lodeStar Learning Web Journal

By Robert N. Bilyk

Several powerful features and templates have been hidden from our average users. We’re happy to report that they’ve stood the test of time and are ready to see the light of day.

• Four new templates are now available as part of the basic LodeStar package: Brancher, Panner, Syncher and Mapper.

• LodeStar supports the streaming of flash video and mp3 podcasts.

• LodeStar makes it easy to import flash objects.

• LodeStar users can add an image or math formula to a text box.

• LodeStar has added new themes in support of its recent integration with eFolioWorld

(See EFolioWorld Announcement)

New Templates

Brancher

Brancher supports a range of activities from simple presentations (that combine text, graphics, audio, video and multiple choice questions) to branched instruction based on student choice and student performance.

With Brancher, instructors can program the instruction to branch to one of several options based on either student performance, an answer to a question or a menu choice. The options are:

No Action
Go to Next Page
Go to Previous Page
Jump to Page
Open URL

One method of programming the option is to right click on a distracter or a menu item.

See an example:
Scavenger Hunt

Panner

Panner enables the learner to pan across a presentation. The learner may be panning across time or a geographical area. Each stop on the way can include text, images, animations, video, and quiz items.

In the example, this author took one picture per day to chronicle the passing of a Minnesota summer into the outer edges of winter.

See the example:
90 days

Syncher

This template leverages the thousands of podcasts that are available on every imaginable subject. In the example, the instructor finds a podcast on the Mars Lander named Phoenix (whose mission is now regretfully ended). The instructor copies the URL address of the podcast (ending with .mp3) to the clipboard and with LodeStar’s new audio import feature (see below) pastes the address into LodeStar. The instructor then decides what to display at what point of time in the podcast. So, for example, s/he can decide to display an image at 0:10, which means zero minutes, ten seconds. At that precise time an image displays. The instructor can also choose to display an animation, text, a question, video, or another channel of audio.

See an example:
Phoenix Lander

Mapper

Mapper synchronizes a location on a Google Map with instructional content. Imagine going down the Nile or the Danube or trekking across Africa and seeing text, questions, imagery and videos synched to that site. In this mash up, the mapping is pulled from Google while the videos can be streamed in from http://www.teachertube.com/ and other sources.

Some have already put Mapper to good use, although it has only been available in alpha form. The intrepid Andy Hannaford in the United Kingdom has already used Mapper to tour Tudor England.
Tudor England

(Andy has been tremendously creative in his use of LodeStar at ConnectedOnline. I refer to him as intrepid because he is the very first educator to attempt creating his own theme. See October, 2008 web journal article.)

LodeStar 5.4 features other enhancements as well.

Image in Text boxes

Currently LodeStar supports Flash objects. Flash is powerful and the Flash Player is ubiquitous. As Flash matures, its language and its capabilities are becoming more and powerful.

Currently, Flash has limited support for HTML rendering in its text fields. Over time that will change and we will increase our support for what one can do inside a text field. With the release of 5.4, we now support the import of one image into a text field. (Flash Player 10 correctly renders multiple images in a text field, but both faculty and students must have Flash Player 10 installed on their computers. Stick to one image for the time being.)

Traditionally, LodeStar users have chosen a layout that might include a text area and an image area. LodeStar has increased the power of the image area (see below) but has also enabled the import of one image into the text area for increased flexibility. The image can be an image that is imported from the hard drive or linked by URL. The image can also be a math formula. The Math button in the Insert Image Dialog opens up LodeStar Learning’s Math Editor. The math is created by formula but rendered as an image and inserted into the text field.

In the following screenshot, we see the cube root of 3435 displayed in the text area (far left). If an instructor wanted to edit this image, s/he would click on the image, click on the insert image button in the text area tool bar, and see the ‘Insert Image’ dialog pop up. In the ‘Insert Image’ dialog the instructor would find a button labeled ‘Math’. After the instructor clicks on the button, the Latex Math Editor pops up with the original Latex formula restored. The instructor could then edit the formula and select the ‘Render’ button to convert the formula back into an image that will be displayed in the text area.

Streaming video

Multiple resources like TeacherTube make the true web address of their videos easy to find. TeacherTube, for example, publishes information that can be used in wikis, blogs and other content authoring tools. Typically the information is written in long unintelligible code, but in that code there is the little golden nugget – the true address of the video. It looks like this:

http://www.teachertube.com/flvideo/19521.flv

Notice that the address begins with http and ends with .flv

(To be a little more specific, this address can be found nested inside the embed tag for edublogs on the right hand side of the teacher tube screen.)

An instructor can paste this information into a LodeStar template such as Brancher, Panner, Syncher, Mapper and sometimes Presenter (supports older style flash video), and see what is pictured below.

Imagine students accessing content in their learning management systems or district web sites and engaging in video rather than large blocks of boring text. In this example, the instructor could follow the video with a series of questions to check for understanding.
LodeStar 5.4 makes incorporating streaming video easier by offering the right-click menu. Right click on any image area inside of a Brancher, Panner, Syncher or Mapper template and select ‘Stream in FLV Video from a URL’

FLV means Flash video – a common format.
URL means a web address.

Audio Podcasts

Right click on any audio control in any template that supports audio and one can stream in audio to support instruction.

We want to hear from you

LodeStar 5.4 exposes new features that expand what instructors can do. We’d love to hear from you. How are you using LodeStar? Do you have a website or some examples that you can point us to? What would you like to see in future releases? Drop us a line at:

support@LodeStarLearning.com

Place Web Journal in the subject heading.

Until next time, keep eLearning eXciting!