i have quickly ran through about 40 to 60 conference, chat, webanir apps in last week. and frankly have been disappointed.
majority of all the software is in house custom layout software. that takes over your entire screen almost. many times familiarity and layout of how they have things just boggles my mind, in like what are they thinking?
i am looking for something that actually integrates into a CMS "content management system" package completely. moodle, joomla, vbulliten, oscomerce, list goes on for CMS, so far i haven't really seen ability to completely control things through the CMS. All the apps i have seen requires separate data basing, and sending info only at start up of a conference. which to me is not integrated. it is just merely tossing all the buck to someone else and then being left in the other folks hands in hoping everything goes smoothly. and when you do want changes you pay them and hope they make changes to your wants.
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it started out as a big list of con's/pro's of conference apps, then into complaints and wantings, but it has changed into more of a wanting. more than anything now.
p.s. plz forgive any speeelers or runers. tis a rough draft, were my thoughts flow out of me. nothing more nothing else.
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DOCUMENT HANDLING
- you are stuck with there auto conversion document processing and how they decided to load your document into there software, IE power point presentations, jpg, gif, png, excel, video, audio, etc.. files.
- i rather not rely on some company that i know will not be able to keep up in document conversions. Microsoft, google, openoffice, etc... are not able to do it, why should i expect some little conference software company to keep up?
- so far you are forced to goto conference company website, and normally this results in a single user name/password only entry to pre upload documents, and then you are forced yet again to be at conference software mercy in how they handle auto conversion of documents
- there is no easy way for dial up users or folks on slow Internet connections to quickly and easily download content before a conference starts. some companies do ok at this, but not the best, normally seeing pre download being much larger. than the actual files themselves are individually in size..
- bandwidth.@@ ouch. more so for dial up users. and making sure content is delivered to them in a timely manor and make it worth there while, and allow them to enjoy the doing.
- pre loading of images, files, video, sound can do wonders.
- 200kb file can cause some serious delay for dial up users when in an interactive live conference. ever been in a game downloading a custom map and have to wait 3 minutes for a small little custom map? try same thing in live conference, and just flipping a slide to show another image, and becoming completely out of sync with things and not know what the teacher is even talking about.
- trying to do document conversions into custom formats to send to clients via the white-board. YIKES. normally jpg images, mp3 files etc.. are already in smallest format possible. why do you want to cram it into your own custom format that will only make the download even bigger?
SLIDES
- this is a complex one, every company that i have seen i do believe up to this point. loves to toss what ever they can into a generic white-board like area. and you are left at there mercy in how they do toss things into the white board.
- to me slides should be the workspace, and each slide should be able to be assigned a different file type.
- example:
- slide = jpg image loaded into white board. the white board would act just like Microsoft paint, when opening, meaning no cropping, no auto resizing, no drag and drop moving, the image just loads pixel for pixel. now i did not say auto fit to width/height via zoom would kick in. but could be option.
- slide = jpg image loaded as it might load in a browser window. no editing of the picture, but you are still able to use notation marks (laser pin, highlighter, and other notation tools.
- slide = video file, automatic player loads, with options to auto play video file, download video, etc...
- slide = first page of power point presentation.
- slide = teacher copy and pasted HTML directly into the slide and slide displays like a HTML page.
- slide = teacher uses the WYSIWYG HTML editor (tinymce,fckeditor,etc..) and uses it tool bar function of importing a word document into the text editor. and then once submits, the editor displays the word document converted to HTML into the slide.
- slide = math teacher inserts a formula and leaves a few spots out in formula denoted A,B,C and is going to wait till he flips to that slide to input certain numbers into the formula. the formula itself shows as a editable object to the teacher, but just as a regular complete formula to students.
- slide = an advance chat window, that allows teacher and students alike to insert HTML like info from there WYSIWYG HTML editor (tinymce, fckeditor,etc..) and have it display on the slide. example teacher calls on student X, to use notations (draw circle, and text) to fill out a question on the chalk board, but in reality, it is an advance chat window. were users can upload images in line with regular text, or insert some HTML info within there text. at same time if need be use notations.
- slide = forced web browsing, teacher has pre-entered URL. and the web page shows up within the slide.
