Genre-is-any | Thomas' Work Space

Checklist for light-kits

2013/12/11 plagwitz Leave a comment

Parts: 25 each, .i.e.:
1. 4 plates (1)
2. 2 more plates (2)
3. 3 extension power cables (3)
4. 3 lamps (4), containing 3 bulbs (not pictured)
5. 2 thingamabobs (5)
6. 8 clamps (6)
7. 2 stands (7)
Functionality: plug them in and turn them on, like so:

Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audience-is-students, checklists, documentation, e-infrastructure, Film-studies, service-is-library Tags: asset-management, light-kits

Another way to upload many files into Moodle 2

2013/12/04 plagwitz Leave a comment

Last time we started from “Add folder” to get to the handy drag-and-drop file upload control in Moodle 2.
This time we do not want to create a new folder, but work within an existing folder (better for categorizing lots of files).
Browse into the folder and click edit
click create folder
add name and click create
click to open folder
drag/drop files as zip in folder
oops, check the upper right warning :
Split your files into smaller segments
And be patient, there is no visual indicator of progress, or any action, after the drop), or else you get duplicates:
Just delete duplicates you might have created:
click on each zip file and choose “unzip”:
Delete the zip files (not needed anymore)
Finally, click “save changes”
Note, by working within a folder, you cannot link directly to the new folder you created. It should however be easy enough to navigate to it if you send the link to the root folder, here “Interaction”.

Categories: audience-is-teachers, e-learning, lms, training Tags: files, folders, moodle

A few examples of recessed aka downview computer screens in face-to-face learning environments

2013/12/04 plagwitz Leave a comment

Receded computer screens would save us having to rename the LRC learning environment from “face-to-face” to “face-hidden-behind-screen-from-face”, Smile and are especially good for communicative language class activities that are not computer-mediated, but only –aided. Receded screens also provide pretty good privacy, and are essential for written exam integrity.

Newer design claim ergonomic problems of older designs and are not as recessed, but make it easier to cheat in exams:

Labstar Desk

Categories: furniture, Photos, proposals Tags: monitors

First steps with Publish or Perish citation analysis software program

2013/12/03 plagwitz Leave a comment

Here is the result for a somewhat less basic query. You can (1) merge identical results by drag and drop, (2) sort by clicking the column header – for finding more duplicates and other examinations of the result set –, with the 1st sort level being the (3) checked/unchecked status. Note that the s”results”summary conveniently aggregates only the items from the query result set that you have not unchecked:
Common pitfalls:
1. Do not search author names without quotation marks, here is why:
2. Think about including multiple versions of the author’s name, especially first name:
You can export,
1. e.g. as CSV which you can import into MS-Excel (note that MS-Excel does not autodiscover all settings, you have to set these:)
3. and convert into an Excel table, for further analysis and distribution:

Categories: e-research, Learning-logs, software Tags: bibliographies, citations, google-scholar, ms-academic-search, publish-or-perish

How teachers can collect any file from students’ computers with Sanako Study 1200 homework–the ultimate training…

2013/11/22 plagwitz Leave a comment

…using animated .gifs. Different speed? 0.25sec,0.5sec, 0.75sec, 1sec, , 1.5sec, 2sec, 3sec, 4sec, 5sec, 6sec, 7sec, 8sec, 9sec, 10sec. 1.5sec

Categories: animated-GIFs, audience-is-teachers, digital-audio-lab, e-learning, training Tags: homework-activity, sanako-study-1200

Working around problems getting ELTI course worksheet out of Report Express

2013/11/20 plagwitz 2 comments

Problem: I used to, but cannot anymore get the course worksheet for ELTI out of Report Express. My choices:

Result set is empty:

Course enrollment does not work either:

I am still in a position to get the full class list out of the system, but that is not what I need, and is not the course worksheet sheet just a calculation based on the

Solution: Use “international programs” as the “department”.

It seems “department”and “subject” drop downs synchronize only with the selection of “college”, but selection of “department” can be in conflict with selection of “subject” (Is this a good GUI?).

