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TIMS GRADEBOOK CHECKER PART I – OPTIONS AND SETUP

Overview Gradebook Checker is a TIMS tool designed for USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training users that enables them to review a student’s gradebook to ensure that their training is in compliance with syllabus standards. This checklist covers the Gradebook Checker Options and Setup. Once the setup is complete, a separate checklist (PART II) covers Conducting Gradebook Checks.

NOTE: This checklist includes functionality for Solo Currencies that will be in place for release 1.7.30.

Application Access

1 – On the TIMS Browser (left) confirm you have the All TIMS tab highlighted at the bottom of the Browser application menu.

2 – From the application menu, under Administration, select System Manager. This opens the System Manager window (right).

3 – From the ‘Toolbox’ menu in System Manager under Options and Settings, select Gradebook Checker Options and Setup.

3a – Alternatively, from the Options and Settings section of the System Manager ‘Ribbon’, select the Gradebook Checker Options and Setup icon.

The Gradebook Checker Options and Setup window (below) opens with a ‘Ribbon’ at the top containing two icons: 4 – Save (self-explanatory) that is active when changes have

been made; and, 5 – Hide Setting Source Indicators toggle (explained on the

next page).

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There are also three tabs described in the following sections.

Section A (pages 2 – 3) 6 – Options with four Sub-Tabs, 6a – Continuity, 6b – Gradesheet Fields, 6c – Comments/4293’s, and 6d – Solo Currencies

Section B (pages 4 – 7) 7 – Maneuver Item Rule Set

Definition; and

Section C (pages 8 – 11) 8 – Rule Definition.

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Section A – Options: 1– The Level for the Gradebook Checker Options Sub-Tabs (Continuity, etc.) is set at either the System

(applies to all Organizations in TIMS) or else at the Organization Level (applies only to a specific unit).

To change Inheritance: Either right-click an icon and select the desired value from the menu (below, left or right); or, else either left-click or double-click an icon and use the Settings dialog (right) to make edits.

Select Save on the ‘Ribbon’ when finished.

Options Tab – Sub-Tabs Continuity: Once the Source Indicator settings are established for each Sub-Tab, check the appropriate containers to identify those Three Ride Continuity/Pre-Solo Hours that, on a given sortie will, by either 1 – Event Modifier or 2 – Sortie Type, fulfill any of the following:

9 – Selecting Restore Defaults returns associated settings to the default values seen in the example, above. Select Save on the ‘Ribbon’ when finished.

NOTE: If an Option is not explicitly set for an Organization, the setting will be inherited from the parent Organization selected from the drop-down menu.

2 – Setting Source Indicators on each of the Options Sub-Tabs toggle off/on with the Hide Setting Source Indicators icon on the ‘Ribbon’; the icons below indicate the origin of the tab’s values:

Directly Set – The setting for the selected organization was manually input.

Inherited – No setting made for the selected organization; the value is inherited from the parent organization or the System Default.

Affects Child Orgs – The setting’s value has been inherited by at least one child organization.

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3 – Updates 3-Ride Continuity, 4 – Counts against 3-Ride Continuity, and/or 5 – Counts Against Pre-Solo Max Hours.

The following optional settings are used to: 6 – Identify When do 3-ride continuity

rules begin using the drop-down menu (right);

7 – Enter the Sortie prior to initial solo event identifier; and,

8 – Enter the Initial solo event identifier event.

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Section A – Options – Sub-Tabs (cont.) Gradesheet Fields:

Comments/4293s:

Solo Currencies: Once the Source Indicator settings are established, check the appropriate Solo Currency (1) containers to identify when the following count in calculating Solo Currencies: 2 – Pattern Solo,

3 – Area Solo, and/or

4 – Formation Solo.

5 – Restore Defaults returns associated settings to the default values seen in the example, right.

Select Save on the ‘Ribbon’ when finished.

Once the Source Indicator settings are established, check the appropriate containers specifying those Gradesheet Fields that are either: 1 – Required Use, or

2 – Not Used.

3 – Restore Defaults returns associated settings to the default values seen in the example, left.

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Once the Source Indicator settings are established, check the appropriate containers specifying the requirements for 1 – Maneuver Item comments,

2 – ASD/AMD 4293s write-up requirements, and

3 – Comments Tab entries.

4 – Restore Defaults returns associated settings to the default values seen in the example, left.

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Section B – Maneuver Item Rule Set Definition Tab:

Maneuver Item Rule Sets define the intersections between Rules and Maneuver Items. This intersection data is used by the Gradebook Checker Report to evaluate a student’s syllabus events and ultimately report any violations of the rules, i.e., syllabus deviations. A Rule Set is a named collection of Maneuver Item Rule Intersections and the Syllabus from which the Maneuver Items are derived.

Rule Set Management: Each of the following steps is outlined, with screenshots, on subsequent pages. Rules are first defined as outlined on pages 8 and 9. Rule Sets must then be defined and have one or more syllabi associated with them before the Maneuver Items can be derived; this process is described below and continuing to page 6. For the associated syllabi, the Rule Set then requires the user to define which Event Categories (Contact, Instrument, etc.) and which Event Types (Flight, Device, etc.) are to be used when deriving Maneuver Items. The user must associate one or more syllabus categories with each Event Category/Event Type combination. This is described beginning on pages 6 and 7. Once Syllabus, Event Category, Event Type, and Syllabus Event Category associations are established, the user may then build the Maneuver Item Rule Intersections used by the Gradebook Checker to examine actual student syllabi. This is described on pages 9 through 11.

Defining Rule Sets: The Rule Set grid is where Rule Sets are defined.

Rule Sets may be: Defined at the curriculum development database level and published to all training site (base)

databases. They may also be defined in each training site’s database. The former approach provides consistency across all training sites, while the latter provides site-specific flexibility.

Permanently removed from the database with the Delete button (3) only if they were defined in the base-level database.

Hidden from use in the Gradebook Checker Report by selecting the appropriate Is Inactive checkbox (4).

NOTE: When the application is running from the curriculum development database, the Publish Rule Set button (5) will publish (copy) a Rule Set to all training site databases only after it is saved and only after each of its Category Event Types have two things: one or more Syllabus Event Categories; and, one or more Maneuver Item Rules. NOTE: Those Rule Sets published from the curriculum development database may not be deleted at a base-level database; the Delete button is inactive and a ‘Lock’ icon (6) is present. This is NOT the same as the NOTE regarding Rule Definitions at the bottom of page 8.

1 – Select Add Rule Set to create a new Rule Set. 2 – Highlight an existing Rule Set and select the

Copy To button as a shortcut to create a new Rule Set.

NOTE: A unique Rule Set name and description are required before the new Rule Set can be saved.

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Rule Set Syllabus Association Management: Gradebook Checker Report users may select Rule Sets where students have syllabi instanced directly from any production syllabi (or any child syllabus version of the production syllabi) associated with a Rule Set. NOTE: Hovering over a symbol next to a Rule Set Name opens a tool tip displaying errors to be fixed. Associate a Rule Set by highlighting it (T-38 P-V4A-A in the example below) and, 1 – Select the Add Syllabus button.

This opens the Select Syllabus dialog (below).

6 – Click the Remove Syllabus button to remove a highlighted syllabus from the Rule Set. Select Save on the ‘Ribbon’ when finished.

NOTE: After a syllabus is removed, some Maneuver Items and even Category Event Types may no longer apply to the Rule Set. The application will warn the user requiring confirmation to proceed; if confirmed and saved, it will then find and remove the data that no longer applies to the Rule Set.

Rule Set Solo Currency Management: Solo Currency Types must be associated with a Rule Set to make them available when building Solo Currency Maneuver Item rules. Associating a Solo Currency Type: 1 – Open the Solo Currency Types tab. 2 – Highlight the Syllabus in the Rule Set to which the Solo Currency Types will be associated.

3 – Select the Add Solo Currency button to open the Select Solo Currency Type dialog (next page)

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2 – Choose a Syllabus Family name (e.g., B/F-V5A-I) from the Select Family menu.

3 – On the Select Syllabus menu, choose the syllabus (e.g., B/F-V5A-I Mar 14 – 4.1.0).

4 – The Values for the selected syllabus’ Attributes are displayed in the lower pane of the dialog window.

5 – Select OK to associate the chosen syllabus with the Rule Set.

NOTE: Repeat to associate additional syllabi with the Rule Set. Select Save on the ‘Ribbon’ when finished.

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Rule Set Solo Currency Management (cont.): 4 – Click on the Solo Currency Type(s) to be added – hold the

Ctrl key to select multiple Types. 5 – Select OK and then Save on the ‘Ribbon.’

Disassociating a Solo Currency Type: 6 – Highlight the Solo Currency Type(s) to be removed – hold the

Ctrl key to select multiple Types. 7 – Select the Remove Solo Currency button.

This opens the Delete Rule Set Solo Currency Association Dialog (below).

Rule Set Event Category Event Type Management: Specifies which Event Category/Event Type combinations the Rule Set will use to find syllabus events in the previously associated syllabi. This step requires an association between the Event Category and the Event Type in the syllabus.

An association is created by first adding a Category Event Type to either the Maneuver Item Rules or to the Unit Event MIF as described below. Then, a Syllabus Event Category must be associated with each Category Event Type as is also described below.

With a syllabus highlighted, the Category Event Types for that syllabus may be viewed by highlighting a Category Event Type on either the Maneuver Item Rules or the Unit Event MIF tab.

With a Category Event Type highlighted (Formation/Flight in the example, left), the Event Names for that Category appear in the adjacent column (they are the same for both the Maneuver Item Rules and the Unit Event MIF tabs).

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8 – Select Yes and then Save on the ‘Ribbon.’ NOTE: When a Solo Currency Type is removed from the association, the software will scan Maneuver Item Rules looking for any use of the removed Solo Currency Type and, if found, will confirm the user wants to either remove all instances or else cancel their removal.

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Adding/Removing a Category Event Type:

6 – Select Yes and then Save on the ‘Ribbon’.

Associating/Disassociating a Syllabus Event Category:

6 – Select the Delete button to open a Delete Category Event Type

Association (right). 7 – Select Yes to confirm the deletion and then Save on the ‘Ribbon’. Once the associations are complete, selecting the appropriate tab displays either the Maneuver Item Rules matrix (below, left) or the Unit Event MIF matrix (below, right) to the right of the Event Names container. Managing the Maneuver Item Rules matrix is explained on pages 9 – 11.

Associating a Syllabus Event Category: 1 – Highlight the Category Type to be associated with a Syllabus Event Category. 2 – Select the Add Syllabus Event Category

button to open the Select Category Event Type Category dialog (right).3

3 – Select a Syllabus Event Category. 4 – Select OK and then Save on the ‘Ribbon’.

Associated Event Names for the newly added Category (AA in the example) appear in the Event Name column (right).

Disassociating a Syllabus Event Category: 5 – Highlight the Category to be disassociated.

Adding a Category or Event Type: 1 – Select the Add Category Event Type button to open the Select Rule Set

Category Event Type dialog (right). 2 – Select a Category or Event Type.

3 – Select OK and then Save on the ‘Ribbon’.

Removing a Category or Event Type: 4 – Select a Category or Event Type. 5 – Select the Delete button to open

a Delete Category Event Type Association dialog (below).

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Section C – Rule Definition Tab: The Rule Definition tab (below) is a grid in which users can build and maintain Rules. NOTE: A set of predefined Rules is embedded in the software; implementing new Rules requires software changes that must be coordinated with the software support contractor.