- slide = tabbed break out room. IE there little tabs located at top of slide denoting talk directly with teacher, break out room 1, break out room 2, etc... with each breakout room having ability to have sub slides within it.
- slide = polling questions
- a quick quiz, that is pre made in moodle. but teacher select moodle quiz to display and each student can go through the quiz within the slide.
- i want to be able to allow/denied things from my server database, and ability to assign things based on courses, roles (student,teacher, etc..) for a conference. i just don't want to just send user name and security token to conference company servers and be aaaaa hope all goes ok there.
- i would prefer a generic tree, cascading HTML,javascript,dom,etc.. compliant menu system, that can be found on most descent CMS "content management system" apps out there, oscommerce, joomla, moodle admin tree,etc..
- the menu would be something like below for example ((excuse the bullets, only way to really draw a tree style menu without implementing a menu system to show it))
- USER MENU
- Temp user 1
- Chat on/off
- Mic on/off
- notation on/off
- video on/off
- etc..
- Temp user 2
- Chat on/off
- Mic on/off
- notation on/off
- video on/off
- etc..
- Temp user 3
- Chat on/off
- Mic on/off
- notation on/off
- video on/off
- etc..
- Temp user 4
- Chat on/off
- Mic on/off
- notation on/off
- video on/off
- etc..
- Temp user 1
- the goal being of the user menu, is that it would be PHP or some other server/client programming language. that would allow me to directly control and change layout of how things showed on my site. and would not be left with how the conference software decides to put things.
- other words there would be connection between my servers and conference company app servers. and when ever a teacher/student changed something on the user menu. my servers would process the info. and send any needed info to conference company app servers, and from there any direct changes in the work space would happen.
- if a user logged out or some how got dis-connected from app servers, then app servers would send info to my servers and my servers would process the info and send info to given teacher/students updating there user menus or any other things on there screen.
NOTATIONS, and white-board abilities
- laser pen, highlighter, circle, square, colors, copy paste, etc...
- so far i have been dis appointed, it is either part of the basics and part of some pre defined selections from conference apps. or just barely the basics.
- to me the basics are Microsoft paint, Mac computers have similar program. its ugly, you can't do much, but it has the basics. and familiarity.
- if i can barely get someone that knows how to use the Internet let alone email, or uploading a document on the web, to figure out paint and just load a simple digital photo, and draw a couple lines and place text in a couple spots to note a couple things in the photos. i am happy! but so far the basics are not all the way there.
- I say Microsoft paint, due to familiarity. folks have used it once or twice or might have been covered in a class in how to use a computer. there is not a lot of buttons. and it is simple.
- copy,paste,cut =>with current background color chosen as transparent, or no transparent color
- circle,rectangle, free form shape =>outline, fill, outline foreground/background fill
- lines selecting => different sizes (would be nice for selecting arrow style as well but that is more advance).
- laser pen / highlighter => selecting different styles of widths and shapes. (advance transparency option)
- back ground and fore ground => color choosing.
- generic color applet => with ability to swap out current color for another color.
- pan / zoom => auto fit width, auto fit height, pre select percentages both neg and positive or user defined entry box for percentage
- selection => object select, rectangle select, free form select
- save/open/new => upload document from file, upload document from url, save image to user folder on server, save to local computer, new (clears everything on screen)
- width/height => width height, pixel, inches, etc...
- just like there is a tool bar in your web browser or more specifically tool bar on the WYSIWYG HTML editor here in the forums. you can change and add buttons and how the buttons display. i would want to be able to control this tool bar via CMS on my servers. that way if i find some little gimmick that will do something. i can easily implement it.
- any slide regardless if it is a forced web page browsing, image file, sound file, chat window, etc... i should be able to use notations on. this includes video as well. and in that i am assuming, notations would be an overlay.
- i am also assuming notations would be recorded separately for each slide. so that if i play back a recorded session. i can flip back and forth between slides. and see the notations separately.
- i am also assuming, recorded session can by per client basis. so each student would be able to use there own notations, and when play back be able to see teachers and just there notations.
- i am also assuming notations would be saved as different file for each person connected to the conference software. so students if wanted to, could pass "notes" per say after class.
