Taskstream Guide
Taskstream Data Management and Assessment System
Taskstream is an electronic portfolio system designed for collecting, evaluating, and preserving student work. This comprehensive tool aligns student courses, program components, and comprehensive exams with national accreditation standards, enabling GSEHD to maintain accreditation, implement evidence-based program improvements, and ensure high-quality educational programming.
Through Taskstream, students can upload assignments from core courses for evaluation, while faculty can assess these assignments and create standards-based lesson plans, evaluation rubrics, and entire instructional units. Users can organize and track program requirements, deadlines, and assignments online, facilitating collaboration with peers and professors for feedback and improvement.
Additionally, Taskstream enables the creation of high-impact, online professional portfolios. This provides a convenient, accessible, and effective way to showcase work, skills and achievements with potential employers, instructors, peers, etc.
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Taskstream FAQs
Account/Access
- Who needs a Taskstream account?
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All GSEHD students are provided a three-year subscription to Taskstream that can be used as a digital repository. However, every student taking a course in a CAEP accredited program with key assessments is required to utilize the Taskstream account.
- How do I login to Taskstream?
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Taskstream login instructions (with directions on how to create a personalized password) are sent out to new students at the beginning of every semester.
- Students in programs that are live in Taskstream can login via GWeb.
- Non-degree students, or students in programs that are not yet live in Taskstream, will need to access the system directly through the Taskstream website.
- When and where can I purchase Taskstream?
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GSEHD students receive a three-year subscription to Taskstream, which is included in the school-wide matriculation fee.
Subscriptions can be personally retained after three years. Once your account expires, visit the Taskstream website directly to renew your subscription.
- Can I access my Taskstream files once I leave GW? Will my work be lost?
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Taskstream work that is published to the web (such as folios and web pages) will be available online for at least six months after the expiration of your Taskstream account. As long as you continue to renew your Taskstream account, you will retain full access to all of the features and tools.
Learn more about Taskstream subscriptions and account access >
- How much memory do I get with Taskstream? Will that be enough?
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Students get 500 MB with their account subscription on Taskstream. The majority of students have enough space, but if more memory is needed it can be purchased by going to “My Accounts.” Students can also clear up space in their memory by deleting old files from the system.
- Who can access my portfolio?
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As a subscriber to Taskstream, you determine who has access to your portfolio(s). Nobody can see the contents of your portfolio unless you publish it, or request review. Additionally, any portfolio that is published can also be password protected so that only those people with the appropriate password will be able to view your work. In general, YOU are the owner of your work, and you have complete control over who sees that work. Not even professors or administrators can see your portfolio until it is shared.
The GSEHD staff, faculty and administrators DO NOT have access to your account or portfolio, unless you actively share your work with them.
View additional FAQs related to getting started and your subscription/account on the Taskstream website >
Submitting Work/Uploading to Taskstream
- Why do I have to upload to Taskstream?
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Taskstream is used to evaluate student outcome as part of accreditation requirements for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs). Taskstream is used to assist students in the collection, preservation, organization, evaluation, and dissemination of activities, assignments, evidences and reflections that are associated with competencies and standards throughout their teacher education program.
- How do I attach and submit my file?
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If you have completed an assignment using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, etc., the following directions will help you upload and submit for evaluation.
- Select the name of the program on your Taskstream home page.
- In the left frame on the next page, click the requirement name to open it.
- Click the "Attachments" button in the "Add" toolbar at the top of your work area.
- On the next page, click the orange "Upload from Computer" button, located on the left.
- You can drag your files into the box, or click "Add Files" on the lower left to locate the file within your computer. To select multiple files, hold down the CTRL button as you select each file.
- After you have selected your file(s), click "Open."
- Back in the attachments window, click the "Start Upload" button.
- Once the upload is complete, close the attachments window, and click "Save and Return."
- When you are ready to submit for evaluation, click the "Submit Work" button on the top right corner.
