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Archive for the ‘service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging’ Category

Sanako Study Tutor may crash if teacher lacks file share permissions

2013/08/20 Leave a comment
  1. Problem: On start of the Sanako tutor 7 (have not seen this in earlier versions, although I have seen many teachers w/o Sanako share permissions), you may immediately be confronted with this NULLREFERENCEEXCEPTION: CAM00138
  2. presumably f you have this (a teacher w/o permissions to the Sanako share):
  3. CAM00139
  4. CAM00140
  5. Workaround: Somebody with file share permissions log in instead.
  6. Solution: Get permissions set up automatically for all classes, including short term.
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, digital-audio-lab, e-languages, Glitches&Errors, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging Tags: ,

Protected: Why requiring manual configuration of the Sanako by students does not work for us

2013/08/20 Enter your password to view comments.

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Categories: audience-is-administration, audience-is-IT-staff, digital-audio-lab, e-languages, Glitches&Errors, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, Presenter-Computer, service-is-configuring-learning-tools, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, Student-Computers Tags: ,

How to access your Saba Centra session outside of Moodle

2013/08/19 Leave a comment
    1. Watch this video on how Access a session link or create a new Centra event on http://centra.uncc.edu instead of Moodle: http://screencast.com/t/4glUbhJs. This shows you how to:
    2. if you already create the event:
      1. send guest links to your already
      2. lead : clip_image002[4]
    3. create a Saba-Centra event
    4. Information is courtesy of the CTL. I am just passing this on to LRC users, although I have not heard of issues with our first Saba Centra classes this morning.
Categories: audience-is-students, audience-is-teachers, Distance-education-format-is-Synchronous, e-learning, Glitches&Errors, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, web-conferencing Tags: ,

How to fix a crash of the teacher station control panel

2013/08/15 Leave a comment
  1. Problem: control panel on the teacher station  unresponsive (both hardware and software buttons). No AV and on/off switching.
  2. Cause: Octo switch in the AV cabinet crashed (it needs replacing).
  3. Resolution: Open the door to the AV cabinet and powercycle the switch (= unplug and replug the lower thin black cable in the 1st or top rightmost thin black cable in the 2nd photo). Or use the call button (still functional) and wait for help.
  4. image 
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, audience-is-language-learning-center-temp-staff, audiovisual, e-infrastructure, Glitches&Errors, Institution-is-University-of-North-Carolina-Charlotte, Presenter-Computer, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging

How to workaround SkyDrive embed codes not working WordPress.com

2013/06/07 3 comments
  1. Problem: I cannot seem to get the new embed code that SkyDrive offers now to work on wordpress.com.
    1. Example:https://skydrive.live.com/embed?cid=4FA3329905D7E1CE&resid=4FA3329905D7E1CE%2162359&authkey=AHmbh-apEmizw-8
  2. Cause: No idea. Guess somebody did not get the memo? Hope it is not me. Smile
  3. Workaround: 
    1. Old skydrive embed code still works in wordpress (E.g. https://thomasplagwitz.com/tag/lists+resources/), but is a completely different syntax than what skydrive offers for embedding now (insert office code into [] to try it out): 
      1. office width="750" height="1300" src="http://r.office.microsoft.com/r/rlidExcelEmbed?su=10634757809471938&Fi=SD25C841818181C2!126&kip=1&AllowTyping=True&Item=Table2&wdHideGridlines=True&wdDownloadButton=True"
    2. However, you can still convert the current embed into the old one:
    3. by inserting the new parameter values into the old ones:
      1. "cid" becomes "su" and
      2. "resid" becomes "Fi" .
    4. This example  successfully embeds into a WordPress.com code now. (insert office code into [] to try it out):
      1. office width="750" height="1300" src="http://r.office.microsoft.com/r/rlidExcelEmbed?su=4FA3329905D7E1CE&Fi=4FA3329905D7E1CE%2162359&kip=1&AllowTyping=True&Item=Table2&wdHideGridlines=True&wdDownloadButton=True"
  4. No we seem to have been here before, so we shall see how long this workaround lasts.
Categories: blog, Glitches&Errors, service-is-documenting, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging Tags: ,

Make life simpler in the language lab by disabling extra audio panels

2013/05/10 Leave a comment
  1. Problem: Having multiple audio panels enabled can led to too many options = sources of errors and confusion.
    1. Software (e.g. Saba Centra) may defaults to different audio panels (front “Microphone” preferred over a “Rear Input” that can be used as a Microphone and is the preferred device in your lab (for security, safety and ergonomic reasons).
    2. Students may make erroneous assumptions and try to reconfigure the PC audio by plugging cables into a different outlet.
    3. ESP Panel  software detects plugging in of devices and asks users to identify whether microphone or line-in device has been plugged into rear input which confuses our users even more.
  2. Software configuration:  On Dell Optiplex 760 under Windows 7 , you can
    1. run  mmsys.cpl,
    2. go to tab:“recording” devices
    3. to disable the front panel input microphone:
      1. select “microphone”(that is the front input)
      2. right-click and  choose “disable”: image
      3. result: image
      4. right-=click and uncheck “show disabled devices”
    4. to configure the “rear input”:
      1. select and click “properties” image
      2. go to tab “custom” (may require having an add-on driver installed, consult the DELL driver update utility) image
      3. check “use as microphone”
      4. check (optional, recommended): “microphone boost”
    5. “Ok” out of all mmsys.cpl dialogues and (for good measure) restart computer.
  3. Test your software configuration to work (listening, recording) with the applications used in your lab:
    1. Sanako student recorder
    2. Saba Centra
    3. Audacity
    4. Voicethread
    5. Moodle: Audio and Kaltura (even though no webcam)
    6. Etc.?
  4. Hardware configuration
    1. Plug your headset microphone and speaker into the rear audio panel. Tie the microphone cable down with a cable tie. Students have managed to pull the cable through the cable tie, so tie the cable into a knot around the cable tie to prevent that
    2. Tape (plastic that student cannot push a plug through easily) over the front audio panel and put a label on top: “Do not use! Get help at desk!”. Instruct your help desk student staff.
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, hardware, headphones, service-is-configuring-learning-tools, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging 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: , ,

Saba Centra on startup automatically selects the "microphone" as recording device…

2013/05/03 Leave a comment
  1. … But we in the language lab use the (dual function microphone/line-in) "rear input" for our headsets (for ergonomic, health&safety and security reasons). Workaround here.
  2. Apparently this startup behavior cannot be changed within Saba Centra:
    1. Any startup will bring up the “Audio Wizard” asking users, even in a controlled lab environment, to configure their audio devices,
    2. and if users do (and choose what they have: headset), make wrong assumptions which audio plug to enable (“Microphone” front panel, even if your headset is plugged into the rear panel dual “line-in/microphone”)
  3. The workaround according to  these easily Googled instructions is using the “Advanced” audio wizard options to override this “Audio Wizard” error, like so:
    1. “Re-open the Audio Wizard, go to the third screen and change your recording device in your “Recording Device” menu. Advance two slides and determine if you can hear your recorded voice. ”
      1. 1st screen: image
      2. 3rd screen: image
      3. note the instructions –  Click “Advanced”. But it is easier to just use from the start our Workaround here.
  4. The long-term solution is reconfigure your hardware and disable the front panel audio – but will Saba Centra  understand you? Stay tuned…
Categories: audience-is-language-learning-center-staff, e-learning, Glitches&Errors, Listening-Stations, mental-notes, service-is-testing-troubleshooting-debugging, Speaking, Uncategorized Tags: ,