taskstream: student guide · taskstream is a comprehensive portfolio and assessment system that...

Taskstream: Student Guide

What is Taskstream?

Taskstream is a comprehensive portfolio and assessment system that provides an organized means for

collecting student work and reflections, and assessing that work using rubrics aligned with established

learning outcomes, standards, and competencies.

This guide is broken into five sections:

1) Logging into Taskstream

2) Navigating Taskstream

3) Completing Tasks

4) Help with Specific Tasks

5) Getting Help

Section 1

Logging into Taskstream

After you have purchased a subscription, logging into Taskstream is very simple. (If you have not

purchased a subscription, please download the ‘Purchase Instructions’ from this website:

https://www.missouristate.edu/epp/student_portfolios/226293.htm ).

Here is how to login:

1) First, login to your my.missouristate.edu account

2) Click on the ‘Student’ tab toward the top of the screen

3) Look for the ‘My Taskstream’ within the My Teacher Education panel and click it

This will open a new web browser tab and log you directly into Taskstream. No additional credentials are

required.

https://www.missouristate.edu/epp/student_portfolios/226293.htm

Section 2

Navigating Taskstream

Every student in Taskstream is enrolled into a program template that is the same as their MSU major or

program of study. After logging into Taskstream, you should see a box on your screen with your program

title in it, like the one below.

If you do not see a DRF Program box, or the title of the program is not what you are enrolled in at MSU,

please email: [email protected] and this will be fixed for you.

If you have changed majors since being enrolled in Taskstream, or if you were in an undergraduate

program and now in a graduate program, it is possible that you will see multiple DRF Program boxes

here. Always work in the program template that is applicable for the assessment/assignment that you

are doing.

Click on the program name in which you want to work.

mailto:[email protected]

Clicking on the title of the program in which you want to work will open the Directed Response Folio

(DRF) for that program. Along the left side of the page will be a column that lists all of the Tasks

necessary for you to complete over the duration of your program (see screenshot below). These Tasks

serve a couple of functions. First, many are selected by your program specifically to demonstrate your

knowledge and skills. Second, a few others are administrative Tasks to monitor your progress through

your program. Frequently, Tasks are tagged with a course number so that you will know when you will

be completing them. Some Tasks have directions associated with them to which you can refer. If you

have questions about a Task, don’t hesitate to ask your instructor, the program coordinator, an advisor

or consult with MSU Taskstream staff by emailing: [email protected] .

Note the two icons you may see in front of the Tasks:

1) This icon indicates a Task that you will engage with.

2) This icon denotes a Task that you do not need to engage with, because data for it will be

imported into Taskstream by MSU staff.


When you click on the title of a Task, you can view Directions and the Evaluation Method in the center

of the page by clicking on the small arrows.

For completing work and monitoring progress and results, we recommend that you click on the

‘Scores/Results’ tab toward the upper right-hand area of the page.

In addition to listing each of the Tasks in the same order you saw before, the Scores/Results page has

additional information beneath the Status, Actions, Results and History headings. The elements of the

screen are described below. You can click the ‘Edit Work’ button next to each Task to begin completing

it.

Area: Lists the Tasks you must address.

Status: The current status of the Task in question. Status options include:

o N/A - Not Applicable: No work is required from you for this Task.

o In Progress: You have begun work on the Task but have not finished or submitted it yet.

o Submitted: You have submitted the Task to a reviewer for evaluation.

o Needs Revision: If listed under Status, Needs Revision indicates the Task was returned

but without assigning a final score for it. The return of the Task will be present in your

portfolio history, but it will not have a final grade.

o Evaluation Released: The evaluator has finished reviewing the Task, evaluated it and

released the results of the evaluation back to you. Generally this means that you have

met the Task criteria.

Actions: This column displays any actions you can take regarding a specific Task. Options

include:

o No work is required for this area: The Task data is pulled from another student

information system by staff and placed into your account. No action or work is required

from you in order to meet these requirements. This denotes a Task for which you are

not responsible.

o Edit Work: Clicking this button will allow the author to begin working on the Task in

question.

o Submit Work: Once you have completed a Task, clicking this button will display a list of

reviewers from which you will choose to submit. Selecting a reviewer will allow your

work to be submitted to the reviewer selected.

o Resubmit Work: If a Task has been returned, this button will be present to allow you to

resubmit your updated Task to your evaluator.

o Cancel Submission: Allows you to recall the submitted Task. NOTE: Canceling a

submission must be done before the evaluator opens the Task for review.

Results: This column lists the results of any Tasks that have been submitted. Options include:

o Meets Requirement: When a Task has been completed and reviewed, the results will be

noted here.

o Needs Revision: If listed under Results, the Task has been graded and returned to you

for revision.

o Score/Results Report: This button will show you the details of the evaluation.

o Evaluator Feedback: When a Task has been returned without recording a final grade,

this button will show you the details and comments from the evaluator about the Task.

o History/Comments: This button allows you to view the comments from an evaluator as

well as displaying the history of any reviews of the Task, including date and time stamps.

