[IAEP] GPA Report - Feedback on using the Journal

[Edward Cherlin]

Basically, we need a Save as... functionality, not just a Save that
overwrites the previous version and a clumsy Save on Exit where you
have to go roundabout to start up again. All of this goes into [[The
Undiscoverable]], and should be bugged.

On Thu, Oct 8, 2009 at 6:42 PM, Caroline Meeks
<caroline at solutiongrove.com> wrote:
> Today we worked with two groups on multiplication. They made squares with
> each side being a different multiplication problem that had the same answer.
> http://screencast.com/t/sUbiof2H
> We also had them reflect in their Journals about what they did.
> All of this went well.
> What was horrible was trying to get the right point in the project saved to
> the Journal and then navigating to the correct place to write.
> The solution I suggest is when you click the Keep button (Journal Icon) from
> an activity that the Journal reflection dialog box appears.
> Here are the problems we had.
>
> Hard to get to the Journal, no easy F# short cut.
> Hard to find the little arrow that gets you to where you can write.
> Especially since if the Frame is active, which it has to be to get to the
> Journal, the little bitty arrow you need to click is covered.
> When students did their assigned task they were eager to go back to
> exploring with Sugar and wrote over their work without it being saved, or
> using the same name as the assigned activity.  This was probably the worst
> outcome because then it was like they hadn't done the assignment, they had
> nothing to show for their work and we'll want to use it later for a
> portfolio.
> clicking the Activity Tab to write down the name is a PITA (this one is
> fixed in .88 I think).
> After they reflected they wanted to immediately go back to exploring in TA
> and we had to stop them, make them change the name again. They were very
> perplexed by this because they didn't know what to name their new file
> because they hadn't done anything yet.
> The word "Description" is not very friendly. I like "What did you do?"
> Walter wants to expand it even further, I'm not sure about that, its pretty
> challenging for the students to type so I'm not sure we want more boxes.
> Confusion between the Keep button and the samples and the snapshot icons.
> No feedback when you click Keep so there is a tendency to click it
> repeatedly.
>
> I usually try to stick with reporting my observations and not giving
> specific usability advice but this time I really have an opinion. I think it
> would be much much more useful to have the Keep button popup the Journal
> Dialog box. That would let me reflect and also rename if I want to.
> What are the downsides of this?
> Thanks,
> Caroline
> --
> Caroline Meeks
> Solution Grove
> Caroline at SolutionGrove.com
>
> 617-500-3488 - Office
> 505-213-3268 - Fax
>
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-- 
Edward Mokurai (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) Cherlin
Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.
The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
http://earthtreasury.org/