Archive
Making computerized vocabulary quizzes for use in the LRC from Prof. Koralova’s Friendly Russian textbook
You can browse on the Group room PC to this folder with the
source files (read acces), you just need to look at the Word versions: S:\COAS\LCS\LRC\sanako\student\friendly-russian-docx-student-copy
In the source files, new vocabulary that the students have to learn, appears in 2 forms
1. Either under the heading “new words”, mostly with English meaning in a sparate column
2. Or in the running text, colored in red (and with no entirely obvious English translation for me who I do not speak Russian, but likely for you).
The target file is here (in most browsers other than Internet Explorer 64-bit, you should be able to open this in EXCEL for easier editing).
We need Russian and English in 2 columns. The computer program we are going to feed these flash cards into is quite simple in its automatic evaluation. That’s why we need to enable students to guess exactly the Russian from the English flash card side (and vice versa). Hence we may need to simplify the entries in both.
To give a few examples:
– Complicated lists of variants (inflected forms, similar phrases etc.) need to be broken up into separate rows
– linguistic metadata (like gender “fem.”– but maybe not articles: “la maison – das Haus” -, irregular verb) in a separate column, per language.
I included an example (from chapter 4, section 6) what I think the end result is supposed to look like:
Source example:
ти́хо (adv.) – quiet(ly); тишина́ (n.) – stillness; quiet
никогда́ – never; ти́хо, как никогда́ – quiet as never (before); когда́ – when
В чём де́ло? – idiom: What’s the matter?
ах да – oh yes
матч – match; game
почти́ – almost
ка́ждый – each; every
ме́сяц – month
всё в поря́дке (idiom)– everything is OK (lit.: everything is in order)
что ещё на́до? – what else (does one) need?
Target example:
|
russian |
metadata |
english |
metadata2 |
|
Ти́хо |
quiet |
||
|
тишина́ |
stillness |
||
|
тишина́ |
quiet |
||
|
никогда́ |
never |
||
|
ти́хо, как никогда́ |
quiet as never before |
||
|
когда́ |
when |
||
|
В чём де́ло? |
What’s the matter? |
||
|
ах да |
oh yes |
||
|
матч |
match |
||
|
матч |
game |
||
|
почти́ |
almost |
||
|
ка́ждый |
each |
||
|
ка́ждый |
every |
||
|
ме́сяц |
month |
||
|
всё в поря́дке |
everything is OK |
||
|
что ещё на́до? |
what else does one need? |
||
Hint: the easiest way to get the vocabulary charts Russian – English from Word into 2 columns in Excel: CTRL+H, “find:” space-space, “Replace”:^t (for tab), then copy/pasting the result makes 2 columns for Russian/English.
New issues with Respondus-lockdown-browser
- Problem description:
- Upon starting the quiz, Students are asked to select the right Moodle server (assuming Moodle2 is the right answer – how long will this step be necessary?)

- When they are finished with the quiz, Students receive a combined “Ar required parameter is missing” (a link with “more information on this error” is offered underneath the red error message, but cannot be opened) and “Link is blocked” error


- before they reach the “SAVED” screen with the “submit all and finish”button: Meaning their attempt was not saved and since it cannot be submitted, will be lost.
- When logging in on a different computer, and starting the quiz in Lockdown browser, it tells students that the attempt is in progress,
- upon continue, they have to start afresh (nothing has been saved).
- This is on version from Dec 6 , 2012.

- Upon starting the quiz, Students are asked to select the right Moodle server (assuming Moodle2 is the right answer – how long will this step be necessary?)
- Workaround: Restarting the quiz on a different computer has been the best workaround I have seen so far.
Wacom Bamboo Tablet enables Teacher to draw characters for class
- We set up one of the Wacom Tablets which we have used for Hanzi/Kanji/Hanja practice in our student group rooms, at the LRC teacher station. Benefit:
- drawing characters where typing (including with IMEs) is not a satisfactory option. This includes
- IPA
- I noticed phonetics teachers making heavy use of the whiteboard and document camera/projector to transcribe.
- We tested a Phonetics keyboard, but remembering your keyboard shortcuts has a learning curve;
- Besides, the keyboard is currently not user-switchable.
- stroke-order demonstration for East-Asian languages.
- IPA
- Unlike the document camera, the Wacom could be set up at the teacher station – no need to move to the other end of the room, and works without need for the video switch we consider replacing.
- To use, you can
- e.g. start MS-paint (click start-button, “Run”, type “mspaint”, click “OK”)),
- select the “pencil” menu icon to the right of the center here:
, - remove the pen from pouch on the side of the wacom tablet next to the keyboard,
- draw digitally with the pen tip (soft),
- select the “eraser”menu icon to the right of the center here:

- turn the pen and rub to digitally erase (or “select all”and press the “del” key),
- finally save the drawing, if you want to reuse it or share it with students (e.g. using the Sanako playlist ).
- To change settings, go to the control panel (click start-button, “Run”, type “control”, click “OK”and start the Wacom Bamboo Control Panel Applet,
- if you do not like the Wacom tablet input panel being set to represent the entire left screen that is visible to students on the projector.
- if you are not right-handed,
- etc.
- drawing characters where typing (including with IMEs) is not a satisfactory option. This includes
How to find resources that best fit your schedule using the OWA scheduling assistant parallel timelines
- Load all equivalent resources for each resource type that you require.
- Using the parallel free/busy timelines in the “Scheduling Assistant”, look for and “plug the holes” (in white):
- In the above example,
- for the given time frame (between rad/green line), no item is completely available;
- however, if you adjust your time frame slightly to earlier in the morning, you would be able to book either camera13 and 17 (assuming you need only one) and micboom 2
- In the above example,
- Remove the resources from the “Attendee list that are non-white = busy for the start/end time that you require the resources for.
- Click upper left menu: “Send” to book.
Protected: Many input languages, keyboards and IMEs requested are not accessible to most LRC users
How to speed up jumping around YouTube videos in class with YouTubeCenter
- Problem: When you use – that is to say: analyze – YouTube video clips in a classroom setting – whether in Film studies or second language acquisition classes –, you will find yourself jumping around a lot in these clips. This can be slow and enter a lot of undesirable little interruptions into your teaching (or learning) flow.
- Root cause: Since pedagogical use is not the primary use case for YouTube videos, their download configuration defaults to streaming, which preloads the video only a few seconds ahead of the cursor or playhead.
- Solution:
- If you want to buffer or preload the entire YouTbue video clip before examining it in your class, you can install a browser add-on called YouTubeCenter.
- Here is more on how to install YouTubeCenter.
- No configuration necessary, ”Dash Playback” which buffers videos completely locally, is the default setting.
YouTube Center, a power user extension for your video usage in class
- YouTubeCenter comes for a variety of browsers, but note that Firefox seems the only practically supportable browser in our campus computing environment.
- To download and install, go to : https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/youtube-center/ and click on:




- There is not shortage of settings (e.g. preselected is the Dash Playback, useful to speed up jumping around a video, by disabling streaming):










