Office are you using?
    on your computer by doing the following:

If using eMarking Assistant do the following:

  1. open any Word document and show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window which shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested.

If using Automated Analytic Rubrics do the following:

  1. open the “Automated Analytic Rubrics” document and show the “Help and license information” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. The “Help and license information” window shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested..

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How do I ensure that students can see all comments and feedback?

Some students may be using Word on a computer that is setup to not show tracked changes or comments e.g. in the Review tab in the Markup menu show Original is selected rather than show All Markup and in the Show Markup menu, Comments, Ink, and Insertions and Deletions are not ticked. Some versions of Word  or other “Office type programs” may not show all comments e.g. light versions of Office used on tablets or the iPad

To guard against this possibility, I insert the following comment at the end of the assignment (go to the end of the assignment > select the eMarking info. for students comment > click the Text button) to ensure that students are aware of the types of comments or feedback that might be provided on their assignment.


eMarking information for students

Your paper or assignment has been electronically marked and it may contain the following types of comments and feedback:

  • comments shown in the margin or at the bottom of the page;
  • Word revision marks shown in the text in a different colour;
  • highlighting in the marking rubric or the marking sheet for the performance standard that best describes your work
  • general comments at the end of your assignment
  • audio or video feedback which you can replay by clicking the speaker icon

example of comments created usng eMarking Assistant

If you can’t see the comments or the revision marks you may need to use the following options to display them:

  • in Word 2007 or later: Review tabTracking group > Show All Markup, and ensure that Comments and Ink and Insertions and Deletions are ticked in the Show Markup menu
  • in Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Reviewing toolbar > show Final Showing Markup and select options under Show Markup

If you are still not able to view these comments, you should contact your marker and request a PDF version of your marked assignment.

More information on eMarking Assistant including demonstrations, forums, and a free 30 day trial are available from: http://emarkingassistant.com

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How do I return the marked assignment as a PDF?

You may prefer to return the assignment to the student as a locked or unlocked PDF document using Word’s File > Save as > PDF option. This prevents the student from easily modifying the document and means that the student does not need to use Word. Most modern versions of Word will show tracked changes and comments when the document has been converted to a PDF document but you should check this with your version of Word.

You should also include the following comment at the end of the assignment (go to the end of the assignment > select the eMarking info. for students comment > click the Text button) to ensure that students are aware of the types of comments or feedback that might be provided on their assignment. This is because Word on some computers may be setup to NOT show revision marks or comments.


eMarking information for students

Your paper or assignment has been electronically marked and it may contain the following types of comments and feedback:

  • comments shown in the margin or at the bottom of the page;
  • Word revision marks shown in the text in a different colour;
  • highlighting in the marking rubric or the marking sheet for the performance standard that best describes your work
  • general comments at the end of your assignment
  • audio or video feedback which you can replay by clicking the speaker icon

example of comments created usng eMarking Assistant

If you can’t see the comments or the revision marks you may need to use the following options to display them:

  • in Word 2007 or later: Review tab > Tracking group > Show Balloons, show Final Showing Markup, and select options under Show Markup
  • in Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Reviewing toolbar > show Final Showing Markup and select options under Show Markup

If you are still not able to view these comments, you should contact your marker and request a PDF version of your marked assignment.

More information on eMarking Assistant including demonstrations, forums, and a free 30 day trial are available from: http://emarkingassistant.com

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How to save files containing macros downloaded from the net (unblock & Windows Defender exclude file)

If you are unable to save the Automated Analytic Rubrics or eMarking Assistant document the following two options might help:

Excluding files from Windows Defender scanning

Windows Defender may prevent you from saving Word document which contain macros. If you trust the person who created the file (macros in Automated Analytic Rubrics or eMarking Assistant have been locked so they can’t contain malicious code) you can use the following method to add the file to the exclude list in Windows Defender

  1. Press the Windows key in the keyboard and open Windows Defender from start menu.
  2. Go to the “Settings” tab and Click “Exclude files and locations“.
  3. Click “Browse” to select the file you want to exclude
  4. You can use either a file or a folder. Select a file or a folder and click OK.
  5. If you need, you can add multiple files and/or folders using a semicolon at the end. After selecting a file/folder, click “Add” .
  6. Click Save changes.

