All entries for June 2007

Question Mark Perception Training

Writing about web page http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/elearning/store/perception/

The team I work in is currently hoping to create some e-learning tools, online tutorials and tests/quizzes to go with them.

On June 14th Sam and I went to the training session for the ?Perception software, which allows you to create quizzes and even set them in exam conditions. It records who has logged in, when and how long for. It tracks answers given to questions, gives students feedback on answers (if you want it to) and can limit the number of times any one person can take a test or exam, or limit the amount of time the test is available on line to any given student or group of students. Its pretty impressive.

Uses for this kind of functionality within our work relate to the teaching and examining of Information Skills courses. We run a range of sessions and workshops throughout the academic year, including basic inductions, specific software and database training and even Information Skills courses which are examined as part of the credit that students get towards their degrees (obviously exam conditions are required for these!)

The sofware is not as easy to use as our own in-house Quiz Builder software (developed by Warwick University as part of the Site Builder web-authoring package) but it does have some additional functionality.

To be honest, the only real advantages of ?Perception are in the range of question formats it allows a user to create and a few handy extras, like the ability to count scores up as you go. Also it can do a few funky things, like present the questions in a random order, or randomly select a number of questions from a bank so that students dont get all the same questions or dont get them in the same order. Whether or not this extra functionality is worth all the additional work to create the quiz, I'm not really sure. And in the training session I did have great difficulty getting some of the question formats to give the correct score outputs - which makes things very frustrating.

Maybe with further practice all will become clear. In the mean time I will await the Librarians on the team to decide what direction our e-learning tools will take. I think it will be a great thing to get involved in, whichever software we go for, and whatever form it may take.

Katharine Widdows : 22 Jun 2007 13:52 |  Tags: Blendedlearning Elearning Itskills Usereducation |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Presentation Design Training

Blogging on my lunch break again - oh well . . . . . .

I went to a presentation design course in the University IT Training Suite this morning. I'm still determined to do anything I can  related to presenting until my brain just gives in and I become good at it. It has to happen sooner or later.

The course this morning was full of common sense tips about not overusing Powerpoint animations and being careful about slide structure etc. probably things that everyone has heard before, but there was some stuff that was very new to me including:

• Pack and Go function in Powerpoint
• Downloading "viewers" so you can still run your presentation on a machine with the wrong, or no, version of powerpoint
• The Powerpoint Heaven website

This will all be useful in the new academic year as, when term starts and we are running inductions again, we will also be part way through our Library Remodelling. This means we will probably have to go out to academic departments to do most of our presentations - considerations about available facilities will be important.

As far as overcoming nerves or actual speaking skills go the course did touch on this, but in a very common sense way, and there was no practical part to it, it was all presentation by the facilitator. But then the course was more aimed at presentation design and preparation than at delivery.

I will be on another presentation course in a few days - and probably any more that I can find over the summer, to get me ready for the new year. I really want to crack this.

Katharine Widdows : 14 Jun 2007 13:23 |  Tags: Communication Itskills Personaldevelopment Presentations Usereducation |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

I lost my phone!

Well, following on from leaving my book on a bus, I have left my phone on a coach. A phone is unlikely to be handed in at lost property - as I am advised by National Express (who were very friendly, but couldn't do anything).

So I am phoneless.

I'm waiting for a new sim card from Orange to put into my old phone (which I fortunately still have) but I have no charger for it (so, unless I find it under my bed - which is a distinct possibility - Ebay, here we come).

Orange tried VERY HARD to persuade me to pay the £50 charge to get a new phone with the sim card, despite the fact that in October I will get a brand new FREE upgrade with my contract. (And I thought Orange were great at customer service!)

At least I'm glad I didnt waste any money on phone insurance, this whole experience is going to cost just £15 (for the replacement sim card) and potentially a few quid for a charger, because I didnt listen to Orange and because I kept my old hand-set after the last FREE upgrade.

I have no reason for posting this here, other than annoyance at myself.

Anyone had similar problems recently?

Anyone got a spare charger for a Samsung D 500?????

Katharine Widdows : 10 Jun 2007 21:34 |  Tags: Stupidity |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

I built a web site!

Writing about web page http://www.zoehirson.com

My first web site is up and running. It is for London Artist Zoe Hirson who works with wood, thread, metals and fabrics to create some pretty unique pieces.

It is basic - I warn you now, and it will be developed over time as Zoe decides what she wants and I figure out how to make it happen. It is currently hand-coded in HTML so I really need to figure out a few things about CSS and maybe get some training with Dreamweaver (which my boyfriend keeps harping on about). 

Currently there is a very limited selection of Zoe's work displayed on the site,  but I am awaiting further photos to use to build pages about her previous exhibitions etc.

Any suggestions on how to improve the site would be much appreciated. Zoe and myself are both quite new to this, so feedback would be great and there is plenty of scope for change!

And yes - I am monitoring it with Google Analytics. 

Katharine Widdows : 02 Jun 2007 22:08 |  Tags: Itskills Personaldevelopment Websites |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem