Thank yous

Suddenly realised that I needed to acknowledge Alistair as the person who gave me a copy of a basic TW and some of whose tiddlers still reside on my TW! Did this then emailed to Alistair giving a big thank you for introducing me to them.

http://annedickinson.blogspot.com/2007/06/report-back-from-york.html

And now there's some more software that he wants to share!

So it's great to say thank you - it may lead to looking at some more software.....

Nearly there...

And a complete rethink on the format of my learning object. Using exe http://exelearning.org/ to collate the commentary and the examples - because it can embed an html page into the page and you can interact with it . Not too hard but I need the URLS up.

Just discovered that what I wanted to happen does work!

Simplified the TW: removed the left hand navigation column and the title because it took up space that was badly needed elsewhere. Did this by changing the stylesheet, so if the title is needed, I can just reinstate it! Also changed the background colour so that it wasn't white.

Why so late? Couldn't do a lot until the Curve repository was launched last Monday. Tuesday - Thursday I was writing a paper on the object. Friday finishing a report for TechDis on Portable Fx and DSpeech http://firefoxdspeech.pbwiki.com/ and away at the weekend. So - set to yesterday. Will I finish it by Thursday? I hope so!!!!

The commentary

At last I have started to make some roads into the TW and although I have been looking at the structure of the TW it is worth it to simplify it. And to make it interactive.

I feel that I have been making it too complicated to describe. It is after all just a collection of examples. But the way that they have been presented is unique. I hope the TW works! An earlier version did.

I think it's trying to answer any questions that have been posed that is difficult. One of the points is just to play with the thing! And find out.

Commentary

AT LAST I have made comments on each of the examples.

First I decided what to showcase from each and it had to be something different for each one.
Then I typed the commentary into the cipelwiki
http://cipel.pbwiki.com/TheExamples

I decided to make it simple:

1. The main comment being on the showcase item
   
2. The rest of the pages listed with items that were on then (questions, including types; styles; interactions) so that they could be picked up in the TW index.

Now just got to sort out the indexing for the TW... by example or by item?

And the Commentary, the Terminology and About that will all go in there.

The title

At last I have a title!!
create interactive accessible e-learning

Create as it reflects the name change of Course Genie, and the rest because that's what can happen. No "objects"? I think it's not needed. Just the e-learning. And the accessible, as awareness of that is part of the thing. And definitely interactive.

Scheme (style)

Then I can change the style - put in an alternative colour scheme. I would love to explore this further.

The problem arose when a colleague asked if I knew Flash. I didn't. Thank goodness. It's a real time user!

But more rumours that people didn't like to use Course Genie. Just the appearance. But this can easily be changed using alternative colours - Schemes that are in the Course Genie menu.

And it just coincided with an example that I had (onscreen!) that had used a different scheme. So - this is going to be the showcase for this example!

(It's not just the appearance that needs to be considered when creating a learning object. The interactions need to be considered too. What does the student gain from doing this? How long would it take to create?)

Course Genie Name Change

Just had an email from Wimba to say that Course Genie has had its name changed. From next week it will be called Wimba Create but there won't be any changes to the software until later next year. Difficult to realise this in my write-up. Currently the styles begin with cg. I'll probably need a major edit to the learning object that I produce.

On a roll?

Having done the first, I think the others are going to be easier to do. So far do good. Got 2 more done today and am into a third.

Going through the examples

To date, with only a few hours to go, I have permission from 12 people. Great! I think that these all have the examples that I need. If the remaining come through before the end of today, the stated deadline on the email, I shall use them. If the permission comes late, I won't feel obliged to use them.

Decision time...

On previous sweeps, I highlighted certain examples and then found some more. This is the final decision time, where I write the information in detail and put it on the pbwiki as a holding place. Then to fragment and place on the TW. Why not straight onto the TW? Because I don't want to add any more content there without thinking of the structure. While I am writing the commentary, the form of the structure will manifest itself. Ghost-like? A suitable place to stop on 31st October!

Fundamentals

I've gone back to my original application, dug out the CUILU capabilities and spent some time writing about and putting onto the wiki HOW the Learning Object that I am creating could be used.

Now - back to looking at the examples!

More TW edits

Small changes but giant leaps of knowledge. Used the stylesheet to remove "those pesky 'tagged' and 'tagging' boxes" referred to by Griffmex in tw for the rest of us. Could have easily just removed the relevant divs from the html but that would have been too easy!

Realised that they had to be referred as .tiddler beforehand:

.tiddler .tagging {display: none;}
.tiddler .tagged {display: none;}

Firefox extension Web Developer was a great help here because I could mouseover my page and it would show me the relevant css. Brilliant.

Permaview vs tags

Permaview is really wonderful as I can decide what tiddlers to open and create a URL that opens them.

However - I think that tag might be more appropriate: tag:CIPeL added to the address will open TW with all the tiddlers tagged CIPeL.

Unhowever - I have created a link for admin and this has two tiddlers that I don't want to re-tag.

Swings and roundabouts.

Editing and showcasing

My original plan was not to edit any of the examples at all.

However (there's always got to be a "however!") - there were inconsistencies, some of the file names were long or didn't reflect the content and some things did not reflect the re-usability aspect, containing module codes for example. Some were very much "work in progress", and as a result had a very long last page.

So I edited them according to the page in the wiki: http://cipel.pbwiki.com/EditingExamples


While doing that, I identified pages for showcasing the individual examples and took a screen dump of them.

Finding what to showcase

Every single example has something that can be showcased!

Every type of question has been used, despite my only talking about multi response and (in later sessions) gapfill.

Despite my only demonstrating cgPageTitle and mentioning cgComment when demonstrating the template, 12 styles have been used!

Some used the Flash Card that I demonstrated and many used internet links - no different from the normal use in Word.

Some included an index page, others removed it.

There were also some images and tables.

So I set up Tables to analyse what had been used. This was very useful because I could get at a glance what was there.

Then I needed to consider individual examples, so I assigned one page per example.

Debate - displaying all of the pages

Do ALL of the resulting pages need to be displayed? I think not because

1. It diverts attention from the purpose of the examples, which is to highlight how Course Genie can be used to create interactive web pages.

2. We need to get the reader to focus on the style of the examples, not the content, although the content will be one of the hooks.

It may be appropriate to remove long pages but keep the cgPageTitle and cgSectionTitle, to maintain the structure of the pages.

Another debate - could a TW be used for the comments (both theirs and mine?)

Pros -

Showcases TW

A good method of indexing text

Cons -

Not so accessible! Would need a text-only alternative for searching.

Style vs Content

I have an idea what I would like my e-learning object to look like when it's finished. It's very tempting to think about the appearance of it, especially when trying to explain to the Learning Technologist how I want things arranged.

I have just got involved with the TW again and am sure that this is the best way to put in the written information. It gives tutors an opportunity to search for items needed. And to engage with new e-applications!

Back to the content!

One decision - cut out superfluous text in the examples, so that people can concentrate on the items displayed. The superfluous text arises in the "work in progress" where pages have not yet been formatted, so the last page can be very long. (I suggested that people start from the beginning, considering one page at a time, and continually regenerate the files.)

"Critical Friend"

It was extremely useful to have a colleague act as "critical friend". Basic attempts to explain what I was doing helped me!

Useful things:
Categorise the objects, highlighting various aspects of them.

Looking through the examples

Not too difficult to look at the structure and categorise what types of questions and formats have been used.

The formats were by guessing and remembering the requests of colleagues from the sessions. I may need to go back to the original Word documents to check.

I will also need to anonymise the documents where people have put in their own names. But I have put that on my list.

Next - creating the e-learning object

I need to do the following...

Examples created by people:

1. Look through the examples
2. Decide whether to do any more editing other than forgotten personalisations
3. Look through the TW text of stories
4. Decide whether to edit the TW stories

Commentaries of the examples; what they illustrate; possibly a list of Word/CG skills and links to the examples.

Text handouts:
Create a list of handouts that are needed
Perhaps guidelines need to be given for TW use (small tiddlers)
FAQs?

Movies:
"To do" bits - need a list!

Putting it all together:
What's it about; skills involved; skills gained
How to index the examples (see commentary above)
Snapshots of the examples?

FIRST - I need to compile a list of these lists! See cipel.pbwiki.com

Post collection courses

Now I have a lot of examples.

I need to build the e-learning object around it.

Then I need to test the e-learning object.

I spoke with colleagues suggesting that I ran an external course, previously to collect the "finished objects" for the e-learning. However, I think I have enough now. However, a course would be an ideal opportunity for people to evaluate the e-learning object; having access to it and to the examples during the course.

Final two sessions

Four people for each session. Just enough. Certainly the "going round each person" part was a little crowded. I would have planned the starting bit in a separate room but am glad we did a round robin.

Both sessions made me think that they could have been longer as they both overran.

In the first session there were two people who were from the same office. A disadvantage. At least they didn't sit together, although I suspect that they were influenced as one person had to "leave early" and so did the other.

The second session - one out of the four arrived on time. This really bugged me.

Not everyone brought a Word document with them. This really bugged me too.

I found that they needed guidance in writing the sentences about the document (the TW) so I created a helpful screen with a list of things that they could include. This worked well for the next-last session but not the last session where I really needed it - it was online and there was no online access to the computers.

The examples that I demonstrated must have been useful. Comparing it with the last session, when I did not have access to the examples and instead used solely the question examples produced by CG, the earlier sessions were moe successful.

One conclusion - I need to have local alternatives to everything! Hopefully the examples that have been created during the sessions will illustrate these.

Late Arrivals

Someone arrived very late at one of the sessions. Without a Word Document. And without written questions.

Everyone was specifically told by email the arrival time for the session (but some brought along an old document). BUT the email would have told them that they had a place and what day to arrive, as well as the time. They were also specifically told to bring Word documents with them, with potential for questions.

The person who arrived late was encouraged to attend the session and to use the PowerPoint, because in the previous session someone had a PowerPoint and others found the demonstration of exporting to Word (saving as a rich text file) useful. BUT, because of the late arrival, did not see the earlier part of the session and as a result ended up doing things that, they didn't understand and didn't "get". I have yet to look at what the person had done but I suspect that it may not be useable.

Third Session

Four people! All different needs.

I still need to emphasise the need to bring a Word document with the potential for questions. One person changed her mind over a document after I had demonstrated Course Genie. Another person didn't have a Word document anyway and wasted a lot of time trying to find one, ending up with modifying a PowerPoint.

They seemed to build up a good understanding of creating questions. Using the generated examples and working from the Word example seemed to make sense for them all.

Problems

Didn't have time to talk about the files that were produced but it's in the notes.

PowerPoint import as a rtf didn't do too well as there was a lot of formatting. Best to copy the text from the rtf and paste as plain text into the Word document, then don't get problems when re-generating.

The LESS THAN sign caused problems when re-generating. The GREATER THAN didn't... possibly because it was at the beginning of a line.

One person seemed to spend a lot of time with a large file, despite my suggesting that only one criterion out of four be addressed. Time ran out and the person only put in questions for the revision aspect of the section - the first criterion. Learning the hard way!

The wiki - despite my mentioning that it was the story of the document, not an evaluation of the course or an explanation of the features of Course Genie, some of them still started off with evaluation/features. I need a handout / PowerPoint to say otherwise, I think.

Strategies

Put in some headings, Generate Course, then look at the metadata.

The Properties of the document (File - Properties) revealed the title and the author... unexpected author in some cases!


I need to minimise the number of examples, concentrating on the ones with questions.

Someone had an image to add - it needed to be pasted as a .jpeg image and re-entered as a file import. Demonstrated image techniques (Grouping, Moving, Selecting)- slightly off topic but I think it was appreciated.

The Wiki

All entered items in their wiki. I got this right because (while they were having lunch)...

1. Previously got them to save their files on the desktop (NB Need to suggest their initials as the folder name)
2. Removed their sticks
3. I put in the stick with the Fx and wiki (the one they were to take away)
   
4. Started Fx Portable and dragged the wiki file over it, starting up the file
5. Talked them all through creating text rather than demonstrating first
6. Made sure the wiki were saved
7. Coped the wiki to their desktop folder
8. Copied the files back to their new stick (they would have 2 copies of the TW)
   
9. Copied the files to my stick
   

Two Courses gone...