Section 3

Completing Tasks

Work in Taskstream is student initiated, which means that evaluators are incapable of

completing an evaluation for a Task until the student has initiated the process by submitting

something to an evaluator. There are three basic types of Task submissions that you will

perform:

1) Forms: On forms, you will be asked to complete survey questions, mark lists, or fill in

open-ended questions with information or narrative answers. Examples:

2) Uploads: Some Tasks require you to upload a document, paper or project and submit it

to an evaluator.

3) Requests for Evaluation: These Tasks do not require you to answer questions or upload

anything, but because work in Taskstream is student initiated, you must still submit

something to an evaluator to begin the process. So, these Tasks consist of a special short

form called a ‘Request for Evaluation’ that you submit to an evaluator.

This section will demonstrate how you perform each of the Task submission types listed above.

Forms

1) From the ‘Scores/Results’ page, click on the ‘Edit Work’ button next to the Task you need to

complete. For this example, we will use the ‘Contact Information’ Task.

2) On the page that loads, click on the ‘Form’ button:

3) The form will load. After entering the information into the fields or responding to survey

questions, click on the ‘Save and Return’ button in the lower right-hand corner of the page.

4) Now click on the ‘Submit Work’ button toward the upper right-hand area of the screen.

5) A popup window will appear. Click on the radio button next to the name of the evaluator that

you are submitting the Task to, and then click on the ‘Submit for Evaluation’ button.

6) The contents of the popup change, asking if you would like to send comments to the evaluator.

Comments are entirely optional. If you type a comment, click the ‘Send Comments’ button. If

you do not want to send a comment, click the ‘Skip Sending Comments’ button.

7) The contents of the popup window will change one last time, asking if you would like to print a

confirmation page or not. In most cases, printing a confirmation is unnecessary—click ‘Close

Window’.

Uploads


complete. For this example, we will use the ‘Professional Resume’ Task.

2) On the page that loads, click on the ‘Attachments’ button:

3) On the next page, select the radio button next to ‘Upload from Computer’ and click the ‘Upload

from Computer’ button. A popup window will appear where you can drag and drop your file(s)

into the large center space, or click on the ‘Add files’ button to bring up a traditional file picker.

Once you have added your file(s) for upload, add a description in the Description field and click

on the ‘Upload and Close’ button toward the lower right-hand corner of the page.

4) On the page that loads, you can View the uploaded document, Edit its description, Delete the

upload, or assign Standards to the project (if applicable). If you are satisfied with the upload,

click the ‘Save and Return’ button.









Window’.

Request for Evaluation


complete. For this example, we will use the ‘Summative Assessment-Supervisor’ Task.

2) On the page that loads, click on the ‘Form’ button:

3) The Request for Evaluation form will load. Click the checkbox next to the sentence, ‘Please

evaluate me.’ Then, click the ‘Save and Return’ button toward the lower right-hand corner.









Window’.

This concludes the section on Completing Tasks and the three different types of submissions

that you will perform: Forms, Uploads, and Requests for Evaluation. After an evaluator has

completed an evaluation of a Task, you can view the scores/results and history of the Task from

the ‘Scores/Results’ tab. An example of an evaluated Task is shown below.

Section 4

Help with Specific Tasks

This section provides information about completing several specific Tasks that are commonly

seen in Taskstream program templates. The Tasks covered are:

1) Experiential Logs

2) Disposition Outcomes Self-Assessment

3) Initial Artifact and Cover Sheet

The Experiential Logs are common across all programs, and will appear multiple times in your

program template. The other two Tasks may or may not appear in your program template.

Experiential Log

The Experiential Logs are very important Tasks for both students and programs. They are completed for

each of your practicum/clinical experiences. Completing Experiential Logs will enable you to reflect on

the knowledge you have gained in your MSU course and apply it in a real classroom/placement

experience. Not only will it help you use the knowledge you have gained in a critical way, but the

feedback that you provide in the narrative sections will help MSU programs improve their instruction.

The Experiential Log is a form (see the ‘Forms’ area in Section 3 above for technical information about

completing forms in Taskstream). It contains both selection lists and open-ended questions for you to

reflect upon and share information about your placement in regard to Technology and Diversity. You will

be identifying the types of diversity and technology that you experienced using checkboxes, and then

writing narratives reflecting on their presence and use in the placement. Here are some questions to

help guide your narratives.

1) Were you able to identify different types of diversity in the placement? What challenges

did you face identifying diversity? Did you feel equipped from your MSU class to identify

different diversity categories?

2) There are some diversity categories that may be more difficult than others to identify,

such as Political Affiliation or Religion. If you observed one of these, please discuss how

you were able to identify these students. Was the class discussing a topic related to it?

Did the students say something, or were they wearing something, that indicated so?

Also, if you have trouble identifying students in any of the diversity categories, please

share this.

