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Archive for the ‘Listening-Stations’ Category

FAQs for issues with Respondus Lockdown Browser

2014/02/18 Leave a comment
  1. New to Respondus Quizzes? Read the CTL’s write-up.
  2. No Photo ID (Niner ID or other state-issued)? Use the reception desk camera to take a photo with sheet, like below, we will forward it to the teacher for verification. photo-example
  3. Issues with starting:
    1. Respondus won’t open: How to bypass a Moodle Popup Window when using Respondus lockdown browser
    2. Test won’t open and you get a warning
      1. in Moodle that this test must be run in Respondus Lockdown Browser? Close your regular web browser and double click on the desktop on the Moodle Lockdown Browser Icon:, then go to Moodle2 from in there.
      2. in Respondus that “No more attempts are allowed”, but the student has not made any attempts yet and the quiz closing date is long in the past: contact the teacher to check whether the quiz needs updating. image
  4. Issues with Audio:
    1. Students are advised to test the headsets before entering Respondus Lockdown browser assessments:
      1. Start Audacity from the desktop, click record: if you say something, you must see something;
      2. Play back to test the speakers. Hear nothing? Try the volume knob:CALIFONE-HEADSET-IMAG0006-volume
      3. (More detail here).
    2. Rewind-audio may get you stuck – to fix, next-page, then back (reloads page). More info: How to workaround Moodle quiz audio not playing to the end in Respondus Lockdown Browser
    3. How to bypass a Moodle Popup Window when using Respondus lockdown browser
    4. imageIf no audio and error “pluginfile” flashes when clicking “Next”and back: notify permanent staff.
  5. Issues with Writing:
    1. Lost the clip_image002?
      1. Clicking around nearby where it was may bring it back.
      2. Or clip_image004, quickly cancel (gets you out of lockdown browser), new attempt from desktop shortcut.
      3. Learn to use the installed US-international keyboard shortcuts. us-international.
      4. more info: Problems with accented characters in Respondus Lockdown Browser
    2. If your keyboard stops typing in English in a Respondus lockdown browser quiz…
  6. Issues with finishing
    1. If the test won’t submit, start Respondus lockdown browser on a different computer to see whether you can resume your attempt there.
  7. More issues? Let us know in the comments here.
Categories: assessments, assignments, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-students, Glitches&Errors, Listening-Stations, lms, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging Tags: , ,

LRC headset test on PCs

2014/01/02 Leave a comment
  1. Log in on a PC.
  2. Launch the Sanako student recorder form the desktop: clip_image001
  3. clip_image004
  4. Click the red recording button then record for 5 sec (speak into the microphone; then tab the microphone with your finger several times, to make sure you are recording through this source), then the blue stop button clip_image002
  5. Click the green Play (from beginning):
    1. can you hear yourself speaking/ the noise from the tabs?
    2. clip_image003
    3. turn your head left and right: can you still hear (sometimes a short cuts out the sound).
  6. If not check headsets cables as described in LRC routine walkthrough for classroom PCs (Sanako headsets) or in LRC routine walkthrough for listening and group room stations(brown headsets).
  7. If it still does not work, report Computer # on clip board.
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, e-infrastructure, hardware, headphones, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, Listening-Stations, LRCRoomCoed434, Presenter-Computer, small-group-work-spaces, Student-Computers Tags:

LRC daily walkthrough for listening and group room stations

2014/01/02 Leave a comment
  1. Ensure that the listening station/group room PC headsets are stored hanging from the side cubicle walls:
  2. clip_image001
  3. Headsets need to be plugged into the rear:
    1. Make sure "Do Not Use" sticker is on the front panel (or apply spares from box on reception desk).
    2. clip_image002
    3. As pictured:
      1. Plug headset to in the right rear outlets (black into green, red into red/blue).
      2. Make sure cables are secured with a cable tie (or apply spares from box "office supplies” on shelves in coed436).
      3. clip_image003
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, checklists, e-infrastructure, headphones, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, Listening-Stations, small-group-work-spaces

How to run a microphone test before taking an ACTFL exam on languagetesting.com

2013/10/28 Leave a comment
  1. To avoid having your test recordings rejected for quality reasons (and having to take the entire test again), please run this simple microphone test OUTSIDE of languagetesting.com: 
    1. This microphone test can be run  either
      1. at the listening stations (see sign 433a, brown headsets) or
      2. (PREFERABLY) in the main classroom (see sign 434, black headsets).
    2. After logging in, put the headphones on. No need to re-plug anything.
    3. From the desktop, open Audacity  image.
    4. In Audacity, Press the red RECORD button image.
    5. Speak into the microphone.
    6. Check the results:
      1. You should see something like this: image
      2. Press the green PLAY button image and listen to your recording.
      3. Does the recording look AND sound OK?
        1. NO: let the LRC staff at the reception desk know the computer number and switch computers.
        2. Yes: Save the recording using menu: File / Export / [name = number of computer].mp3 to your “my documents” folder (if your test gets rejected, you have evidence that you ran the test and that the LRC headset hardware you used was o.k.).
  2. You also need to run the test WITHIN languagetesting.com (which just tests for volume, not for quality).
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-students, checklists, Listening-Stations, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, Student-Computers Tags: , , ,

