Student-Computers | Thomas' Work Space

LRC headset test on PCs

2014/01/02 plagwitz Leave a comment

Log in on a PC.
Launch the Sanako student recorder form the desktop:
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
Click the green Play (from beginning):

can you hear yourself speaking/ the noise from the tabs?
turn your head left and right: can you still hear (sometimes a short cuts out the sound).

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).
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: asset-management

LRC daily walkthrough for classroom PCs

2014/01/02 plagwitz Leave a comment

Find a time when the classroom is not busy on the LRC calendar – if necessary, do it earlier rather than later.
If somebody else than coordinator or director is logged onto the teacher computer, tell the LRC coordinator.
Check the projector? Turned off , screen up

Make sure classroom blinds are closed
Make sure the classroom whiteboard is clean
Make sure headsets are
1. hanging on the back of the monitor in the classroom (each headset on the computer it is connected to, and not a neighboring computer).
3. and are
  1. firmly plugged in
  2. plugged in firmly AND and in the correct (= bottom left) USB port
  3. cable-tied ((spares in coed436 box “office supplies”).

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, checklists, e-infrastructure, headphones, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, Presenter-Computer, Student-Computers

How to create screencasts of student presentations for the language learner ePortfolio in the digital audio lab

2013/11/08 plagwitz Leave a comment

Students can now easily video-record their own screens during class presentations – not only when using PowerPoint; instead students could demo a website, like their Facebook page.
Last year, we were limited to PowerPoint’s record slideshow with timing and narration feature, and either send the PPSX (small, but requires the PowerPoint viewer) or the “Save as” video (new in PowerPoint 2010; computing intensive and large file size).
Now with MS-Community Clips, screencasts are
1. minimal effort to create (keyboard shortcut WIN+ALT+R or T; save on desktop; drag/drop into Sanako homework folder)
2. and little effort to distribute:
  1. Students could have uploaded to a Moodle’ file upload assignment (default file size limit: 64MB) or Kaltura file upload assignment (not sure whether there is a size limit). This seems more suitable for assignments with screencasts recordings.
  2. In this instance
    1. Sanako collected the Homework files to the Sanako share,
    2. my langlabemailer emailed them as attachment (so far tested to allow for 25MB attachment size, the equivalent of 7-8 minute screencast, a hefty space to fill in L2! We also established: 45MB is too much… ) to the originating student and teacher, for review, grading –
  3. and – provided it passes muster as an attractive and significant piece – possibly for re-use in the student’s language learner ePortfolio.
In addition,
1. Before the presentations, the teacher easily collaborated on proof-reading the slide decks of individual students, by using the Sanako Remote control screen sharing feature.
2. During the presentation, students followed more closely – which seemed to increase their attention and comprehension -, thanks to audio and screen being shared to them from the presenter, using the Sanako’s “Model student” feature.

View a path to where you can start troubleshooting Pearson MyLanguageLab Wimba Voice Java

2013/11/06 plagwitz Leave a comment

We used to do proctored LRC chapter exams using this textbook online component, but the Wimba Voice student recording tools stopped working, although a possible solution has been proposed with the problem report. This screencast leads to an exercise where more testing (each supported browser will behave differently – this is Chrome) is possible::

Categories: audience-is-IT-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, German, Glitches&Errors, Student-Computers, textbooks Tags: image2013, java, mylanguagelab, pearson, wimba-voice

How to record your screen with MS-Community Clips

2013/11/06 plagwitz Leave a comment

During presentations, when creating demonstrations etc., it can be useful to record your screen (and your voice, if you speak into the headphone microphone). In the LRC, we have MS Community Clips pre-installed for this purpose. To start recording:
To stop recording, follow the same steps, but in step 3 choose “stop”.
Or forget about the menus and remember the keyboard shortcuts: WIN+ALT+R or T.
The video will play automatically. Click stop, menu: Save, Save your recording where you need it (e.g. Desktop).
If your teacher wants you to submit your recording, in the LRC you can drop it into the Sanako Homework window and “send” it:

Categories: assessments, audience-is-students, digital-audio-lab, documentation, e-languages, multimedia-recording, presentations, Student-Computers Tags: ms-community-clips, sanako-study-1200

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

2013/10/28 plagwitz Leave a comment

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 .
4. In Audacity, Press the red RECORD button .
5. Speak into the microphone.
6. Check the results:
  1. You should see something like this:
  2. Press the green PLAY button 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.).
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: ACTFL, languagetesting.com, oral-exams, testing

Switch to Color Scheme Basic not working for students

2013/10/25 plagwitz Leave a comment

Works for me:
Does not work for students for whom it primarily has to work:
Strangely, student seems to be not stuck on the original, but on an unsaved theme: