New Features at a Glance

Function

Description

Benefit

SOAP-based API

Web Services

The API allows controlling an EvaSys system externally for integration into existing software environments.

By integrating EvaSys into an existing process including multiple software systems the feedback generation can be automated on a higher level. This allows more complex and individualized survey processes to be conducted without laborious EvaSys-Administrator work.

Module Evaluation

Survey Methods

The functionality of Module Evaluation was improved. Modules can be imported including secondary instructors by XML, the properties of questionnaire templates are inherited to Module surveys, mass generation of module surveys is supported and report distribution was enhanced.

Using the Module Evaluation the 1:1 binding of instructors with courses can be resolved and automated in a very efficient way. Especially the fully automated generation of individualized scannable forms represents an innovation.

Result Report

EvaExam

For each EvaExam-assessment a PDF result summary is available.

The existing CSV-export of assessment results was supplemented by a PDF-result file.

Text Formatting in the

VividForms Editor

VividForms Editor

The VividForms editor now allows the use of BOLD, ITALIC and UNDERLINED.

Text formatting allows creating more attractive forms. The formatting will appear on both Paper and Online-Surveys.

Non-Anonymous
Surveys

Survey Methods

In addition to the anonymous surveys in the context of course evaluation now new, non anonymous survey types are supported in EvaSys, e.g. Panel surveys.

EvaSys V2.6 supported the import of email addresses of online survey participants to allow the automated and time controlled distribution of access codes. Now the email address import additionally support the import of profile data (name, title, address, etc) for respondents which can be used to individualize each questionnaire (both for Paper and Online Surveys). The result data later includes an identifier of each participant.

Custom Design
Templates

Online Surveys

Multiple online survey templates can be used within one EvaSys system. The creation of new templates is much easier and does not require any knowledge about Style sheets (CSS).

An organization is now able to use different online survey templates in each Subunit (Departments, Locations, etc.). The simplified creation of new templates broadens the access to this functionality.

Combined Data Export for Sphinx

Import/Export

The batch data export (Archiving) allows the result data from multiple questionnaires to be combined into a single Sphinx-file for later analysis.

With the combined data export to Sphinx more sophisticated survey projects, like 360° feedbacks, can be analyzed using a single result file.

More configuration options for Subunit Administrators

User Rights

A Subunit Administrator is now able to change specific parts of the system configuration to suit the needs of the Subunit better. The administrator can select which options should be available to Subunit Administrators. Also, Subunit Administators are able to work with multiple Subunits.

The following configuration areas can be made accessible to Subunit Administrators:
- PDF-Report
- Instructor’s Optional Questions

- User defined course data fields

- E-Mail-Settings
- Online Surveys
- Design Templates for Online Surveys

Bind Periods to
Courses

Survey Management

Each course can be connected to a survey period.

Work with EvaSys could get complicated if

In V3, when generating surveys, only those courses are shown which belong to the selected period. This makes it easier to deal with seasonally differing course lists that are imported into the same Subunit.

Spell Checker
VividForms Editor

 

A spell checker Add-On for the Microsoft Internet Explorer is now supported in the VividForms Editor.

The spell checker can be downloaded and licensed for a small fee from the website www.iespell.com .

PDF-Report Plug-in-Interface

Reporting

The PDF-Report plug-in-interface allows adding custom PDF-Report types to the system.

As Electric Paper publishes new PDF-Report types customers are able to download and install them into their EvaSys system easily.

PDF-Report Header customizable

Reporting

The header area of the PDF-Report can now be freely customized, using multiple place holders.

Customization of the PDF-Report header is now supported.

Internationalization for Online Surveys

Survey Methods

Language sets for online surveys can be created.

If online surveys were conducted on international basis, the messages shown in the interface (like Submit, Next, etc.) were displayed in one of the system base languages (English or German), independently from the actual language of the questionnaire content. Now language sets for those messages can be created to make sure online survey participants will only see text in their native language.

Enhanced Questionnaire Listing
User Interface

The table of questionaires was enhanced and now shows the ID, Name, Description, and Creation Date. Sorting is possible for all columns and deactivated questionnaires hidden from the listing.
Additionally, questionnaire created by Subunit Administrators are shown in separate tables.

 

The new table of questionnaires makes the administration of the existing questionnaires easier, especially if large numbers of questionnaires needed to be managed within a single system.

Enhanced Sphinx-Integration

Import/Export

A Sphinx report template can be uploaded to be used with an EvaSys questionnaire.

When exporting to Sphinx, now EvaSys will include the report template into the ZIP file which allows to open the Sphinx analysis report right away.

Report Creator

Administrator

For Report Creators now the individual configuration of access rights (subunit level / system level) is supported.

This option used to be a global setting. With the individual configuration a true two-layer reporting is supported in a real time environment.

New Menu Structure

User Interface

The menu structure of the Adminsitrator interface was improved.

Instruments, Settings, Protocolls and Profiles are now separated into menu groups.

Substitute Instructors

Survey Methods

A survey can be re-connected to another instructor account in case of a short term substitution.

Especially in the context of shorter trainings often substitutions of instructors are happening which cannot be reflected on the questionnaires. Now these cases can be corrected.

Send Survey Results to Participants

Survey Methods

Participants of Online Surveys can be allowed to view the survey results using their PSWD.

The functionality was implemented as a tool to increase the participation rates in online surveys.

Use of HTML in Question Texts

Online Surveys

HTML-Tags are allowed in question texts for use in online surveys.

The VividForms Editor allows editing the source code of question texts (HTML) to allow more flexible text formatting for online surveys.

Unicode-Support

User Interface

Non-Latin characters are now supported for the use in the interface and for questionnaires.

EvaSys supports the UTF-8-standard.

Quality Guidelines for Indicators

Quality Guidelines

Quality Guidelines can now be generated based on the indicators of a questionnaire.

Quality Guidelines used to be created manually or converted from norm data. In case norms are not used this functionality allows the fast creation of Quality Guidelines.

Relative Quality Guidelines

Quality Guidelines

In addition to the mean value based Quality Guidelines now also relative Quality Guidelines can be defined.

Example: If more than 10% of the respondents are very unsatisfied, the affected item will show up red (full subtraction) independently from the opinions of the other respondents.

Trimmean

Reporting

A trimmean is now supported for the calculation of means on scaled questions.

The trimmean deletes 5% of the response on the upper and lower end of the sorted result values. This allows reducing the effect of extreme response on the calculated overall mean.

Support for SPSS for Data Export (Archiving)

Import/Export

The batch data export (archiving) of survey data can now also be conducted for the SPSS file format.

The SPSS export produces a .SAV-file including not only the raw data, but also the questionnaire content.

Trending

Report Creator

When creating profile lines now trending graphics can be included.

The trending graphic shows the development of the course evaluation results over multiple evaluation cycles.

Dynamic Subgroup Reports

Active User Accounts

Existing subgroup reports can automatically update themselves after the source survey (from which the subgroups have been created) received additional data.

Example: If one question on a long-term questionnaire specifies a department and the user has created subgroup reports for each department, now each time when the source survey received new data and the user logs into his account, the subgroup reports will be automatically updated.

Course List

Survey Management

A full listing of courses inside a subunit was added.

In the past only the courses of a single instructor account could be shown at a time.

Add Comments to
Surveys

Communication

Comments can be added to surveys and viewed by all user types.

The comments serve the communication between multiple EvaSys user types.

Example: The instructors need to be able to add a comment to course evaluation results which later can be viewed by a Dean.

More Placeholders for E-Mails

Communication

Additional placeholders have been added for the use in automatically generated emails.

The placeholders [SUBUNIT] and
[PROGRAMOFSTUDY] were added.

Questionnaire-Header in Cover Sheet Surveys

VividForms Editor

For cover sheet surveys (VividForms) the blank questionnaire header box can be used to show non-dynamic information.

The header box of a VividForms Questionnaire shows content individually for each survey if the questionnaire is used in a hard copy type survey. If used in cover sheet surveys, the header box remained empty. Now static text is supported for cover sheet surveys.

Question Library
Import/Export

The content of the question library can be exported and imported in a CSV file format.

Existing question library databases can now easily be integrated into an EvaSys system.

Mail-to-Support-Function

Maintenance

Support inquiries can be written and submitted using the EvaSys interface.

The system will add information about the running system environment to support the Helpdesk in solving the inquiry.

Check for Updates

Maintenance

The Administrator can check for the availability of updates using a link.

This function allows checking for the existence of updates.

 

next: Phases of Evaluation