These steps are explained in more detail at: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/wiki/protect_defender-protect_scanning/how-to-exclude-a-filefolder-from-windows-defender/

Unblock option for files downloaded from the net

The Unblock option in the Windows file properties window (may apply to files downloaded from the net).

The Unblock option in the Windows file properties window (may apply to files downloaded from the net).

In an attempt to protect people from malicious content in files that have been copied from other computers or the internet, Microsoft has introduced a flag (called “URL Security Zones” in Microsoft speak) that records where the file was copied from. Depending on how the security policies are setup on your computer you may see the following error (or similar when opening the file) in Word.

To check if the URL security zone is the issue you can do the following:

  • in Windows explorer right click the file and select Properties
  • if the checkbox next to “Security: This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer” is checked you can unblock the file by removing the check mark.

You should now be able to open the file in Word by double clicking it. You may still need to use the following options in Word: Enable Editing and Enable Content.

You can force Word to ignore the “URL Security Zones” (not recommended) by opening Word > using the FILE tab > select OPTIONS item > TRUST CENTER item on left > TRUST CENTER SETTINGS button > PROTECTED VIEW item on left > and then uncheck the three items:

  • Enable Protected view for files originating from the Internet
  • Enable Protected view for files located in potentially unsafe locations
  • Enable Protected view for Outlook attachments

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How can I share my reusable comment bank with others?

Yes, you can.  Your “comments on essays” bank can be exported to a Word document where your comments are listed in a table with one row per assessment comment. The first cell is the comment name and the second is the contents of the comment (including text, images, tables, audio, and all formatting.  You can then move the comment bank to another computer or share it with another teacher.

To export your comment bank you:

  1. press ALT F8 to show the eMarking Assistant toolbar
  2. click the Setup tab to show the setup options
  3. use the Manage comment banks menu and select Export comment bank
  4. your reusable comments will then be exported into a work table in a word document. You can edit the document and or send it to a colleague

To import the bank of “comments on essays” you should:

  1. Press ALT F8 to show the eMarking Assistant toolbar
  2. click the Setup tab to show the setup options
  3. use the Manage comment banks menu and select Import comment bank
  4. browse to the file that contains the comment bank
  5. when the import has completed you can return to the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the comment names to see the comment contents

View a video showing you how to export a comment bank so you can share it with other teachers or your grading assistants.

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Copying rubrics created in Rubric-O-Matic into eMarking Assistant

The Rubric-O-Matic document contains the macros needed to automated the rubric. Because the macros are contained in the document you can only use the automated features of the rubric in the Rubric-O-Matic document.

If you  want to use the automated eRubric in any document you need to install eMarking Assistant which will load the macros into the Word Startup folder which means that it is available any time you are using Word.

Once you have installed eMarking Assistant you can copy the eRubric table into any document and use it in the following way:

  • open a blank Word document or any existing document and show the eMarking Assistant toolbar by pressing ALT F8. If you can’t show the eMarking Assistant toolbar this means that you have not installed eMarking Assistant
  • open the Rubric-O-Matic document which contains your eRubric
  • highlight your eRubric and copy it by pressing CTRL C
  • click back in your blank document or the document where you want to use the rubric
  • paste your rubric by pressing CTRL V
  • you should now be able to use the automated eRubric features by pressing F5, F6, F7 or F8 or by clicking the eRuric tab on the bottom  of the eMarking Assistant toolbar and pressing the relevant buttons.

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View category→

Automated Analytic Rubrics (9)

How do I generate complementary licenses for my colleagues?

You can use the following process to generate complementary licenses for your colleagues (the names of the buttons and links may be slightly different depending on what version you are using):

  • ask your colleague to download the 30 day trial and install it (eMarking Assistant) or use it (Automated Analytic Rubrics) on their computer
  • ask your colleague to write down the license ID (e.g. abcde-fghij) that is shown in the “Help and license information”. Press Alt/F8 and then click the “?/Install” button (eMarking Assistant)
  • on your computer, navigate to the “Help and license information” window then click the “Generate complementary licenses” and follow the prompts by entering the License ID of your colleague’s computer to obtain their activation
  • on your colleague’s computer, navigate to the “Help and license information” window and click the “Enter activation or extension code” button and enter the  activation code
  • you will then see the updated status showing that both licenses will expire on the same day.

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Using non-breaking spaces and hyphens to improve layout

You can use non-breaking spaces and hyphens in Rubric-O-Matic to improve the layout of grading levels, mark ranges, percentage ranges (see below).

