[Xerte] Re: Formulae and Latex - idiot's guide? (Ron Mitchell)

Mon Feb 6 19:56:42 GMT 2012

Hi

Recently I had problems with latex rendering in a Xerte LO in the sandpit and when imported to Blackboard. Julian and co kindly directed me to a new file to use instead of the old one, this was the XMLEngine.swf. Once I had replaced the file this worked fine in Blackboard.

Unfortunately, I had to amend the calculations in the LO. So I imported the old LO into the sandpit area and amended the code. The formulae are only partially rendering in the sandpit, e.g. 'times' instead of 'x'. The formulae are also not working when I import the new LO with the previously used XMLEngine.swf in Blackboard.

Is there a way to work around this?

Many thanks, Alex.

-----Original Message-----
From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of xerte-request at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
Sent: 20 January 2012 15:10
To: xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
Subject: Xerte Digest, Vol 60, Issue 56

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: scorm or not? (Pat Lockley)
   2. Re: Formulae and Latex - idiot's guide? (Ron Mitchell)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:06:37 +0000
From: Pat Lockley <patrick.lockley at googlemail.com>
To: Xerte discussion list <xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk>
Subject: [Xerte] Re: scorm or not?
Message-ID:
        <CAO2PinPe+bYUsQ5E-=4P7a1SSmTUhdduQMokEw4J97dLe4AfPQ at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

The default SCORM export has no extra metadata in the fields.

As XOT has support for dc:title and dc:description (see the open
content tab) - you can opt to create a scorm package with this data in
too, if you prefer. Some people may not want to, hence both options.

On Fri, Jan 20, 2012 at 2:36 PM, Julian Tenney
<Julian.Tenney at nottingham.ac.uk> wrote:
> Leaving the content in toolkits and linking to it is better in some ways
> because you can easily update it. If you export it, and import it elsewhere
> as scorm you can?t.
>
>
>
> Blackboard will track your users if you provide a link to the URL of the
> piece in toolkits. No need to export it.
>
> You could then use a native blackboard quiz to validate the learning, in a
> ?view this piece then take this quiz? approach.
>
>
>
> If you do export it as a scorm package, you can import that into Blackboard,
> the only real reason to do that, is as you say, to get a quiz score.
>
>
>
> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Oliver Haslam
> Sent: 20 January 2012 14:32
> To: Xerte discussion list
> Subject: [Xerte] scorm or not?
>
>
>
> Thanks very much Dave, Pat and Julian for your replies. I?m still not
> totally clear about the use of scorm with XOT, however. (NB I?m not using
> the sandpit anymore so anything to do with the sandpit is no longer relevant
> to my question.)
>
>
>
> I want to track students? usage of the LOs in Blackboard AND the results of
> quizzes in Blackboard. So is it right that I need to export the LOs as
> ?Scorm Export? and then upload them into Blackboard to achieve this?
>
>
>
> Also, what is meant by the ?richer SCORM metadata? that comes with the
> ?SCORM + metadata export?? What effect would/could that have within
> Blackboard?
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Oli
>
>
>
> _______________________________
>
>
>
> Oliver Haslam
>
> Course Developer (Technologist)
>
> Applied Sciences & Allied Health Professions
>
>
>
> Technology Enhanced Learning
>
> University of the West of England
>
> _______________________________
>
> T: 0117 32 88215
>
>
>
> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Dave Burnett
> Sent: 20 January 2012 13:54
> To: Xerte list
> Subject: [Xerte] Re: exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT
> installation
>
>
>
>
>
> That is correct.
>
>
>
>
>
>> From: Oliver.Haslam at uwe.ac.uk
>> To: xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
>> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:56:31 +0000
>> Subject: [Xerte] Re: exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT
>> installation
>>
>> My understanding is that if the LOs are Scorm compliant we can upload them
>> into our LMS (Blackboard) which will then be able to track how/if students
>> have used the LOs. And it allows results from quizzes etc. to be interpreted
>> by the LMS.
>>
>> Please advise me if I've understood this incorrectly.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Oli
>>
>> _______________________________
>>
>> Oliver Haslam
>> Course Developer (Technologist)
>> Applied Sciences & Allied Health Professions
>>
>> Technology Enhanced Learning
>> University of the West of England
>> _______________________________
>> T: 0117 32 88215
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
>> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Julian Tenney
>> Sent: 20 January 2012 10:36
>> To: Xerte discussion list
>> Subject: [Xerte] Re: exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT
>> installation
>>
>> I'm delighted we've got this far but having scorm capability would be even
>> better...
>>
>> Why?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
>> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Oliver Haslam
>> Sent: 20 January 2012 10:32
>> To: Xerte discussion list
>> Subject: [Xerte] Re: exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT
>> installation
>>
>> Hi
>>
>> After some tinkering on the server (not entirely sure what) we can now
>> create and play LOs on our installation of XOT. Importing/exporting of LOs
>> works fine as 'zip export' but doesn't work as 'scorm export'.
>>
>> Trying to import as Scorm gets the following: "Upload checkFile transfer
>> has failed.****Only Xerte templates are currently imported."
>>
>> I'm delighted we've got this far but having scorm capability would be even
>> better...
>>
>> Best
>>
>> Oli
>>
>> _______________________________
>>
>> Oliver Haslam
>> Course Developer (Technologist)
>> Applied Sciences & Allied Health Professions
>>
>> Technology Enhanced Learning
>> University of the West of England
>> _______________________________
>> T: 0117 32 88215
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
>> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Ron Mitchell
>> Sent: 19 January 2012 16:17
>> To: 'Xerte discussion list'
>> Subject: [Xerte] Re: exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT
>> installation
>>
>> Also no need to apologise it was others who hijacked your subject line ;-)
>>
>> With a new installation it's obviously a fundamental step/requirement that
>> creating and viewing an LO works before trying things like exporting and
>> importing. Clearly something isn't right with your install and if you don't
>> have access to the server yourself you may need to get whoever does to
>> subscribe and post to this list. Pat will no doubt make additional
>> suggestions but my list would be...
>>
>> Check database.php and make sure the values are correct Check the
>> site_details table in the database especially that the various paths are
>> correct Check the permissions are correct
>>
>> Make sure creating/editing/viewing works before even trying exporting and
>> importing Once that works try exporting and importing from the same install
>> before trying to import a sandpit created lo Finally try the sandpit import
>> and post further questions if everything but that works
>>
>> HTH
>> Ron
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
>> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Julian Tenney
>> Sent: 19 January 2012 15:58
>> To: Xerte discussion list
>> Subject: [Xerte] Re: exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT
>> installation
>>
>> I notice parent_t has 8 letters - why is it truncating there? The folder
>> should be parent_templates... does that folder exist on the server?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
>> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Oliver Haslam
>> Sent: 19 January 2012 15:56
>> To: xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
>> Subject: [Xerte] exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT
>> installation
>>
>> Hi
>>
>> First of all, my apologies for any confusion caused by posting to the
>> wrong list. I'm new in this post, new to XOT, new to how these support lists
>> work and I think I have been mixing up two or more XOT problems into the
>> same email help request. So thanks for all the help so far and for bearing
>> with me!
>>
>> Secondly, despite the subject line of this email (which I have kept only
>> for the sake of continuity!) I don't know if there is and export issue at
>> all but there's obviously an issue with our new installation of XOT: I've
>> made a test LO but when I try to play it I get this message: "ERROR: The
>> file modules/Xerte/parent_t" and it won't play.
>>
>> I don't have access to the server files myself but will pass on any advice
>> received to those that do.
>>
>> Many thanks
>>
>> Oli
>>
>> _______________________________
>>
>> Oliver Haslam
>> Course Developer (Technologist)
>> Applied Sciences & Allied Health Professions
>>
>> Technology Enhanced Learning
>> University of the West of England
>> _______________________________
>> T: 0117 32 88215
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:25:29 -0000
>> From: "Ron Mitchell" <ronm at mitchellmedia.co.uk>
>> To: "'Xerte discussion list'" <xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk>
>> Subject: [Xerte] Re: FW: exporting from sandpit and importing to our
>> own XOT installation
>> Message-ID: <011001ccd6ad$d212de80$76389b80$@co.uk>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> This is all going to get confusing with some of the subsequent replies
>> hijacking the subject line for an unrelated topic.
>>
>> Not sure if Oli has subscribed here yet either but I would comment/add as
>> follows:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1. As David has said in a subsequent reply the sandpit doesn't currently
>> work with the Zip local option or scrom + metadata export. That will be
>> fixed in future and is specific to the sandpit but in a way irrelevant at
>> the moment.
>>
>>
>>
>> 2. The normal Zip export and Scorm export work fine on the sandpit and
>> import back into the sandpit ok too.
>>
>>
>>
>> 3. Oli my 1st suggestion would be for you to create a new test LO on your
>> new installation. Publish and export that. Then try to import that back into
>> the same installation. Does that work without the same errors? If it doesn't
>> then you need to resolve the issue with your installation and this is
>> separate from any issues with the sandpit.
>>
>>
>>
>> 4. If step 3. did work send a copy or link of the zip you exported from
>> the sandpit so we can test and provide further help.
>>
>>
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> Ron
>>
>>
>>
>> From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
>> [mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Alistair
>> McNaught
>> Sent: 19 January 2012 12:11
>> To: Xerte discussion list
>> Subject: [Xerte] FW: exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT
>> installation
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi all
>>
>> I picked this up from teacher list but it more properly belongs in here so
>> any ideas? I'll ask Oli to ensure he's subscribed in here to pick up the
>> answers.
>>
>>
>>
>> A
>>
>>
>>
>> From: A list to facilitate and support teachers using Xerte Online
>> Toolkits [mailto:XERTEFORTEACHERS at JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of Oliver Haslam
>> Sent: 19 January 2012 12:05
>> To: XERTEFORTEACHERS at JISCMAIL.AC.UK
>> Subject: exporting from sandpit and importing to our own XOT installation
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi
>>
>>
>>
>> We finally have our own installation of XOT and I'd like to transfer the
>> LOs I've made in the sandpit to our own version of XOT. But I'm having a few
>> problems. Any help would be very gratefully received!
>>
>>
>>
>> I can export from the sandpit as a straightforward "zip export" without
>> any problems. And I can import the .zip into our own version of XOT okay but
>> when I try to play the newly imported LO I get an error message saying
>> "ERROR: The file modules/Xerte/parent_t" and it won't play.
>>
>>
>>
>> So I tried to export from the sandpit in different formats to see if that
>> works. When I try to export as a "Zip (local) export" or as a "SCORM +
>> metadata export" I am immediately logged out of the sandpit and taken to the
>> login page: http://xerte5.techdis.palepurple.co.uk/
>>
>>
>>
>> I can export from the sandpit as a "Scorm export" but when I try to import
>> the .zip into our own XOT I get a message saying "Upload checkFile transfer
>> has failed.****Only Xerte templates are currently imported." And can go no
>> further.
>>
>>
>>
>> Perhaps our version of XOT is not installed/configured correctly? But it
>> seems the sandpit is not happy either...
>>
>>
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>>
>>
>>
>> Oli
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________
>>
>>
>>
>> Oliver Haslam
>>
>> Course Developer (Technologist)
>>
>> Applied Sciences & Allied Health Professions
>>
>>
>>
>> Technology Enhanced Learning
>>
>> University of the West of England
>>
>> _______________________________
>>
>> T: 0117 32 88215
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> http://lists.nottingham.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/xerte
>>
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>
>
>
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------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:09:56 -0000
From: "Ron Mitchell" <ronm at mitchellmedia.co.uk>
To: "'Xerte discussion list'" <xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk>
Subject: [Xerte] Re: Formulae and Latex - idiot's guide?
Message-ID: <013701ccd785$941aac60$bc500520$@co.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi Alistair

