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 to comprehensively identify your software packages using the MS-Installer infrastructure

2013/05/10 Leave a comment
  1. Problem:
    1. Some packages may have built-in checks which prevent installation. The built-in error messages may be difficult to interpret (even if you speak foreign languages).
    2. Some built-in checks may be erroneous.
    3. Product name and version may be difficult to identify.
    4. Etc.
  2. Solution: Take advantage of the features of the MS Installer infrastructure.
    1. If necessary (setup file does not come as an MSI file), try to unpack your setup file (7zip alone will work in many cases. There are more advanced free  extractors available on the web).
    2. with the the unpacked MSI’s
      1. run with the “/log” parameter  and to generate and examine the log file for more speaking (an English!) installation errors.
      2. Open  with MS-Orca to examine the software package properties: image.
      3. Right-click and “copy cell” : image
      4. Esp. note the following:
        1. “Make”
          1. Productname (base, qualified) variants
        2. “Model”
          1. GUID for Upgradecode (e.g. {00140000-0028-0000-1000-0000000FF1CE})
          2. Productname
        3. “Year”:
          1. GUID for Productcode ({90140000-0028-0804-1000-0000000FF1CE})
          2. ProductVersion
      5. you can edit your MSI with MS-Orca (better be sure what you are doing).
    3. you can compare this installer package with what you already have installed in the registry
      1. use a registry search tool
      2. you have to search the registry for the compressed GUIDs, to compress, use this: https://thomasplagwitz.com/tag/guid/.
Categories: e-infrastructure, service-is-it-managing Tags: , ,

How to provide students with blended human/computer-automated feedback on their speaking using a dictation with speech recognition assignment screencast

2013/05/08 Leave a comment
  1. Teachers often feel there is never enough time for grading students’  speaking proficiency. Fortunately, we can now automate feedback on pronunciation using Windows 7 dictation with speech recognition.
  2. This feature will be  available for 7 languages on Windows 7 in the LRC, here is a demo for a reading exercise dictating German.
  3. An assignment step-by-step could look like this: Students
    1. record a screencast of their dictation,
    2. read a text to the computer in MS-Word,
    3. turn track changes on in MS-Word and correct the text (immediately or after dictation) where the computer could not recognize their speech,
    4. upload their screencast to Kaltura in Moodle.
    5. To grade the performance, the teacher has to review only at the very end of the screencast to see how many corrections the student needed to make (when it doubtabout the speech recognition validiiy, the teacher can easily jump to the screencast segment in question and, if necessary, override the speech recognition).
  4. This could be a regular assignment type since it provides the following benefits:
    1. immediate automated intelligent feedback for the student
    2. little grading overhead for the teacher, so that the teacher can concentrate her work on providing aural feedback on student recorded speech as a highlight maybe twice per term, maybe after mock exams  before a midterm and final exam
    3. some multimedia pieces demonstrating language proficiency for the student’s ePortfolio.
  5. Requirements:
    1. a quality headset (we use Sanako SLH-07Sanako SLH-07 USB)
    2. Windows 7  Enterprise/Ultimate with Language Packs,
    3. knowing how to switch the display language, (optional/recommended:) TBA:a simplified language switching facility,
    4. individual voice training data: speech recognition users have to train the computer  – once, even in a deepfrozen computer enviroinment,  since we enabled you to save this data to and restore it from a flash drive or personal network share space,
    5. a reading text (often authentic texts can be taken straight from the textbook, to fit in with the syllabus, like in this example from Treffpunkt-Deutsch 1st-year German),
    6. MS-Word with track changes
    7. screencast software (we use MS community clips)
    8. a way to submit the results to the teacher (we use Moodle with Kaltura video uploading (example for teachers, students do it similarly), but email could be sufficient depending on screencast length and attachment size allowance).
Categories: assignments, audience-is-teachers, eportfolio, multimedia-recording, Screencasts, Speaking, step-by-step-guides 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: ,

How to upload files into WordPress and link them to articles

2013/05/02 Leave a comment
  1. In the WordPress “Dashboard” (the landing page after you login as WordPress Admin), in the left menu, click menu item : “Media” /  “Add New”., and drag&drop (or browse and select them).  
  2. clip_image001
  3. The upload success is visible immediately:
  4. clip_image003
  5. In the media library, after uploading media, on the “edit media”, there is an opportunity for adding metadata to files
  6. clip_image004
  7. How do you link files from an article? Click on button: “Add media”, and drag&drop files. How about previously uploaded  files? Click on button: “Add media”, tab:”media library” (instead of the default tab:”upload files”) , ad find your previously uploaded file in the list.
  8. clip_image005
Categories: documentation, e-infrastructure Tags: , ,

Sanako Spring 2013 Newsletter is out: Nottingham University now boasts 11 Sanako Study 1200 language labs…

2013/05/02 Leave a comment

image

…for about the same size undergraduate student body (wow!), emphasizes need for training (I trained in their lab when it was still a  Sanako Lab 300). Read the whole Sanako Spring 2013 newsletter here.

Categories: audience-is-administration, audience-is-teachers, digital-audio-lab, marketing Tags:

Protected: LRC Language Teaching with Technology Faculty Showcase Spring 2013

2013/05/01 Enter your password to view comments.

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Categories: audience-is-teachers, faculty-showcases, Practice&Demos, workshops Tags: , , , , , , ,