Showing improved formatting using non-breaking spaces

Showing improved formatting using non-breaking spaces

Showing breaking spaces

Showing breaking spaces

character you want how to produce it in Microsoft Word
non-breaking space hold down SHIFT and CTRL then press SPACE
non-breaking hyphen hold down SHIFT and CTRL then press –

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Security in Microsoft Word (enable macros and protected documents)

eMarking Assistant and Rubric-O-Matic use Microsoft Word macros to provide functions which will help you mark assignments and provided feedback. However, macros can also be potentially harmful and you should only enable macros from trusted sources. The macros in the eMarking Assistant and Rubric-O-Matic documents have been locked to prevent modification or inclusion of malicious macros.

It is important that you do not change the security settings in Word (FILE > Options > Trust center > Trust center Settings > Macro settings & Protected view) so all macros in all documents are enabled without notice (see video at the end of this page).  The safest options are to set Word to open documents in Protected mode and disable macros but to notify you so you can override these on a document by document basis.

Depending on what version of Microsoft Word you are using your screen might look different but the general process is similar (see video at the end of this page). You can also find information by searching for your version of Word and “enable macros” or “protected mode” or “enable content” or “enable editing” or “reading mode” e.g. “Word 2013 enable macros”.

“Protected mode” is displayed at the top of the document

Recent versions of Windows and Office record where the file was downloaded from. If the file came from the internet or a network drive, the file is often opened in “protected mode” and you need  to follow the prompts to “edit it” before you can use eMarking Assistant”. Sometimes Word will say that the file is “potentially dangerous”.

“Enable content” or “Enable macros” is displayed at the top of the document

When you open the document you may see a pink or yellow ribbon at the top of the document saying that you need to Enable Content or Enable Editing or Enable Macros before you can start using eMarking Assistant.

The document is opened in “Reading mode”

Recent versions of Windows and Office may open the file in “Reading mode” which displays in a large font and you need to open the VIEW menu and select Edit document before you can use eMarking Assistant.

Old versions of Word might ask “Do you want to enable macros in this document”

Tick the box to enable macros in this document.

Old versions of Word might not display anything

Word macro security settings

Word macro security settings

Some versions of Word will be set to disable all macros without notification. All versions of Word have 4 settings as shown in the following image. In this case you should change the security level to disable all macros with notification and this will allow you to decide on a document by document basis if you want to enable or disable the macros.

To do this in Word 2007 or later

  1. go to the “File” tab > “Options” menu item > “Trust Center” link in the left margin > “Trust Center Settings” button > and set the macro settings to “Disable all macros with notification“ > click “OK” several times to return to the document
  2. quit out of Word by using the File tab > Exit out of Word
  3. When you reopen the eMarking Assistant document in Word you should be shown a banner and the top of the document asking you if you want to enable content and you should click “enable content

In Word 2003 or earlier

  1. use the “Tools” menu > “Macro” menu item > Security item > then set the security level to “Medium:” > then click “OK” to return to the document
  2. quit out of Word by using the File menu > Exit out of Word.
  3. When you reopen the eMarking Assistant document in Word you should be you will be asking you if you want to enable macros and you should click “yes“.

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The F5, F6, F7, & F8 or ALT/F8 function keys do not work (FN lock)

If the function keys do not operate correctly in eMarking or eRubric Assistant this may be because your computer uses these function  keys to perform special actions e.g. start or stop multimedia, switch between different screens or perhaps turn WiFi on or off, rather than generate the standard function key codes. This will generally be shown as small icons on the function keys (see below).

Function keys showing additional functions

Function keys showing special functions on a Dell computer showing special device functions

Function keys on a Macintosh computer showing special device functions

Function keys on a Macintosh computer showing special device functions

Each computer manufacturer uses their own way to switch between the standard F1 to F12 function keys and these special device functions and if you google the name of your computer manufacturer and “Fn lock” or “Function keys” or similar you will find information for your specific computer. Below is general information that many also apply to your computer.

Windows computers

To generate the standard F1 to F12 keys rather than the multimedia functions you need to hold down the Fn key. If you have a Fn Lock key you can press it to toggle between the standard F1 to F12 keys and the special multimedia keys. On the Dell computer illustrated above you need to hold down the Fn key and then press the ESC or Fn Lock key to toggle to the Fn key or special  key mode. On a Surface Pro type cover 2 you need to hold down the CAPS LOCK and then press the FN key to use the FN keys as FN keys

Macintosh computers

If you are using certain Macintosh computers you may need to:

  • set your keyboard to use all function keys by clicking System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > and tick the option “Use all F1, F2 keys as standard function keys
  • disable existing keyboard shortcuts by clicking System Preferences > Hardware > Keyboard > Keyboard shortcuts > then untick the options next to F5, F6, F7 and F8).

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How to edit a file that Word opens in protected mode (downloaded from the Internet)

Recent versions of Windows and Office record where a file came from (the internet, your local storage or network storage). Depending on how Office has been setup, files downloaded from the Internet or network storage might open in Word in protected mode. and this means that you are unable to edit it or run macros in it.

The following video shows you what you will see when you open a file in Word in Protected mode and how you can change this to open the file in unprotected mode or unblock the file.

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How do I find the license ID and status of my license on my computer?

Follow the instructions at the bottom of this FAQ to check the status of your eMarking Assistant or Automated Analytic Rubrics license in the following way. The following  information  is shown:

  • has it been installed (eMarking Assistant) or run (Automated Analytic Rubrics) and if so when and what was the version e.g. 2.1.2
  • what is your license ID e.g. ABCDE-FGHIJ
  • has your subscription been activated and if so when?
  • when will the status change?
  • is it a primary, secondary, complementary or site license?
  • what operating system are you using?
  • what version of Office are you using?
    on your computer by doing the following:

If using eMarking Assistant do the following:

  1. open any Word document and show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window which shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested.

If using Automated Analytic Rubrics do the following:

  1. open the “Automated Analytic Rubrics” document and show the “Help and license information” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. The “Help and license information” window shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested..

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How do I find my license ID

Your eMarking Assistant license ID is 10 lowercase letters followed by a version number (e.g. abcde-fghij-1.94) that is uniquiqe to your computer. Once you have installed eMarking Assistant you can find your eMarkign Assistance license ID in the following way (the ID is also shown at the end of the instalation process):

  1. Open any Word document
  2. Show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8 or either:
    1. Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Toolbars Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
    2. Word 2007 or later: Add-ins tab > Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
  3. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window.
  4. Your eMarking Assistant license ID will then be shown (e.g. abcde-fghij-1.94)

If you do not provide your eMarking Assistant license ID when you purchased eMarking Assistant you can email it to info@emarkingassistant.com with your full name, the date your purchased eMarking Assistant, and the method of payment.

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How to save files containing macros downloaded from the net (unblock & Windows Defender exclude file)

If you are unable to save the Automated Analytic Rubrics or eMarking Assistant document the following two options might help:

Excluding files from Windows Defender scanning

Windows Defender may prevent you from saving Word document which contain macros. If you trust the person who created the file (macros in Automated Analytic Rubrics or eMarking Assistant have been locked so they can’t contain malicious code) you can use the following method to add the file to the exclude list in Windows Defender

  1. Press the Windows key in the keyboard and open Windows Defender from start menu.
  2. Go to the “Settings” tab and Click “Exclude files and locations“.
  3. Click “Browse” to select the file you want to exclude
  4. You can use either a file or a folder. Select a file or a folder and click OK.
  5. If you need, you can add multiple files and/or folders using a semicolon at the end. After selecting a file/folder, click “Add” .
  6. Click Save changes.

These steps are explained in more detail at: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/wiki/protect_defender-protect_scanning/how-to-exclude-a-filefolder-from-windows-defender/

Unblock option for files downloaded from the net

The Unblock option in the Windows file properties window (may apply to files downloaded from the net).

The Unblock option in the Windows file properties window (may apply to files downloaded from the net).

In an attempt to protect people from malicious content in files that have been copied from other computers or the internet, Microsoft has introduced a flag (called “URL Security Zones” in Microsoft speak) that records where the file was copied from. Depending on how the security policies are setup on your computer you may see the following error (or similar when opening the file) in Word.

To check if the URL security zone is the issue you can do the following:

  • in Windows explorer right click the file and select Properties
  • if the checkbox next to “Security: This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer” is checked you can unblock the file by removing the check mark.

You should now be able to open the file in Word by double clicking it. You may still need to use the following options in Word: Enable Editing and Enable Content.

You can force Word to ignore the “URL Security Zones” (not recommended) by opening Word > using the FILE tab > select OPTIONS item > TRUST CENTER item on left > TRUST CENTER SETTINGS button > PROTECTED VIEW item on left > and then uncheck the three items:

  • Enable Protected view for files originating from the Internet
  • Enable Protected view for files located in potentially unsafe locations
  • Enable Protected view for Outlook attachments

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Copying rubrics created in Rubric-O-Matic into eMarking Assistant

The Rubric-O-Matic document contains the macros needed to automated the rubric. Because the macros are contained in the document you can only use the automated features of the rubric in the Rubric-O-Matic document.

If you  want to use the automated eRubric in any document you need to install eMarking Assistant which will load the macros into the Word Startup folder which means that it is available any time you are using Word.

Once you have installed eMarking Assistant you can copy the eRubric table into any document and use it in the following way:

  • open a blank Word document or any existing document and show the eMarking Assistant toolbar by pressing ALT F8. If you can’t show the eMarking Assistant toolbar this means that you have not installed eMarking Assistant
  • open the Rubric-O-Matic document which contains your eRubric
  • highlight your eRubric and copy it by pressing CTRL C
  • click back in your blank document or the document where you want to use the rubric
  • paste your rubric by pressing CTRL V
  • you should now be able to use the automated eRubric features by pressing F5, F6, F7 or F8 or by clicking the eRuric tab on the bottom  of the eMarking Assistant toolbar and pressing the relevant buttons.

Permalink.

View category→

Hints and Tips (2)

Increasing the height of the toolbar to show all comments at once

The height of the toolbar is based on the height of the active Word window.

If you have two monitors and they are setup to display one on top of each other, you can make the toolbar extend over both monitors so you can see all comments at once in the following way:

  1. extend your Word document window over both monitors
  2. close the toolbar and then reopen is by pressing ALT F8

You should also remember that there are other ways to select comment names and insert the comment into the margin e.g. once you click in the list of comments you can type the first few letters of a comment to highlight that comment then press the Enter key to insert it into the margin

This is shown in the following video:

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Faster ways to select and enter comments into the margin

Inserting reusable comments from the toolbar is a very common task in eMarking Assistant and for this reason there are multiple ways to do it.  Most people start with:

  • highlighting the part of the document you want to comment on, then
  • then using the mouse to highlight the comment
  • then clicking the into margin button.

But you can also use the following methods.

Once you have highlighted the part of the document that you want to comment on and clicked in the comment field of the toolbar, there are three ways you can select a specific comment:

  • start to type the name of the comment and the list will scroll to that comment
  • use the arrow keys on your keyboard or scroll bar on the toolbar to highlight the comment
  • use your mouse to select the comment (this is the normal way)

Once the comment is highlighted there are three ways you can insert it into the margin of the document:

  • double click the comment name
  • press the enter button
  • click the into margin button (this is the normal way)

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Downloading and installing (13)

Security in Microsoft Word (enable macros and protected documents)

eMarking Assistant and Rubric-O-Matic use Microsoft Word macros to provide functions which will help you mark assignments and provided feedback. However, macros can also be potentially harmful and you should only enable macros from trusted sources. The macros in the eMarking Assistant and Rubric-O-Matic documents have been locked to prevent modification or inclusion of malicious macros.

It is important that you do not change the security settings in Word (FILE > Options > Trust center > Trust center Settings > Macro settings & Protected view) so all macros in all documents are enabled without notice (see video at the end of this page).  The safest options are to set Word to open documents in Protected mode and disable macros but to notify you so you can override these on a document by document basis.

Depending on what version of Microsoft Word you are using your screen might look different but the general process is similar (see video at the end of this page). You can also find information by searching for your version of Word and “enable macros” or “protected mode” or “enable content” or “enable editing” or “reading mode” e.g. “Word 2013 enable macros”.

“Protected mode” is displayed at the top of the document

Recent versions of Windows and Office record where the file was downloaded from. If the file came from the internet or a network drive, the file is often opened in “protected mode” and you need  to follow the prompts to “edit it” before you can use eMarking Assistant”. Sometimes Word will say that the file is “potentially dangerous”.

“Enable content” or “Enable macros” is displayed at the top of the document

When you open the document you may see a pink or yellow ribbon at the top of the document saying that you need to Enable Content or Enable Editing or Enable Macros before you can start using eMarking Assistant.

