Metamedia

Moodle Audio Tools Update

I have updated my page on Moodle Audio Tools to reflect the current situation as of February 2009.

The situation today is much simpler than two or even one year ago, as Nanogong is the clear choice for doing this today.

Release 3 of Nanogong in August 2008 was a distinct improvement, especially integrating with Moodle.

The adoption of the Speex codec has improved the quality of the recording, which was one of its main weaknesses.  And its integration with the Moodle rich text editor means you can record and play back sounds in any rich text  box in a course, not just in the provided assignment module.

That's not to say there aren't some issues - with Gradebook integration of the assignment module, and occasional stability issues, but it has seen continual improvement over the last two years. So good job, Gong Project!

Grade the Moodle Gradebook

Moodlers,

Now is the chance to weigh in with your comments on what the new Gradebook in Moodle will look like. Though Moodle 1.8 has just come out, there were no changes to the system gradebook, but there is a major overhaul for it in the works for Moodle version 1.9 which should come out sometime in the fall.

There have been no major improvements in the core gradebook for a long time, since version 1.5 at least. In the meantime, Michael Penny and Jeff Graham's Gradebook Plus has filled some of the gap, but it would be good to have all those features and more in the core component gradebook.

So, Martin Dougiamas, chief mover and architect of Moodle, has made an open call in the Gradebook discussion forum for input on the new gradebook.

So all teachers should take to the time to visit, read the forum posts and add your voice for what features you would like to see.

This is how Open Source software should work: direct feedback from you to those who are designing and building the software. Please take advantage of it.

Hey, can you imagine Michael Chasen responding to you on an open forum?

Virtual Simulations as Teaching Tools:Welcome to Second Life

Virtual simulations for (foreign language or other) education:  I spoke about this topic last July at the NITLE Foreign Language & Technology conference in Salem, and finally reality – well virtual reality anyway – has caught up to us.  So I thought now is the time to post something for you who might be interested in this topic.  This is the future of social software, the first really usable version of it is called Second Life. It has many potentials as a teaching tool for creating Simulations.

Second Life is a 3d on-line virtual world. It is not a game, but a virtual space where any sorts of social activities can take place. It is free to use, but, for a fee, you can “buy” “land” in it and set up a permanent space.  In fact, it has developed its own economy and social structure. There is a special “island” in SL (as it is often abbreviated, contrasted with RL, “Real Life”) for educators, at educational discount prices.

A growing number of colleges and universities have already staked out space in it, as well as corporations; Reuters even has a reporter stationed at its headquarters in Second Life.