Rule Attributes in the Rule Definition grid (left to right, above) are either required (R) or optional (O):

Name (R): Identifies the Rule and is displayed in the application’s Maneuver Item Rules matrix. NOTE: Names must be unique.

Sequence # (O): Defines the order in which the Rule is displayed in the Maneuver Item Rules matrix (left to right) as well as elsewhere.

Description (O): A description of the Rule.

Parameter Type (O): Defines which type of parameter the Rule uses, selected from the drop-down menu (right). Click in a cell and select the Delete key to clear the Parameter Type of an editable rule. An AF781 Counter – The Maneuver Item Rule requires the specified AF 781 counter to be logged.

One or more AF781 counters must be associated with the Maneuver Item Rule. A Single MIF – The Maneuver Item Rule references another maneuver item in the same event. A List of MIF Items – The Maneuver Item Rule references one or more other maneuver items in the

same event. An Event Name – The Maneuver Item Rule references another event in the same student syllabus. A Solo Currency – The Maneuver Item Rule applies solo currency rules.

NOTE: Parameter Types as well as their relation to Maneuver Item Rules are discussed in greater detail in the Maneuver Item Rule Intersection Management section beginning on the next page.

Stored Procedure and Rule Text: Reserved for future use. Is Inactive: When checked, flags a Rule as inactive. An inactive Rule will not be evaluated by the

gradebook checker report even if it was referenced by the report’s selected Rule Set. An inactive Rule will not be available to use when modifying an existing Rule Set or when building a new Rule Set. Modification of a Rule Set that included the Rule before it was made inactive will result in a notification to the user that the Rule will be removed from the Rule Set. The Rule Definition grid is set up to hide inactive Rules via the “filter row” value of “False” that is set by default. A user may clear the Is Inactive setting to make inactive rules visible. The value will be automatically reapplied when new rules are added.

NOTE: A ‘lock’ icon on the left-hand side of the Name field indicates the Rule was defined in the curriculum development database and published to the site databases, effectively preventing its modification.

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Rule Attributes (cont.) NOTE: Grayed out cells (top of the image, right) indicate a Rule has been used in a Rule Set and may only be modified when either all of those uses or else the individual rules in the grid on the Maneuver Item Rule Set Definition tab are removed. NOTE: If the application is running in the curriculum development database, previously published Rules (non-gray cells) may be modified and, once modified, will automatically be republished when the Save icon is selected.

Adding/Deleting a Rule: Adding a Rule: 1 – Select the Add Rule button to open a new Rule. 2 – Enter the attributes for the new Rule using the criteria above.

Deleting a Rule: 2 – Highlight the Rule to be deleted. 3 – Select the Delete button to open the Delete Rule dialog (right). 4 – Select Yes and then Save on the ‘Ribbon’.

Maneuver Item Rule Intersection Management: NOTE: When a Rule Set is locked (NOT a Rule Definition) as described in the last NOTE on page 4 in the section on Rule Sets, the associated Maneuver Item Rules matrix cannot be modified.

In the Maneuver Item Rules matrix (below), Intersections of Maneuver Items (x-axis) and Rules (y-axis) are used to set up the Gradebook Checker for the applicable syllabus and its associated Category/Event Types. Intersection Definitions:

4 – Hover over an Intersection to open a tool tip (right) displaying the interaction

between the Maneuver Item and the Rule. In the example, the Maneuver Item is FORMATION LANDING (LEAD), the Rule is If this is graded, this other maneuver should be graded, and the associated Event Item List: FORMATION APPROACH (LEAD) is displayed. Left-clicking the same Intersection used in the example above opens the Edit Rule Parameter dialog (right).

5 – The Rule, Maneuver Item, Parameter Type, and Assigned Value(s) are displayed therein.

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1 – X signifies the Rule applies to the Maneuver Item.

2 – Blank Intersections are N/A for this Category/ Event Type.