This week I ran two of my courses in CIPeL. Only two people in each one but both sessions were very fruitful -
* interprofessional interactions between colleagues
* good examples - unexpected nuggets of gold!
* different issues
* transfer from print to interactive e-pages
* contrast of styles of documents

Nuggets - gaps between text boxes

I used the html break and then put the style into cgHTMLinclude style. Three breaks were sufficient to make "just the right sized" gap between successive paragraphs. All the person had to do was highlight these (surrounded by unformatted "Enter"), copy and paste where needed.

Nuggets - Easy question with not too much typing

the gapfill! Just paste a paragraph (into the answer box) and add [] round each word to be missing, then it's nearly done.

The Gap

I was away in August attending the Assistive Technology conference, visiting a colleague whose role was similar to mine in Accessibility and Learning Technology and visiting the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre.

And having a vacation between the visits.

Assistive Technology Conference - http://tinyurl.com/2yu2lm

Colleague - Educational Technology Manager http://www.eplt.educ.ubc.ca/

Adaptive Technology Resource Centre http://www.atrc.utoronto.ca/

TechDis bid

Great - the TechDis HEAT2 bid was successful! So I have enough money to buy the students in the group a stick so that they can evaluate Portable Firefox for themselves. And the work will get publicity under the TechDis banner. Great. Additional software for the stick looks promising too.

Student Guide

Now we have to change the cover so that it conforms to the Corporate. Mixed feelings as something that has always been in our hands has been taken away. However, I did mention in a small voice about getting them involved before. Possibly it's a good thing as I think that the cover would have benefited from a professional look. However, I am afraid of it coming too anonymous. At least they are not looking at the inside. That would be too much if they did. Still not sure about the changes that they have done. I don't like making a decision without the portal people being involved - [edited] - Great - a Portal Person has come up with a good compromise. Sufficiently small change and linking it to the original cover. Looks good.

Back from Dundee

The conference was wonderful! Very friendly. The icing on the cake was that my poster was awarded "Outstanding Poster". It's great to be recognised.

Dodgy journey back from Edinburgh Airport especially as the security was heightened due to the previous day's car going into Glasgow Airport and bursting into flames.

Busy week

Online @ Coventry University now finished and ready for printing. I hope that the Portal and VLE work as well as the book will! Great that there's more that we can build on. Andy's suggestion of the green arrows was just right.

Posters for Dundee being sorted out. Just the descriptions to do.

My first course at CIPeL as a member tomorrow. Must get an early night. Sticks and the minimum of documentation sorted. Other things can be accessed via the Internet.

Still got to sort out the schedule for the workshops. Will just assign dates. Hopefully all will come out in the wash.

Looking forward to visiting Dundee. Hopefully the conference will be more relaxing as all I've got to do is put up two posters and do a ten-minute session.

Success in upgrading

Just as I hoped and thought, the TiddlyWiki upgraded as a merge. BUT THE SAVE CHANGES OPTION MUST BE DONE!

Managed to sort out the styles too.

Used StyleSheet to drop my styles in - good advice from the tutorials in "wiki for the rest of us" site.

Things are making sense. I just need to get used to using one or two things in the wiki language.

Links seem ok.

So far, so good.

Tiddling

Did some more investigations and discovered that one of the most useful tiddlers that I need is the ImportTiddlers. Unfortunately it wasn't with the one that I was given, so I will have to start again.

A shame as I want a very basic one for the people that I want to use it with, so that they don't get confused with the long list of tiddlers.

I did find out about the permaview which will be very useful in introducing it to first-timers.

I've now got instructions to upgrade my wiki to 2.1 so will have a go at that tomorrow:

NB This DOESN'T SHOW ALL OF THE URL:
http://tiddlywikiguides.org/index.php?title=Upgrading_your_TiddlyWiki_to_2.1.x

The 2.1 - latest version (empty.html) has ImportTiddlers so that's great.
http://www.tiddlywiki.com/empty.html

It looks like all that needs doing is a sort of merge and the upgrade is complete.

Report back from York

Went to an Accessibility SIG meeting and discussed the role of TechDis. Summaries are reported elsewhere.

Glad I changed groups. Joined old friends that I seem to re-meet at these occasions.