3) If you were just observing, in what ways did the teacher modify the lesson to meet the

needs of diverse students? Did you feel that the teacher was effective? How might you

have adjusted the lesson?

4) If you were instructing, how did you modify the lesson to meet the needs of diverse

students? Did you feel that it was effective? If you would do something different in the

future, how?

5) Were you able to identify the different types of technology used in the placement, and

were you familiar with them? Was there technology used that you had no experience

with in an MSU classroom?

6) Was the use of technology effective as a teaching tool? How could its use be improved?

7) There are three pillars of the MSU Public Affairs Mission (Ethical Leadership, Cultural

Competence, and Community Engagement); were these three pillars reflected in

teaching lessons or other ways in your placement, and in what ways?

To help make writing the narratives easier for you as well as providing more depth, we recommend you keep a journal about your experiences in the field. Keeping field notes about your experiences will help you reflect on others’ and your own practice. One useful format for note taking is the two-column field notes.

1) On the first section, include the information about the observation (date & time, location, the purpose of the observation, setting, number of individuals present, etc.).

2) Divide the page into two columns. a. The column on the right will include the details of your observations. Here you will write

what goes on in the setting during the observation. Field notes will be easier to read if you use small paragraphs to describe activities.

b. The column on the left will include your thoughts, feelings and opinions about the activities occurring during your observation. This is where the reflective action takes place. What was going through your mind at that point during the observation? Did the activity remind you of something you learned in class? Or, do you need to learn more about the technique/procedure? Would you have done things differently? Etc.

3) Jot down your observations right after your field experience. The sooner you write the details, the better, more accurate your notes will be. The reflection column can be an ongoing project. Start your reflective exercise as you write the activities observed and come back to your notes to add reflections as needed.

Disposition Outcomes Self-Assessment

The Disposition Outcomes Self-Assessment is a survey used predominantly in undergraduate Education

programs intended to stimulate critical thinking and self-reflection on your personal dispositions related

to diversity. There are six categories for you to consider, each focusing on different aspects of diversity,

and you will select the statement below each category that best describes your relationship toward it.

The statements are based upon Bloom’s Taxonomy, and so represent progressive development in your

knowledge and abilities.

There is also a Disposition Outcomes survey for your instructor at some point in your undergraduate

program. You will need to send a ‘Request for Evaluation’ form to the evaluator so that they can

complete the survey on you (see the ‘Request for Evaluation’ area in Section 3 above for technical

instructions).

Initial Artifact and Cover Sheet

The Initial Artifact and Cover Sheet is a Task used mostly in Secondary Education undergraduate

programs. This Task requires an upload (see the ‘Uploads’ area in Section 3 above for technical

instructions about how to upload documents), but also for you to align standard to the assignment. This

section provides tips for naming and uploading your Initial Artifact and Cover Sheet, and instruction for

aligning standards.

1) Naming and Uploading:

a. The Artifact and Cover Sheet should be two separate files, with the standards you are

aligning to listed on your Cover Sheet.

b. When naming your artifact and cover sheet, the rule of thumb is to be concise but

descriptive. Do NOT name your artifact ‘Artifact.docx,’ or ‘Standard 1.docx’. When you

look at the document in the future, you would not be able to quickly determine what

the content of the document is. Instead, give your document title a short but descriptive

name that reflects what your artifact is. For example, if your artifact is a history lesson

plan on the Civil War, consider a title like this: Lesson Plan-Civil War. If a cover sheet is

required, consider: AC-Lesson Plan-Civil War. (AC would stand for Artifact Cover).

c. Find out from your professor what file format to upload into Taskstream.

d. The file size limit in Taskstream for uploading a single document is 50mb. However, you

can upload multiple documents that collectively exceed 50mb.

2) Aligning to Standards

a. Immediately after you have uploaded the Artifact and Cover Sheet, your screen should

look like this screenshot. Click on the ‘Save and Return’ button.

b. You will be returned to the Work tab and your screen will look like this screenshot. Click

on the ‘Standards’ button.

c. On the page that loads, click on the link titled “Standards specified for ‘Initial Artifact

and Cover Sheet’”.

d. The page that loads will display a list of all applicable standards to your Initial Artifact

and Cover Sheet. Click the checkbox next to each standard that your artifact aligns with

(consult your cover sheet to determine which standards they are). If you do not see the

standards that you need, please email: [email protected] .

After selecting the standards, click on the ‘Save and Continue’ button, and then once

more on the ‘Save and Return’ button to be sent back to the Work tab. Now submit your

Task as described in Section 3 above.


Section 5

Getting Help

For further help with Taskstream, there are several resources at hand. First, you can visit the MSU

Taskstream webpage where you will find several videos discussing the Taskstream interface and how to

navigate the system.


You can also email the MSU Taskstream staff: [email protected]

Finally, you can call Travis Marler, the Coordinator of Assessment Systems for Education Programs: 417-

836-4627.



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