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Creating an Intersection in the Maneuver Item Rules matrix: Single-click to place an X in the matrix where the Maneuver Item and Rule meet. In the example (right), no X at the Intersection for the Rule of Grade every complete sortie and Maneuver Item 15 – FORMATION LANDING (LEAD) indicates the Rule does not apply. Conversely, the X at the Intersection of the same Rule for Maneuver Item 16 – INFLIGHT PLANNING/AREA ORIENTATION indicates it is to be graded for every complete sortie.

Creating 781 Rules, Event Items, or Solo Currencies for a Maneuver Item Rules Intersection: As explained in the Rules Definition Tab section in the middle of page 8, Maneuver Item Rules may be defined as having one of the five following parameter types:

An AF781 Counter – The Rule requires the specified AF 781 counter to be logged; one or more AF 781 counters must be associated with the Maneuver Item Rule. In the example (right) the Rule is ‘If graded, min counter below on 781 increases by one’, and VFR Pattern is the AF 781 counter that must be logged.

A List of MIF Items – The Rule references one or more other Maneuver Items in the same event. In the example (right), the Rule is ‘Either this Maneuver Item, or this other Maneuver Item, should be graded every sortie’so, on every sortie TAKEOFF (LEAD), TAKEOFF (WING), or else INTERVAL TAKEOFF/JOINUP is graded

A Solo Currency – The Rule applies Solo Currency Rules to a Maneuver Item. In the example (right), the Rule ‘F or higher Required for Solo Currency’is applied to NOSE-LOW RECOVERY.

A Single MIF – The Rule references another Maneuver Item in the same event. In the example, (left) the Rule is ‘If this is graded, this other Maneuver Item should be graded’ so that, when TAKEOFF (LEAD) is graded, JOINUP/DEPARTURE (LEAD) should also be graded.

An Event Name – The Rule references another Event in the same student syllabus. In the example (left) the Rule is ‘This event is a prerequisite to this Maneuver Item being graded’ and Event Name N4101 is required prior to grading ROUTE ENTRY.

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Creating 781 Rules, Event Items, or Solo Currencies for a Maneuver Item Rules Intersection (cont.): Editing Rule Parameters: Adding Value(s): 1 – Single-click in the matrix (right) at the intersection of the appropriate

Maneuver Item row and Rule column. This opens the Edit Rule Parameter dialog (below).

Deleting Value(s): In the Edit Rule Parameter dialog (below):

Deleting Intersections in the Maneuver Item Rules matrix:

Deleting All Intersections for a Rule: Right-click on the Rule name and then click the pop-up menu (below) spelling out the Rule. Select Yes in the Delete Rule Item(s) dialog to complete the action.

Deleting All Intersections for a Maneuver Item: Right-click on the Item name and select the pop-up menu (below) spelling out the Item name. Select Yes in the Delete Rule Item(s) dialog.

NOTE: Always select Save on the ‘Ribbon’ after making changes.

Additional Support To open a Help File at any point within a TIMS interface, either press the F1 key or select File at the top of the window and click Help. For additional questions, please contact your local TIMS Administrator or the Central Service Desk (CSD):

Commercial (210) 652-1036 or DSN 487-1036

Deleting a Single Intersection: Right-clicking an X in the matrix opens a tool-tip ( ); selecting it opens a Delete Rule Item(s) dialog (right). Click Yes to delete the Category Event Item Rule and then Save on the ‘Ribbon’.

2 – Highlight those Available Value(s) to be applied. 3 – Select the left-pointing arrow (becomes active when a value is

selected) to move them to the Assigned Value(s) list. 4 – Select OK and then Save on the ‘Ribbon’.

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1 – Highlight those Assigned Value(s) to be deleted from the Intersection.

2 – Select the right-pointing arrow (becomes active when a value is selected) to move them to the Available Value(s) list.

3 – Select OK and then Save on the ‘Ribbon’.

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