The best thing was afterwards having a demo of TiddlyWiki - thank you Alistair!

Now I have a wiki. It's free standing so will park inside the repository but it will also link into CUOnline should it need to go there. (Tested this - OK)

The main disadvantage is that the editor isn't wysiwyg but I think that I should manage to show the basics.

Good travelling home on GNER. Will go via Peterborough in the future.

Starting...

The end of another busy week. Frantically trying to finish off work so that I can concentrate on the secondment.

Helped a colleague with the conference software. Seemed to go well and the colleague had a favourable email from the head of department so that was good.

Busy getting two posters and one "tips and techniques" for the Dundee Conference

And the Portable Fx seminar to present - now classified as a rehearsal as I'm really presenting!!!

Glad I've set the date for the first pilot session for my course that will seed the reusable learning object. I would like to run another in September. Too busy (and I need to take a holiday in July!) for it to be earlier.

Off to York on Monday to the CETIS Accessibility SIG so got some things to read for that. Lucky that one of the few papers I've read recently is the one recommended!

Been asked to present at the HLS Conference, so another rehearsal for the portable Fx. Great. Possibly things will be less frantic and I will really be able to enjoy myself when I get THERE.

Had an email from a colleague wanting to know more about Course Genie, so will be pointing her in the right direction.

I realise that I'm not a good diary keeper. It's not habit yet. And I can't cheat as it puts the time on the postings. Perhaps it's as well.

Who am I writing for? Me. Possibly someone who might see this. But I can't think of an audience for this as I would be so inhibited in my writing. So if you are reading this and have got this far - you are a wonderful, patient person!

Work cut out?

I was shown a reusable e-learning object that was created and of which a colleague was very critical. I'm not sure whether the colleague was critical about the same things. As far as I was concerned:
1. There were too many pages
2. The titles of the pages were too long AND ambiguous AND many began with the same phrase
3. There was a text equivalent. BUT if the stylesheet was used in the first place, then that would not have been necessary.

They were just the accessibility issues. The presentation does not do all of that person's hard work justice.

I said that my main role within the secondment was to create an e-learning object, but I can see that I could become involved in criticising others. But we are here to learn. It's not enough to let things go.

Hopefully the learning object that I am developing will help people realise that it is EASY to create accessible learning objects.

I'll have to get JAWS going again, to that it can read out some of the links.

I'm concluding that simple guidelines are needed. And some sort of awareness training.

Decisions...

The hardest part so far is deciding which of the three courses I would concentrate on for the Learning Object. I have decided to go with the Course Genie one because I have presented the basic course that I want to do several times. I also know the stages that need to be demonstrated. The extension that I would need to apply to the course is the use of a wiki, so I could put some time into this.

What I want to do first, before everyone disappears for a holiday, is to run at least one session, so I had better get the description for the course done. If the session is not so successful, I will call it a pilot and do another after review.

But I guess I review all of my sessions, no matter how informally. And I never run exactly the same session. But what I mean is that I reserve the right not to use any of my things but I may use the examples produced by the people attending the session.

Another test - Voice Email

Voice Email
It did go to the blog, but, in the "Click here to listen to your message" link, the email contained the address of the blog, making it no longer private. It also contained the source email address and the email of the cc as well as the bcc email. So much for bcc!
So I have:

• Downloaded and saved the .wav message on the computer

• Edited this blog message - removing the reference to the link

• Attempted to upload the .wav message - COULDN'T DO - it only accepts images!
  

Guess where?

I had delayed visiting here for too long! Within hours of arrival, I wanted to visit again. And before departing, we said "The next time we must see..." several times.

(Picture added from Picasa. From Picasa's menu, choose
Create then Publish to Blogger. I chose medium for the picture.)

I removed the picture because it didn't have any alt text. I tried to put it back again but it doesn't look like I succeeded! The alt text remains!!!

diary test from my gmail

another test to set up the email for my blog
(Test from Uni email is not good as it leaves the "NOTE: This email..." message in.)
Note: it works fine from my gmail

CIPeL secondment

Just been seconded to CIPeL so this will be the space that I will use for a diary. I've already set up a visible CIPeL wiki giving details of my secondment. There will follow an invisible one!