It also seems that this affects only the “course worksheet", but not the “class list”(Huh?)

Another example: I seem to be able to get to the Film studies course list only if I leave all other drop down to “all”..

Categories: e-infrastructure, Glitches&Errors, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, Learning-logs, websites Tags: report-express

Faculty Workshop Fall 2013: Creating Mahara language learner portfolio pieces in the digital audio lab

2013/11/18 plagwitz Leave a comment

Thanks to all who came out to this workshop.
1. You have already been emailed your portfolio pieces, like your students will be, by the LangLabEmailer.
2. Converting your recordings to a file for Question/Response exams will take a little longer, let me know if/when you would like to use it.
In addition, here are the workshop files:
1. my slide handout as PDF with clickable links (includes “Can do”- Statements aligned with the Common European Reference Framework for language proficiency levels, which can help operationalizing your ePortfolio strategy)
2. my slide deck embedded:
3. my slide deck as a downloadable PowerPoint show: you can click through the animations at your own speed, view the animated GIFs, and listen (or jump over!) to my full presentation narration (both as of yet not supported in PowerPoint Web App)
4. a screencast of the back stage view (Sanako tutor mostly), full HD resolution (big, but streaming), with complete uninterrupted (and unedited! please fast forward manually through the hands-on parts) audio . To facilitate your navigation, here is a table of contents :
  1. 0:00: Table of contents
  2. 2:30: Portfolio Pedagogy
  3. 13:47: Technical infrastructure: Moodle Mahara portfolio, Sanako, LangLabEmailer
    1. 17:47: Q&A
  4. 19:45: Option 1: presentation as screencast, examples from 1st-year Russian
  5. 34:50: Option 2: Free-form conversation audio, Examples from 2nd-year English and 2nd-year Japanese
    1. 52:00: Q&A: Why a LangLabEmailer?
  6. 53:00: Option 3: question-response audio, examples from 4th-year Spanish.

Categories: announcements, audience-is-teachers, digital-audio-lab, eportfolio, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, learning-usage-samples, multimedia-recording, Slideshows, Speaking, workshops Tags: mahara, moodle, sanako-study-1200

How to type phonetic symbols on a computer

2013/11/16 plagwitz 2 comments

Web-based On-screen-keyboards (point-and-click; low learning curve, but no fast typing speed; typing into a textbox from where you can copy/paste the result into other programs):
1. http://westonruter.github.com/ipa-chart/keyboard/: Sounds are systematically organized. Suitable for learners, but also good for teacher demonstrations.
2. Partially based on keyboard shortcuts: http://www.ipatrainer.com/user/site/index.php?pageID=ipawriter:
  1. http://ipa.typeit.org/full/: Other than the English version, the full version includes non-English sounds. The interface is optimized for fast typing (sorted by keyboard key). Presumably better for teachers using a screen projector as a whiteboard.
  2. i2speak.com (reviewed here earlier):
  3. Update: Richard Ishida’s seems also impressive,
    2. and you can use phonetics terminology to get characters selected, like so:
Windows-based:
1. http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/resource/phonetics/: MS-Windows keyboard layout. May be good for even faster typing, if you can memorize the keyboard layout or add keyboard stickers (we unfortunately have too many languages vying for our hardware keyboard space already). Requires download & installation (may be added to the LRC keyboards during next imaging if we receive enough requests).
2. http://staff.washington.edu/dmontero/IPACharmap/.
3. http://sourceforge.net/projects/allchars/: If you are use to the ALT+### method of entering characters and are still on XP, this may be for you: You can generate your own keyboard shortcuts for phonetic characters.
4. MS-Word:
  1. http://email.eva.mpg.de/~bibiko/downloads/uniqoder/uniqoder.html: Allows to select IPA-Symbols from a toolbar. Untested.
There are also always X-Sampa and CXS and ASCII-IPA: ways of writing IPA in plain ASCII messages – but yet another thing to teach novices in phonetics may be a bridge too far.