I was installing SPSS on a virtual lab machine and came across two problems. After the install, the Windows Installer coordinator would hang. After applying the solution found here and on Microsoft Support, the install went off much better. Unfortunately, licensing would fail. “Changing the LSHOST System Environment Variable value from “no-net” to the IP …
Author Archives: wtaylor
Low-vision apps
I’ve been looking at apps to help someone with low-vision lately– increasing the size of text and icons on the screen and such–on Windows and Android. It’s been somewhat difficult, as my visual impairment isn’t as extreme, so I don’t really have a point of reference. Some of the apps seem really good, but cost …
Buzzers
One of the groups on campus hosted a game show-type event and needed buzzers. We briefly looked into making iClickers work as buzzers without success, but thought “There must be an app for that!” Indeed, there are apps for that. My student found I Buzzed First, but it turns out it’s not available on the …
Mathematica tech support
The past couple days I’ve had a few requests for help involving Mathematica. It turns out this problem is not just had on earth, but in space as well: Loaded onto [astronaut] Foale’s now-inaccessible computer was an off-the-shelf technical computing software system called Mathematica, which Foale has used for many years to perform calculations involving …
Spectacles
Snapchat just changed its name to Snap and came out with a new glasses-type device called Spectacles. *Queue the curmudgeon* Unfortunately, they’ve completely neglected the percentage of the population (more than you’d think) that wears corrective spectacles, which is too bad. It would be neat to have a camera on my glasses that could take …
Innovative ideas for mobiles
I just heard about two interesting innovations. The thingCHARGER and Reviveaphone. Both are thoughtful solutions to problems people have. These are not really ground-breaking technologies, but they are creative solutions to somewhat common problems. I personally know people who have had their phones immersed and I’d be willing to bet that 80% of the people …
Web page accessibility
Earlier, I posted about OpenDyslexic, a font that makes it easier for a person with dyslexia to read. While I don’t advise anyone to change their course materials to use the font, they should certainly be aware of it. People who create, post or publish anything online should also be aware of other issues with …
ChemicalSams on open internet testing
Aaron Sams, the Woodland Park educator who has been flipping his instruction for years, discusses the four or five kinds of students he has in his classes, based on how they use the world wide web for taking tests (or don’t). Basically, there are students who know how to use the tools, students who don’t …
Student Research
I recently read about an interaction between employers and a college professor. The professor asked what the employers look for when hiring. In essence, the employers said they look for real world experience. Not their GPA. Not their test scores or transcripts. Their what-have-you-done files…Providing real experience has become the task of the school, and …
MOOC Students Who Got Offline Help Scored Higher, Study Finds – The Chronicle of Higher Education
This really isn’t news, per se, but it is proof of something our friends in the Writing Center have known for a long time. I suspect that students in any class, whether online or offline, will benefit from getting help outside class… For online learners who took the first session of “Circuits & Electronics,” the …