- A pop up window will appear asking to select your Evaluator (If your school has it enabled). Once you have selected your instructor's name, click "Submit for Evaluation." If you are not asked to select an Evaluator, you can proceed with submitting your work and adding optional comments.
Once your work has been submitted for evaluation, it will automatically be locked and a lock icon will appear next to it. This will prevent you from adding additional work, or editing existing work.
- How do I upload a video?
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The file size limit for videos is 500 MB or less. If your video exceeds 500 MB, it will need to be compressed before uploading to Taskstream. See Compressing Video Files Before Uploading to Taskstream.
If your video is 500 MB or less:
- Access the requirement or assignment where you'd like to add the video.
- Click the "Videos" button in the "Add" toolbar.
- Note: If you do not see the Videos button, please reach out to your instructor or administrator to have the button enabled.
- Click "Choose File" and select the video from your computer file folder.
- After you have selected your file, click "Open."
- Type in a name for your video file (Play Length, Description and Standards are optional).
- Click "Add File" and the video will begin uploading.
- A progress bar will appear on the screen and once it reaches 100%, you'll see a message that says "Your file was successfully added and appears in the list below."
- Note: Your video may not stream automatically and may appear as a black screen. It can take up to 24 hours for your video to process, but it can still be submitted and downloaded.
- Click "Save and Return."
- When you're ready to submit, click "Submit Work" on the top right corner.
- A pop up window may appear, which will ask you to select your Evaluator (if enabled). Once you have selected your instructor's name, click "Submit for Evaluation." If you are not asked to select an Evaluator, you can proceed with submitting your work and adding optional comments.
Once your work has been submitted for evaluation, it will automatically be locked and a lock icon will appear next to it. This will prevent you from adding additional work, or editing existing work.
If your video is uploaded to another software, such as YouTube or Vimeo, rather than uploading the video, you may be able to embed the link from another site. Instructions on embedding media >
- Can I edit my uploaded work?
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Work can be edited at any time as long as it has not been submitted to an instructor for evaluation. You can delete and edit your work in the “add/edit” window. If your work has already been submitted to an instructor, you will need to contact your instructor and have them release your work for revision.
- Help! I accidentally submitted my assignment. How do I get it back?
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Once you have submitted your work for evaluation in a Taskstream DRF program, your submission becomes locked and a padlock icon will appear next to the assignment name in the list on the left hand side.
If your work has not been evaluated, then you may be able to cancel your submission.
- Click on the name of your requirement.
- Click "Cancel Submission" in the upper right corner, doing this will unlock your work.
- A confirmation will appear asking if you are sure you would like to cancel.
- Note: Canceling your submission will unlock your work but will not delete anything you have already added. All of your work will remain safe.
- Click "Yes-Undo Submission and Unlock Work."
- You will be on the Scores/Results page of your DRF program. Click "Edit Work" to go back to the Work page, where you can re-upload work.
If your instructor or evaluator has begun the grading process, the "Cancel Submission" button will not be available, and it will say "Submitted" instead. You must contact your instructor to unlock your work for any further edits. Taskstream support cannot unlock student work for you.
- How do I create a portfolio and publish it to the web?
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The Web Folio Builder includes presentation portfolios, resource folios, and any Directed Response Folios (DRF) that have been assigned to you as part of a Folio Assessment Program. The templates available in this area facilitate the creation of various types of electronic portfolios.
The Web Page Builder includes templates that make it easy to design and maintain certain types of web pages like a resume, newsletter, or dynamic syllabus. It's important to note that the tools function in the same way, but offer different template options.View detailed instructions on the Taskstream site for creating and publishing these content types >
View additional FAQs related to adding and submitting work on the Taskstream website >
Other
- How is Taskstream different from Blackboard?
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Blackboard is specifically designed to deliver and manage assignments and materials for a specific course. Taskstream is used to collect, organize, evaluate, and disseminate assignments that are associated with accreditation competencies and standards aligned with your teacher education program.
- Where do I access my grade?
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To find your score or grade after your evaluation has been released:
- Access your assignment
- Click the "Scores/Results" tab toward the top right of the work area
The Scores/Results Summary page shows a chart with the status of your work, actions that can be taken, your results, and the history of your work submission. To see details on your score, click "Score/Results Report" in the Results column. To see the history of your submission, including timestamps, click "History/Comments."
- What are some best practices for using Taskstream?
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- Use the most recent versions of our recommended internet browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari)
- DO NOT use the browser back button
- Instead, navigate using the tabs and menus within Taskstream
- DO NOT sign into Taskstream in multiple tabs or windows
- Wait until a page fully loads before taking a subsequent action (Look for the spinning circle!)
- Always log out of Taskstream
Glossary of Terms
AMS: Accountability Management System (used to support continuous improvement projects and manage accountability processes at a macro level.)
Area: this tool is used to organize and add content and categories to a portfolio
Artifacts: The digital work product and/or resource that is added to a portfolio to provide evidence of competency in a defined area. Artifacts can be Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Taskstream-created work, and any other electronic products that have been created by an author as part of their work requirements.
Author/Student: The author is someone who creates things within the structure of an existing DRF and submits them to reviewers and/or evaluators. In most cases, Author=Student.
CAEP: Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
Category: A defined area with a DRF that contains one or more requirements. Categories organize requirements into groups. Directed Response Folios (DRFs) can be evaluated at the requirement level or at the category level.
Cybrary: A shared digital resource library. You can access lessons, units, rubrics, web folios and web pages created by members of your learning community as well as some materials shared by Taskstream users from around the world. Some institutions require items to be approved by a designated person at the institution before they can be published to the Cybrary.
DRF: Direct Response Folio - an electronic portfolio structure in which requirements have already been set up to define submission requirements for all students. Students can submit but cannot change the structure.
DRF Programs: A group of users (students and faculty) into which one must be enrolled in order to access the correct DRF(s) for your academic program. Once enrolled, students can create/upload requirements to a DRF and submit them for evaluation, and faculty can then evaluate the submissions.
Evaluator/Faculty: The individual instructor(s) who evaluate the students' work, including key assignments, professional dispositions, forms, etc. Students must submit the work for evaluation through the DRF before an Evaluator can access it. Once submitted for evaluation, the work is locked, preventing the student from revising it. If revisions need to be made, the evaluator must send the work back to the author through the Taskstream evaluation process.
Folio: Also referred to as "Web Folio." Folios are collections of electronic artifacts that are gathered, organized and presented via the web. While the word portfolio has come to mean many different things to different people, Taskstream provides three types of Folio tools: (1) the Resource Folio; (2) the Presentation Portfolio; and, (3) the Directed Response Folio (DRF).
LAT: Learning Achievement Tools (used for e-Portfolios, online rubric scoring, assessment management, real-time reporting, accreditation)
Mybrary: Your personal resource library. This contains access to all of the work you’ve done in Taskstream (web folios, web pages, lessons, units, rubrics) as well as all of the resource collections (web folios and web pages) shared by TS Coordinators in your learning community.
Requirement: A defined area within a DRF, where authors submit work. The requirement can be a task, an assignment, or a specified collection of artifacts. Directed Response Folios (DRFs) can be evaluated at the requirement level or at the category level.
Rubric: An explicit set of criteria used for assessing a particular type of work or performance. A rubric usually includes level of potential achievement for each criterion. Levels of achievement are often given numerical scores. A summary score for the work being assessed may be produced by adding the scores for each criterion. The rubric may also include space for the evaluator to describe the reasons for each judgment or to make suggestions for the author.
SSO: Single sign-on is a session/user authentication process that permits a user to enter one name and password in order to access multiple applications. The process authenticates the user for all the applications they have been given rights to and eliminates further prompts when they switch applications during a particular session.
Additional Support
For additional assistance, please contact:
1-800-311-5656 (Monday- Friday 8am-7pm ET)
Submit A Request: For urgent issues after the business hours listed above, submit a form and add "Urgent" to the subject line.