Japanese Language Tools (Proofing, dictionary, furigana) in the LRC MS-Office 2010 installation

2013/09/30 Leave a comment
  1. Even if not showing in MS-Word’s Language selector),
    1. image
    2. clip_image002
  2. Even though there is no Japanese Thesaurus: clip_image003
  3. There are these tools:
    1. In the Research pane, "English Assistance: Japanese"  (in the ribbon / "Review" tab, Proofing section, press the clip_image004 , then  ALT-Click a character to start a lookup: 
    2. clip_image005
    3. a Japanese  Consistency Checker:clip_image006
    4. Furigana:
      1. To enable: clip_image007
      2. Result (in view / Web layout):  clip_image008
      3. Incidentally, my blog has not quite made it into the TOP 5 of MSW-Office help content: clip_image009
  4. In addition, for Office, but also beyond, there are the tools of the MS-Office Input method editor (which include dictionary help when you write): clip_image010
Categories: audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, Dictionaries, e-languages, Japanese, Listening-Stations, LRCRoomCoed434, office-software, Presenter-Computer, Reading, service-is-configuring-learning-tools, small-group-work-spaces, Student-Computers, Writing Tags: , ,

Pearson mygermanlab "AUDIO INIT FAILED" for Blackboard voice/Wimba setup wizard – a firewall issue?

2013/08/26 Leave a comment

In Firefox, Chrome, IE8 on Win 7 (64bit) …

No other missing requirement in browser tuneup but QuickTime (which is said to be not required for PC)… And here is the likely solution from the Pearson website:

“Audio Init Failed” or “Error: Communication Error”

This error occurs because the computer’s security prevents the Wimba plug-in from sending data to our servers. Please take the steps described below to be sure that communication between your computer and our servers is always allowed.

  1. Please configure the security program or firewall on your computer to allow the file shown below (audioproxy.exe) to connect to the internet. (If you do not know how to make this change, please contact technical support for the security program you are using.)

Windows XP or 2000
C:\Documents and Settings\[Windows Username]\Application Data\HorizonWimba\JSecureDoor\audioproxy_X.Y.Z\data\audioproxy.exe

Windows Vista
C:\Users\[Windows Username]\AppData\Local\HorizonWimba\JSecureDoor\audioproxy_X.Y.Z\data\audioproxy.exe

  1. Java applets or Java Script also must be allowed by personal firewall or internet security software. Some firewalls have settings to block Java applets and Java Scripting, which will prevent Wimba Voice applets from loading.  You may need to contact technical support for that firewall or security program for assistance configuring that program to allow Java applets and Java Script.
  1. Your browser must also allow Java applets and Java Scripting.

Internet Explorer

  1. Open Internet Explorer and click Tools > Internet Options
  1. From the Internet Options window, select the Advanced tab
  1. Scroll down the list to Java(Sun) heading and make sure the box below it is checked
    Note: If you do not see Java(Sun), go Sun’s Java website at www.java.com and click Free Java Download.
  2. Scroll down the list to the Security heading and make sure the box beside Allow active content to run in files on My Computer is checked
  3. Click OK

Pasted from <http://247pearsoned.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/7356/~/blackboard-voice-(wimba-voice)%3A-error-messages>

More info from the Pearson troubleshooting documentation:

image

 

image

Categories: audience-is-IT-staff, Glitches&Errors, Listening-Stations, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, Student-Computers, textbooks, websites Tags: , , , , ,

Protected: Windows 7 LRC image: The list

2013/06/21 Enter your password to view comments.

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Categories: audience-is-IT-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, classroom-management-system, e-infrastructure, e-languages, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, Listening-Stations, LRCRoomCoed434, office-software, Operating-system, Presenter-Computer, recording-software, service-is-configuring-learning-tools, service-is-documenting, service-is-it-managing, small-group-work-spaces, software, Spreadsheets, Student-Computers, translation-software, web-browsers Tags: , , , , ,

How not to have to join a Saba Centra online class from the LRC late, for lack of speaking capabilities

2013/05/06 Leave a comment
  1. Problem: We continue getting reports from teachers that students who try to participate in a Saba Centra online class from the LRC listening station computers (with analogue headphones) experience a considerable delay in joining and cause disruption to online classes since they have to troubleshoot their microphones, for lack of being audible online.
  2. Root cause: Saba Centra on startup automatically selects the “microphone” as recording device…
  3. Workaround:
    1. On XP, click “Start”, click “Run”, type (without quotes) “SndVol32 –R” (meaning: “SoundVolume for Recording”), click “OK” which opens the volume mixer for recording  devices. The radio button selected will be “Rear input”. image
    2. Start Saba Centra.
    3. Switch back to the volume mixer you opened in step 1. Note that the radio button now selected is “Microphone”. This is wrong for the listening stations (and the teacher station) in the LRC.  Switch it back to “Rear input” (you know that your headset is supposed to be plugged into the rear). image
    4. And off you go…  Plus note: There is no need for “expensive” workarounds like:
      1. haphazardly trying to replug headphones,
      2. purchasing your own USB headphones,
      3. hogging the main classroom with its USB headphones.
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, Distance-education-format-is-Synchronous, e-learning, Listening-Stations, Presenter-Computer, presenter-computer, service-is-configuring-learning-tools, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, Speaking Tags: , ,