you should find that both the itq site and the sandpit now both display
latex and also work offline when exported.

Let me know if you encounter any further problems.

Cheers

Ron

From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Alistair McNaught
Sent: 20 January 2012 11:12
To: Xerte discussion list
Subject: [Xerte] Re: Formulae and Latex - idiot's guide?

Server based version still fine but local version now hangs on loading

From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Ron Mitchell
Sent: 20 January 2012 11:06
To: 'Xerte discussion list'
Subject: [Xerte] Re: Formulae and Latex - idiot's guide?

Hi Alistair

ok try exporting again and reporting back re the same questions.

Cheers

Ron

From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Alistair McNaught
Sent: 20 January 2012 10:55
To: Xerte discussion list
Subject: [Xerte] Re: Formulae and Latex - idiot's guide?

Hi Ron

Many thanks for speedy response.

1) Now it works fine on the server BUT

2) Local version after download doesn't work - doesn't render any latex but
leaves blank spaces.

Is that the export function that needs tweaking or something different?

A

From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Ron Mitchell
Sent: 20 January 2012 10:47
To: 'Xerte discussion list'
Subject: [Xerte] Re: Formulae and Latex - idiot's guide?

Alistair

I was updating the itq installation as your message came in - try again I
think you'll find it works now?

However could you try exporting that and viewing locally and answer the
following:

1. Does it still display the latex when viewed locally?

2. If it displays is it ok or is it jumbled in any way e.g. spacing between
lines not quite right?

Cheers

Ron

BTW sandpit not yet updated - need to contact David about something.

From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Alistair McNaught
Sent: 20 January 2012 10:33
To: Xerte discussion list
Subject: [Xerte] Formulae and Latex - idiot's guide?

Hi all

I previously creates a learning object at
http://itq.jisctechdis.ac.uk/xerte/play_59 to show teaching staff how to
create formulae using simple Latex expressions.

I know there have been issues with the site that was used to host the Latex
rendering script and we now have a new solution but I'm not sure how to
implement the new solution so that my old learning object (above) will
correctly display the formulae now.

I've probably missed some important comment in a thread I skimmed too
quickly but any pointers as to how to 'redeem' old formulae rich learning
objects will be very welcome.

Thanks

A

Alistair McNaught

Senior Advisor

JISC TechDis

C/O The Higher Education Academy Building

Innovation Way

York Science Park

YORK

YO10 5BR

07870567659

Skype: alistair_techdis

<http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/?utm_source=emailsig&utm_medium=email&utm_camp
aign=sitelaunchmail> http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk

http://www.scoop.it/t/inclusive-teaching-and-learning

Interested in pragmatic inclusion- focused staff development?
See JISC TechDis
<http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/pages/detail/floating_pages/ITQ_Access
ible_IT_Practice> ITQ for accessible IT practice information and
<http://itq.jisctechdis.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=5> taster resource.

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