RECORDING / PLAY BACK
- for the most simplest of things, i would want option to just record everything like a screen capture program. and then be able to just post one large avi file or like video file on course page.
- for interactive play back mode on other hand.
- i would like a master log, that would act like a timing sync log. meaning any event that triggers something. the log would record the trigger event and time stamp.
- when a teacher/student uses notations. each time they click something, i would want time stamp and what they clicked, and if it required X,Y mouse coordinates for say laser pen, then X,Y coordinates of mouse also saved.
- when a student/teacher enter something into chat, i would want the entire content of what they typed saved along with a time stamp.
- when ever a teacher/student click for another slide. i would want which slide and time stamp.
- when ever a slide was a forced web page, i would want URL, and x,y coordinates or how ever ya handle it, to be saved with a time stamp of when mouse clicked something.
- when ever a slide was a Quiz for all students and each student putting in there own answers, i would just want URL saved, and when slide clicked it would pause the play back, to allow students to take quiz, and then when quiz is submitted, the play back of the conference would resume.
- if teacher/students were using microphones during conference.
- when ever someone talked, i would want just there microphone recorded separately from all others. and timed stamped.
- when play backed, i would want option for all recorded microphones to play. or be able to mute each microphone on play back. through the user menu for example.
- i would also want during play back ability for every time a slide would change, first person to use microphone to start up. and then next person using microphone would start up. removing any pausing between someone using microphone.
- i would also want during actual session, for student/teacher to hold down key, or click something that would allow for a synced recorded play back. and in that it keeps the pauses between sound.
- i would also want during actual session, for student/teacher to hold down key or click something, that would act like a trigger event. for when a user got to a certain point or did something sound would begin playing. other words, much like making a custom map in some game, were when you get to a certain point in the custom map something happens. but in this case sound would play.
- interactivity and synchronizing everything up.
- if ya look at some video / sound / movie forums. you will most likely realize folks have problems getting everything to sync up correctly. so sound is not choppy or loosing video frames, or in this case not being in black out of what the next slide is because file has not been downloaded yet.
- i have no clue if it would be possible. but being able to record things separately per source, Sound, video, chat, each slide, etc... in a specialized database. and having master log. so that a dial up user would only need to download certain parts that related to them. IE teacher notations and voice files, and there own notations and voice files. instead of downloading all students notations. along with being able to cache video files, sound files, images, other text down into browser.
- IE each type or rather plug in (plug in for camera feeds, plug in for microphone feeds, plug in for white-board chat) would take care of how to cache the info for its own plug in, but there would be a architecture in place for combining all things that needed to be pre downloaded, and then allow a dial up user a single point of clicking. to pre download everything at one time.
- in all thoughts. it would be nice to have a like a custom map creation tool for some game. but instead of a game, it would be for a live class and recorded/play back class. and the creation tool, would be quizzes, lectures, handouts, sound, video, with notions for everything, etc....
- ok last statement seems way overboard.
- but at moment quizzes with adding questions to them, and adding different things to a course is partially there already. just like a game might have adding a building or units some place on a custom map, there is already trigger events for when completing this, the next thing happens. but from what i have seen there is no direct easy way for things to happen in the user interface to set things up. it still lacking overall when i might compare a good descent game custom map builder app. as in we are currently playing in DOS, with CMS have not caught up to windows yet. or in this case static HTML web pages is to dynamic web pages, as current CMS "content management systems" is to live interactive class rooms.
LAYOUTS
- conference software companies
- give me ability to change things via HTML and in how things display. a script kiddy in high school can normally hunt and peck around to change layouts in HTML.
- for advance users, admins and like, this would give them ability to control more things via dynamically through PHP and other computer languages on the fly. using divs and css for example. and allow for a more things to happen. IE generally there are a couple companies will pick up a CMS and just do themeing for the CMS. generally the artists can hunt and peck around applying images here and there without much fuss. get them into server / client computer languages such as flash and Java, php, asp, xml, etc... and you loose them. let the artists of the world be able to do there thing easily instead of relying on program coders to figure out how to do things.
- stream line things. we don't need to see your one of a kind glossy multi shaded icons. make things simple. and while at it, remove the thick width boarders around your conference software. we don't need bloated images and styles. or bloat ware of your specialized doings.