The document is opened in “Reading mode”

Recent versions of Windows and Office may open the file in “Reading mode” which displays in a large font and you need to open the VIEW menu and select Edit document before you can use eMarking Assistant.

Old versions of Word might ask “Do you want to enable macros in this document”

Tick the box to enable macros in this document.

Old versions of Word might not display anything

Word macro security settings

Word macro security settings

Some versions of Word will be set to disable all macros without notification. All versions of Word have 4 settings as shown in the following image. In this case you should change the security level to disable all macros with notification and this will allow you to decide on a document by document basis if you want to enable or disable the macros.

To do this in Word 2007 or later

  1. go to the “File” tab > “Options” menu item > “Trust Center” link in the left margin > “Trust Center Settings” button > and set the macro settings to “Disable all macros with notification“ > click “OK” several times to return to the document
  2. quit out of Word by using the File tab > Exit out of Word
  3. When you reopen the eMarking Assistant document in Word you should be shown a banner and the top of the document asking you if you want to enable content and you should click “enable content

In Word 2003 or earlier

  1. use the “Tools” menu > “Macro” menu item > Security item > then set the security level to “Medium:” > then click “OK” to return to the document
  2. quit out of Word by using the File menu > Exit out of Word.
  3. When you reopen the eMarking Assistant document in Word you should be you will be asking you if you want to enable macros and you should click “yes“.

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How to edit a file that Word opens in protected mode (downloaded from the Internet)

Recent versions of Windows and Office record where a file came from (the internet, your local storage or network storage). Depending on how Office has been setup, files downloaded from the Internet or network storage might open in Word in protected mode. and this means that you are unable to edit it or run macros in it.

The following video shows you what you will see when you open a file in Word in Protected mode and how you can change this to open the file in unprotected mode or unblock the file.

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How do I distribute a comment bank to people who are marking papers for money?

Increasingly grading and marking is done by grading assistants or teaching assistants who are marking papers for money. eMarking Assistant allows the professor or course convener to prepare a comment bank document and marking or grading rubric and then distribute these who are grading the papers or marking the assignments. This increases consistency between the people who are marking papers for money, reduces the need for second marking or moderation, and promotes student confidence in the assessment process. The comment bank document can also include marking or grading rubrics.

If you are a professor or course coordinator you can:

  1. prepare your own comment bank document containing a Word table with the comments you want your assistants to use
  2. send your comment bank document to your markers with the eMarking Assistant document (or a link to the eMarking Assistant download page)
  3. ask your assistants to download and install eMarking Assistant and click No when asked to install the default comments. If they do insert the default comments they can delete all comments by using the Setup tab, using the Manage comment banks menu and select Delete all comments.
  4. then load your comments  (click the Setup tab, use the Manage comment banks menu and select Import comment bank).

Now you can be confident that all your assistants who are marking papers for money will have the same group of assessment comments which they can add to or customise if necessary. This basic set of comments is also valuable as it demonstrates the level of comments you want as well as the tone of comments.  Using a common set of comments (for policies or discipline conventions  across a program of courses) also makes the program much more coherent.

If you are applying for online grading jobs, marking papers for money, or grading papers for money you may want to show the course examiner or convenor the eMarking Assistant site so they prepare a common comment bank which all markers can use. In this case I will happily send you a code that will extend you eMarking Assistant license.

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How do I download and install eMarking Assistant

eMarking Assistant can be installed on any version of Windows and with any version of Office (Word) by following the download and install eMarking Assistant instructions and video.

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How do I find the license ID and status of my license on my computer?

Follow the instructions at the bottom of this FAQ to check the status of your eMarking Assistant or Automated Analytic Rubrics license in the following way. The following  information  is shown:

  • has it been installed (eMarking Assistant) or run (Automated Analytic Rubrics) and if so when and what was the version e.g. 2.1.2
  • what is your license ID e.g. ABCDE-FGHIJ
  • has your subscription been activated and if so when?
  • when will the status change?
  • is it a primary, secondary, complementary or site license?
  • what operating system are you using?
  • what version of Office are you using?
    on your computer by doing the following:

If using eMarking Assistant do the following:

  1. open any Word document and show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window which shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested.

