Creating the ARS Task

To set up the ARS Task, navigate to the 'Tasks' page within the Education Harvester. Then, select the 'ADD NEW TASK(S)' button toward the upper left-hand corner of the page (Fig. 1).

Image of the Education Harvester Tasks Page with the Add New Task button highlighted.

Fig. 1 - Add New Task Button.

Within the pop-up window, select the 'Education' button.

Image of the Add New Task pop-up with the Education button highlighted.

On the next window, search "ars." Then, check the box for the 'Audience Response System (ARS)' task. Select the 'CONTINUE' button.

You'll be prompted to choose a 'Due Date' for the ARS Task.

If you do not see the ARS task listed, please notify your Project Manager via Boomerang.

This will open to the edit page for the task.

Edit the Task Title, which will be the name of the Task the user will see on the live Harvester site.
Edit the Due Date, if needed.
Set the Status to "Active".
Enter a number for the Task Order.

Image of the Edit page for the ARS Task.

IMPORTANT NOTE

The Due Date is a visual reference that will show at the end of a Task on the user's Task List, and is NOT enforced. Once the date has passed, the text color will turn to red. In order to enforce a hard deadline, you will need to use the 'Cutoff date to receive data' field located below Due Date.

If you need this Task to lock and prevent a user from submitting data on a certain date, update the Cutoff Date.

For example, if a user should not be able to edit any information within the ARS Task after October 15, 2027, select October 16, 2027.

This Cutoff Date is different than the "Cutoff Date to select 'Yes' Responses" explained later in this article.

Image of the Cutoff date to receive data option.

Filter Options

We recommend using the "Apply ONLY to First User" filter for this Task. To do so, toggle the drop down to "Yes." This means that only the first person listed on the presentation, regardless of role, will need to complete this Task. This allows only one set of answers to be recorded for the presentation. If you choose not to use this filter, please review the other filters that can be used within this Task.

Image of the Apply ONLY to First User filter option.

You can also use the Course Filter. This will allow you to filter the Task to presentations with a specific Course Name. Course Names can be added or edited within 'Worksheet E (Course Name Column)'. If you have migrated submissions from the Scorecard, this drop down typically shows the Submission Types that you used within the Scorecard.

The Course Filter will not populate unless Course Names have been populated within the Harvester.

Similar to Course Filters, Track Filters allow you to filter the Task to presentations with a specific Track. Tracks can be added/edited through Presentation-focused worksheets and within the Core Details tab of the Presentation editor (when editing a single Presentation). If you have migrated submissions from the Scorecard, the check box selections typically show the Topics that were used in the Scorecard.

The Track Filter selection will not populate unless Tracks have been populated within the Harvester.

Another option is the Build Code Filter which acts very similar to Course and Track Filters, as they allow tasks to be filtered to specific presentations.

P = Presentation
G = General
H = Hidden
M = Session.

Only use the Build Code(s) that are presently being used in the Harvester, which can be found in any Presentation-focused worksheet or in the Core Details tab of the Presentation editor.

Instructions

You may add additional text to the Task Instructions, but do NOT remove any text within the default instructions. The HTML code within these instructions automatically display the Speaker Guide and Speaker Instructions that the user will need to download. Edit the Multi-Presentation Instructions that a user will see if they have more than one presentation (Fig. 10).

Image of the two Task Instruction Fields.

Fig. 10 - Task Instruction Fields.

Polling Options

If Polling has been purchased, please make sure the setting is toggled to Yes. If Polling has not been purchased, or if you do not want the user to view the polling options, toggle this setting to No.

You may adjust the Labels or Instructions related to Polling. However, do NOT remove any of the text withing the Instructions for 'ARS Download.'

These instructions include the PowerPoint plug-ins that the user MUST download to create the polling questions within their presentation.

Image of the Polling options within the ARS Task.

Comments/Discussion Options

If you want to ask users if they would like Comments (Discussion Board) to be turned on during their presentation, toggle this setting to Yes. If not, toggle this setting to No.

Adjust any of the Labels or Instructions related to Comments.

Image of the Comments options within the ARS Task.

Q&A Options

If Questions to the Moderator has been purchased, please make sure the setting is toggled to Yes. If Questions to the Moderator has not been purchased, or if you do not want the user to see this section within the Task, please toggle the setting to No.

Adjust any of the Labels or Instructions related to Questions to the Moderator.

Image of the Questions options within the ARS Task.

Final Set-up

You can edit the default Text Label on the Continue Button.

Image of the Continue Button within the ARS Task.

The Cutoff Date to Select 'Yes' Responses can be used to enforce a user to make their selections on the options provided to them: Polling, Comments, and/or Questions to the Moderator. Once they select 'Yes' to any of the options, they will still have till the enforced Cutoff Date explained above to complete the entire Task. This is typically used for the Polling feature. After this Cutoff Date below, they will only be able to change their answers to 'No.'

Image of the Yes Responses option within the ARS Task.

To filter the Task to specific roles, first verify the roles that you are using in the Harvester. To do this, go to the Settings page, and locate Role Filter within General on the left-hand navigation panel. Select the check box icon above "Roles used by this harvester." The list will show only roles being used in the Harvester. Then, back in the Task check the roles from the Faculty Role Filter near the bottom of the task.

Fig. 16 - Faculty Role Filter.

You may also choose to use the Speaker Filter for a list of specific users in the Harvester. Select the individual speaker(s) by selecting the check box before their name. You do NOT need to select all speakers on this list if all speakers should receive the Task. A Task that should show to every user, does not need filters. An unfiltered Task will show to everyone on the User List in the Harvester. You CANNOT use the Speaker Filter in conjunction with the other Filters. A red warning message will display indicating that the Task will only show to the speakers selected (Fig. 17).

Fig. 17 - Speaker Filter.

After all edits have been made to the Task, select the 'Update Task' button at the top upper right-hand corner of the page (Fig. 18).

Fig. 18 - Update Task Button.

If at any time you need to hide the Task from users, select the eye icon to the left of the Task's title (Fig. 19). The Task's row will turn pink, but the Task will still be seen by client administrators within a user's account on the Harvester site. This adjustment is different from making the Task fully inactive. This is commonly used when adding Tasks when the Harvester site is already live for users, and the Task is still in testing mode.

Fig. 19 - Hide Option on Tasks List.

Last modified Mar 05, 2025