THESE ARE ONLY EXAMPLES TO HELP GET IDEA ACROSS.
- www.groupboard.com
- they have HTML layout factor going for them. and being able to in idea drag and drop things down into the white-board in a couple of there examples.
- http://autoview.autotrain.org/mod/autoview/view.php?id=16
- it has the of replying things for dial-up and high speed folks, with slides that all auto sync up. and everything can in essence be pre downloaded for dial up users then played at once. vs having slow response chopping of things as things downloaded in real time.
- it is generic but it seems like this could really be built on. if implemented into a CMS. for recorded play back of conference software.
- www.123flashchat.com
- it is there own entry chat box. but swap out there entry chat box for a WYSIWYG HTML editor like (tinymce, fckeditor,etc...) and then display out from editor in a scrollable fashion. with options of auto scroll or not to auto scroll and notations. and that would be sweet!!!!!
- we don't need your one of a kind entry chat box, the chat entry box doesn't even need to be included within the program itself. if anything i would most likely prefer it not even be included in the initial first downloading and install of the conference software that is fully integrated into a CMS.
- i don't want the conference software company to handle. the admin panel demo of www.123flashchat.com i would want the CMS that i am using to handle all the admin panel stuff that they show. plus other.
- it is there own entry chat box. but swap out there entry chat box for a WYSIWYG HTML editor like (tinymce, fckeditor,etc...) and then display out from editor in a scrollable fashion. with options of auto scroll or not to auto scroll and notations. and that would be sweet!!!!!
- www.joomla.org a CMS like moodle be geared for another type of business.
- ability to select between different WYSIWYG editors by default.
- with "JCEeditor" installed
- this has a complete back end user assignable permissions for buttons on the WYSIWYG HTML editor. as in were to assign image uploads to, who can submit javascript, who has a profanity filter, who can use word document conversion, who has permission on image sizes, who can create a directory folder, etc....
- moodle when logged in as admin. and have ability to "turn on editing" you can add your little blocks to left,right and middle of the web page. why not have same thing but allow for...
- "user log into conference block"
- "video feeds conference block"
- "volume control/microphone conference block"
- "pre download conference block" that might have a user profile option of showing when users select a given thing in there profile page.
- etc...
PAGE LAYOUT EXAMPLES.
we are in break out room 1, slide 7, watching a video file, and teacher has paused video and is using laser pento pointing at something in the video.
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break out rooms have ended, teacher is now having an advance chat on slide 12. were the teacher has copy and pasted a word document into. and is now waiting for students to finish reading.
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a student "user name temp 2" has asked a question. about a certain paragraph in the document, and the teacher gives control to the student to usenotations, and highlightthe given section of text in red. this should cause a force scrolling of the page for everyone to selected area of document and show highlighted area in red to everyone.
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a teacher has turned off forced schooling. (other words what ever teacher does, example goto next slide, etc... students auto goto that slide as well).
the teacher has setup an advance chat as slide 1, to use as a general chat window. vs using the small little box at bottom of work space, so as to give more work space area for quizzes.
teacher has set settings for chat window so what students type teacher only sees. and when a message is placed into chat, teacher gets a beep sound. for notification of someone has replayed in the chat box.
teacher has setup slides 2 through 10, as reading material and then a some multi paged quizzes.
slides 11 through 13 are extra credit questions.
teacher setups slide 14. as another advance chat window, but is only accessible after a student has completed all quiz question on slides 2 through 10. and has attempted at least one extra credit quiz. teacher has also setup this chat window so all students can talk with each other, about what ever they want.
teacher sets any additional slides to be added as being hidden from all students. until the teacher and students are ready to move on with rest of class and quiz is out of way.
teacher has released the students to do there thing on the quizzes. and wants to add in side 15. for next section of class.
teacher expands the menus on the right and brings up slides. clicks, add, enters a name for the slide "slide 15 quiz b1" already. and also already clicked quiz then new and went through steps making a new question. teacher has already typed in question and is about ready to submit the question.
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wrapping up. i am new to LMS (learning management systems) and LCMS (learning content management systems). so it could fairly well be, i have skipped things unintentionally. and if i have, i ask ya plz point me in correct direction.