If using Automated Analytic Rubrics do the following:

  1. open the “Automated Analytic Rubrics” document and show the “Help and license information” by pressing ALT F8.
    • If ALT F8 does not show the  “eMarking Assistant toolbar“, you may not have installed eMarking Assistant and you should open the eMarking Assistant document which you downloaded
  2. The “Help and license information” window shows the relevant information. You can highlight the text in the Status field and copy (CTRL/C on Windows or Command/C on Macintosh)  and paste the information into an email and send to info@eMarkingAssistant.com if requested..

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Some firewalls and antivirus software may rename Word documents containing macros

(This is very rare and if you are unsure you may want to ask someone to assist you doing this.)

Some firewalls and antivirus software may rename Word documents containing macros and this will prevent you from enabling macros and thus installing eMarking Assistant.

To check if the file has been renamed you should:

  • check that the eMarking Assistant document file name contains .doc at the end
  • if it does not you need to rename the file by changing the bit after the dot to .doc i.e. change eMarking_Assistant_1_94.docz to eMarking_Assistant_1_94.doc
  • some versions of Windows have been setup to hide known file types and in this case you need to show the file extension by going to Windows Explorer > Organise > Folder and search options > View > Files and folders > and remove the tick from the Hide extensions for known file types > click Apply > click OK
  • When you return to your desktop you will then see the file extension and you can change it to .doc

Once you have renamed the file you should be able to enable macros in the document.

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How do I find my license ID

Your eMarking Assistant license ID is 10 lowercase letters followed by a version number (e.g. abcde-fghij-1.94) that is uniquiqe to your computer. Once you have installed eMarking Assistant you can find your eMarkign Assistance license ID in the following way (the ID is also shown at the end of the instalation process):

  1. Open any Word document
  2. Show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8 or either:
    1. Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Toolbars Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
    2. Word 2007 or later: Add-ins tab > Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
  3. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window.
  4. Your eMarking Assistant license ID will then be shown (e.g. abcde-fghij-1.94)

If you do not provide your eMarking Assistant license ID when you purchased eMarking Assistant you can email it to info@emarkingassistant.com with your full name, the date your purchased eMarking Assistant, and the method of payment.

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How long does the 30 day free trial last

The “30 day trial” of eMarking Assistant expires on the first Wednesday of the month after you have used eMarking Assistant for 30 days. Thus, if you installed the trial on March 13, the 30 days is up on April 13, and the trial expires on Wednesday 2 May. I generate and email the activation codes on Tuesday night, so any purchses should be done before Tuesday.

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Once you have installed the 30 day trial of eMarking Assistant you can see the exact expiry date in the following way:

  • press ALT F8 to show the the eMarking Assistant toolbar
  • click the “Help” tab and then the “Computer ID, License & Buy” button to show the “Help and License information” window.
  • the expiry date will be shown in the status window

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How do I activate the eMarking Assistant license?

If you have not already done so you should install the 30 day trial of eMarking Assistant (see Installing eMarking Assistant in the FAQs)

You can check the status of the eMarking Assistant license (has it been installed and if so when? has it been activated and if so when? when will the status change? is it a primary or a secondary license? what is the version number? etc) on your computer by doing the following:

  1. Open any Word document
  2. Show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8 or either:
    1. Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Toolbars Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
    2. Word 2007 or later: Add-ins tab > Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
  3. Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window. The status will then be shown in the status window.

You can activate your 30 day trial by doing the following:

  • Open any Word document
  • Show the “eMarking Assistant toolbar” by pressing ALT F8 or either:
    1. Word 2003 or earlier: View menu > Toolbars Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
    2. Word 2007 or later: Add-ins tab > Show eMarking Assistant toolbar
  • Use the “Help” tab on the eMarking Assistant toolbar and click the “Computer ID, license & buy” button to show the “Help and license information” window
  • Click the “Enter activation or extension code” button and enter your 10 letter activation code which would have been emailed to you
  • A message confirming when the license ends will be displayed

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How do I temporarily disable eMarking Assistant (and then reenable it)?

You can delete eMarking Assistant by clicking the grey Uninstall eMarking Assistant button in the first section of the eMarking Assistant document. If you do not have the eMarking Assistant document you can download a new one from http://emarkingassistant.com/

If you can’t delete eMarking Assistant in this way or you want to temporarily disable it and then reenable it, you can do so in the following way:

  1. Open Word and file the location of the Word Startup folder then quit out of Word
  2. Open the Word Startup folder in File Explorer or Windows Explorer
  3. Either:
    1. If you want to temporarily disable eMarking Assistant, you need to click the Options button to show file extensions and then rename it from eMarking-Assistant.dot to eMarking-Assistant.disableddot
      1. To reenable it simply rename it back to eMarking-Assistant.dot
    2. If you want to delete eMarking Assistant, you can highlight the file and then press the Delete key

This method will work with any Microsoft Office Add-in or Template which is run from the Startup folder.

 

 

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How do I get the toolbar to show in any Word document (not just the eMarking Assistant document)?

The eMarking Assistant toolbar (and the supporting program/macros) are embedded in the eMarking Assistant document. If you want to use the toolbar in any document, you need to install eMarking Assistant so the toolbar and the macros are copied to Word’s startup folder so they are available any time Word is operating.  You can see if eMarking Assistant is installed by pressing ALT F8 to show the toolbar > clicking the Install, Comp.ID, License & Buy button > clicking the Show updated status button > reading what is shown in the status window.

To install eMarking Assistant so you can use it in any document, you need to click the Install eMarking Assistant button at the start of the document and follow the prompts as shown in the following video.

In some rare circumstances eMarking Assistant is installed but the add-in has become disabled and thus the toolbar is only visible in the eMarking Assistant document. You can check if the add-in has become disabled in the following way:

  • either:
    • (in 2010) click the File tab > Options item > Add-Ins selection
    • in 2007 click the Round Office button (top left) > Options button > Add-Ins selection
  • if eMarking Assistant is a Disabled add-in you can re-enable it by:
    • use the Manage drop down > select Word add-Ins > click Go
    • put a tick next to eMarking Assistant > click OK
  • The eMarking Assistant toolbar should now display when you press ALT F8

Once you have installed eMarking Assistant you can use it in any document by pressing ALT F8.

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What versions of Office/Word for Windows can I use eMarking Assistant with?

You can use eMarking Assistant with Office/Word 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2013 (both 32 and 64 bit versions). You can use it with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7 and 8 (both 32 and 64 bit versions).

eMarking Assistant will not work with:

  • Office Starter editions (provided free with some new computers and supported by showing ads).
  • Office Web App which is a cut down version of Word for use within a web browser
  • Windows RT or Office RT which is provided with cheaper tablets using the ARM or RISC processors to achieve longer battery life.

The version of Word that you are using will be briefly shown when Word starts. You can also see what version you are using by either:

  • clicking the File tab > selecting Help > looking on the right of the screen
  • clicking the Microsoft Office button (top left) > Word Options button  > Resources heading
  • clicking the Help menu > About Micosoft Office Word menu item

Buying a full version of Office

Many Australian and overseas universities provide Microsoft Work at Home licenses to allow staff to buy Office at very low prices e.g. $AU30. Contact your university for details.

Staff and students can purchase Microsoft Office University from http://www.itsnotcheating.com.au/ site for approximately $AU99

Office Home and Student is available as either a:

  • 1 PC – 1 user for approximately $AU189
  • 3 PCs – 1 household for approximately $AU239

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How can I check if I have the latest version of eMarking Assistant?

New version of eMarking Assistant are released based on feedback and suggestions from users. Your license entitles you to upgrade to the current version.

Upgrading to the new version involves downloading the new version and then clicking the "Install or Upgrade eMarking (or eRubric) Assistant" button at the start of the document (in earlier versions this was titled "Install and start your 30 day trial"). Existing reusable comments and eRubrics will continue to be available and you do not need to uninstall the old version. You can elect to reinstall the default comments if you want.

You can look to see if there is a new version by:

  • showing the eMarking Assistant Toolbar (ALT F8)
  • if you are using eMarking Assistant, clicking the HELP tab on the toolbar then clicking the Install, Computer ID & Buy button.
  • noting the version and build date which is shown about 1/2 way down the status window
  • clicking Check for updates will load a web page listing your current version. Scrolling up the page will shown any newer version and listing the enhancements and a link to download the latest version.

A list of all versions is shown on the following page: http://www.emarkingassistant.com/community/mod/forum/view.php?id=14

Upgrading to the new version involves downloading the new version and then clicking the "Install or Upgrade eMarking (or eRubric) Assistant" button at the start of the document (in earlier versions this was titled "Install and start your 30 day trial"). Existing reusable comments and eRubrics will continue to be available and you do not need to uninstall the old version. You can elect to reinstall the default comments if you want.

Peter Evans

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