Last name, first name as separate cells

[lkiesling]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

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I've just used my exported gradebook to determine the grade distribution for a 150-student class. To determine the distribution I sorted the data in order from highest to lowest final score, and then went back to alphabetize the data so I could submit the grades ... only to realize that the student names are (first name last name) in the same cell. This means I have to alphabetize *manually*.

This is terrible database design. Why isn't the last name in as a separate cell to enable automatic alphabetizing? Is there a workaround in the short run? Not that it will help me today as I enter my grades, but ... And the ability in Canvas to search on a student name is a poor substitute for sensible database design.

[jbuchner]

Another solution that can be done by on the user end:

1. Download the grade book as .csv

2. Open in excel

3. Under the data dropdown menu, or in the ribbon, there's a text to columns option.

4. There by following the prompts, you can convert the text to two columns, if you make the delineator a comma.

[kona]

Great work around!

[pwalsh]

Given that the names are available in Canvas, ideally you could get them formatted the way you want rather than having to figure out a work around. I use many different systems, most of them keyed off of or sorted by last name. Learning a process for getting around the output name sort is doable, but not for the average person in my building. I work with a lot of teachers who don't work with technology any more than they have to. If we could get the names last name first that would save a lot of pain all around.

[jbrady2]

 @pwalsh ​ You make a great point, one that I must admit I often overlook due to my technical abilities. Technology should not get in the way of the teaching/learning process, and instructors should not have to be well versed in the finer points of technology workarounds in order to accomplish their jobs. Technology should ideally be practically invisible to instructors and students if it is working correctly and allowing them to accomplish their tasks unhindered.

In my role, I also work with some instructors who are not savvy with technology, but the institution would like for them to use the technology. I attempt to support the instructors as much as I can, but I am only one person. Also, when working with instructors, I try not to push them into using technology in a way, including workarounds, that they then cannot possibly fix, or find an easy fix for, if they do have a future issue when I am not available. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, so, sometime, I have to inform instructors that, in order to accomplish what they want, they will either have to learn how to apply the workaround so that they know how to fix issues if I am not available, or they will have to leave that aspect of their teaching out of their course; neither of which is an adequate solution.

[jbuchner]

Anyone following this thread know what happened to the other .csv and names issue with the quizzes? That is, when you download the student responses for quizzes, they are in a cell with their first and last names in that order.

[mdurler]

Definitely want.  I am SO tired of having to parse the family name and given name each time I download to Excel.  Why would ANY developer ever use a single name field and then alphabetize on first name to begin with?

[kmeeusen]

Hi  @mdurler ​

Actually, in the Canvas grade book student names are displayed alphabetically by last name even though they are listed by first name.

However, that still does not excuse the original set up that gives one field for first and last names, and this design error is  consistent all through Canvas. I have been designing relational data bases since the late '80s, and first and last names (and middle names or initials) should all have their own fields. Yes, these fields can be combined into one field for the purpose of displaying in a report (page, whatever), but they should be stored in the data base in separate fields.

KLM

[Renee_Carney]

  Idea is currently in Product Radar Learn more about this stage...

[mdurler]

The excuse Instructure continues to give about this being complicated says more about their flawed design that about a difficulty in accommodating what should be a simple fix. 

A work around is to do this in your downloaded spreadsheet. 

1. insert two new columns next to the name.  Since the name is in column A, insert B and C
2. for the first name, in cell B3 use the formula =LEFT(A3,FIND(" ",A3))
3. for the last name, in cell C3 use the formula =RIGHT(A3,LEN(A3)-FIND(" ",A3))
4. copy cells B3 and C3 down the rest of the list of names.  You now have the first and last names in separate cells and can realphabatize on last name.  I usually also do a copy, past values to lock in the names once they are parsed out

This works fine on most names.  If you have a student with extra spaces in their name you may have to still manually fix their name.

[mdurler]

Not in the download