Thursday, February 26, 2009
User testing
My co-worker is the user in this case. I was there with her and introduced her to this blogger site. She is our training coordinator and just got her computer degree recently, and she's a quick learner as well. It didn't take her a long time to set up her blogger account. The initial setup was really straightforward since she already had a Gmail account. I was by her side though and walked her through some of the pages. After choosing the template, she was able to be on her own. Basically she didn't have any problem using blogspot.com. Her feedback of the site is very positive.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Camtasia Studio
I’d like to talk about Camtasia. It’s a product designed and developed by TechSmith. You can record onscreen activity, make edits on the timeline, add image, audio, video into the project, and produce the video in the end. What I like about this software package is that things seem to be very intuitive. There is almost no need for training in order to be a pro. You can start a new project by either recording a new screen, or importing media.
The easy import and export functions and wizards make the project fun and entertaining. Once a project is created, the storyboard is showing at the bottom of the screen. Video and audio are split on the storyboard. The audio can be adjusted.
You can also insert voice narration after you put everything in place. There are nice slide transition for you to pick from, they add up the space and size of the file but they are nice and really make the production more smooth and professional.
The final production wizard is easy to use as well. Only problem is the dilemma between the quality and size of the file. If you want the best quality with clear original image and sound, the file size would be huge. You can put the file CD, but it’s not possible to email.
There are a few drawbacks of this software product.
1. Audio and video functions are restricted. There are only two audio tracks to be manipulated. You can less control over the audio adjustment than what’s given by the other video products out there such as Audacity and Captivate.
2. Quality of the production is highly dependent on the options of production method. If you choose “Email” (which means you’d like to send the file as an email attachment), the poor quality of the production really makes the “Email” option impossible to use.
Overall, Camtasia is a great tool to put media together in a short timeframe. The screen recording and media merging functions, although limited, can do most of the work. You can produce something presentable quickly and nicely using this software tool.
The easy import and export functions and wizards make the project fun and entertaining. Once a project is created, the storyboard is showing at the bottom of the screen. Video and audio are split on the storyboard. The audio can be adjusted.
You can also insert voice narration after you put everything in place. There are nice slide transition for you to pick from, they add up the space and size of the file but they are nice and really make the production more smooth and professional.
The final production wizard is easy to use as well. Only problem is the dilemma between the quality and size of the file. If you want the best quality with clear original image and sound, the file size would be huge. You can put the file CD, but it’s not possible to email.
There are a few drawbacks of this software product.
1. Audio and video functions are restricted. There are only two audio tracks to be manipulated. You can less control over the audio adjustment than what’s given by the other video products out there such as Audacity and Captivate.
2. Quality of the production is highly dependent on the options of production method. If you choose “Email” (which means you’d like to send the file as an email attachment), the poor quality of the production really makes the “Email” option impossible to use.
Overall, Camtasia is a great tool to put media together in a short timeframe. The screen recording and media merging functions, although limited, can do most of the work. You can produce something presentable quickly and nicely using this software tool.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Blog #4 Dalgarno's Taxonomy Explained in Elmo's Game
Within the Elmo's Workshop games, there are following input and output:
Input:
Selecting
Buttons
Icons
Dragging
Drawing (I'm not sure if this represents exactly what Coloring Book does in Elmo. In Coloring Book, there is no need for mouse clicking. Just by moving the mouse, you can make the black and white picture change its color.)
Output:
Displaying
Presenting media
Assessing answers
Generating feedback (with audio that tells you that you made a wrong choice, and encourages you to move if you've been idle for a while)
Saving and loading (When the game is clicked on)
Input:
Selecting
Buttons
Icons
Dragging
Drawing (I'm not sure if this represents exactly what Coloring Book does in Elmo. In Coloring Book, there is no need for mouse clicking. Just by moving the mouse, you can make the black and white picture change its color.)
Output:
Displaying
Presenting media
Assessing answers
Generating feedback (with audio that tells you that you made a wrong choice, and encourages you to move if you've been idle for a while)
Saving and loading (When the game is clicked on)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Blog #3 Sesame Street Game
I have ZERO online game experience. Since I have to really get involved with certain game to be able to critique thoroughly, I chose to give Sesame Street Workshop a try. This is something I sit in front of and watch almost 4 times a week.
From educational stand point, I embrace this game site where kids can go and choose different games to play. It features different areas of practice, such as letters, numbers, colors, sizes,shapes, moving objects, games to improve kids' observation skills, etc, etc. My 4-year-old can dress up a monster while my 2-year-old can just simply do some coloring by moving the mouse. The best part is my kids love it, and they both learn from these games.
The URL is here: http://www.sesamestreet.org/games
The interface of these games is very attractive. It's got colorful pictures and objects. There are audio instructions by characters from Sesame Street. In the middle of the game, if the child stops working, audio will start talking again and reminding the child of what needs to be done in order to finish the game. In my opinion, the game is as interactive as it can be. And my take on the game concept is: if it can make kids sit in their chair for more than 10 minutes, it's a successful game!
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