Category Archives: Difficulties

Recording data on field trips with an iPad

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James sent this through and we would like to say thank you as it is great to know that tablet technologies can work so well in these situations and Apple provided a replacement when needed!

iPad in water

Lifedge waterproof case from Gizmag Review – April 24, 2012

“The iPad was invaluable in the field as it allowed me to take notes and complete spreadsheets of field results on the move.The waterproof case was excellent and allowed me to continue writing in the rain, although I was not out in heavy rain due to the high risk of thunder and lightning during heavy rain in Florida. Battery life was more than enough to last the 6 hour field days, we did not stay out all day due to the extreme afternoon heat. I did find that I was unable to use voice recognition software in the field as both Dragon and the built in iPad notes voice recognition required wifi connection in order to work, but I managed ok typing one handed.

The video camera function did stop working part way through the trip, but I don’t think this was anything to do with the climate or use.

People at the Apple shop said that this sometimes happens during normal conditions and replaced the whole iPad at an Apple shop after my return to the UK under the standard 1 year warranty.”

James
BSc BioSciences Zoology

TextHelp Read & Write Gold with Screenshot Reader grabbing references

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TextHelp Read and Write Gold

I have been using TextHelp Read and Write Gold with Screenshot Reader for many years and today it was brilliant as I needed to grab some references from a PowerPoint presentation that was online.  The references were inaccessible and I really did not want to copy them all out!  I highlighted the area around the references, grabbed the content and the Text Reader window appeared.  I selected the text that had virtually kept its correct layout – Copy all and paste (Ctrl+A  and Ctrl+ V) they were added to the blog I was writing and I was able to acknowledge the original authors of the presentation and have an accessible version of their references!  See the result on our Arabic Symbol Dictionary blog!

I should add this can be achieved with any screen grab and text conversion program and programs such as ClaroRead

E.A. – Researcher – University of Southampton.

Use StudyBlue App to Create Review Flashcards

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add content

Add content

choose study mode

Choose study mode

select no of cards to test

Select the number of cards

Studyblue testing

StudyBlue testing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

StudyBlue is a great virtual learning tool in creating flashcards for an efficient and effective review session. It’s capable of increasing your retention skills by creating cards with embed pictures, texts, and recorded speech.

As a student, I have maximised the tool in all my subjects, especially in my majors. When reviewing, I always organise my notes and convert them into flashcards, especially when separating business subjects such as Accounting and Economics from the technology-focused courses. In my creative writing classes, I basically use my flashcards to enrich my vocabulary, improve grammar, and check spelling.

With StudyBlue App, you can enjoy:

  • Tailored flashcards
  • Measuring your progress
  • Integrating pictures
  • Audio recordings

On top of all, StudyBlue gives you the liberty of mastering a subject based on your own terms. Whilst the monthly subscription fee of £6.12 is expensive for a virtual card solution, the free version already does the job, especially in developing your skills in information retention.

Back in my time, it was limited as web-based tool. The developers have released a mobile counterpart for smartphone or tablet for the students of today to enjoy. If you‘ve used Evernote in note taking, you can easily import them to StudyBlue to create your review material. But if you’re a new iPhone user, can easily use the handset’s iCloud feature to sync your notes and convert them into learning cards. O2’s page for the iPhone 5c stated that this Apple service allows users to share and access files across all your iDevices. This makes file transferring more efficient nowadays.

Get it here for iOS, Android, and Web.

The YouTube video below is a good starting point for using the tool:

(courtesy of Learn German with Herr Antrim)

About the Author
Jennifer Birch – a former Business Information Systems and Creative and Professional Writing at UEL. Reach her on Techie Doodlers and Twitter.

Using Wikipedia with the OpenDyslexic font option

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OpenDyslexic font

I found the option to change the fonts on Wikipedia to the OpenDyslexic font that can help with readability.  You will find there is a cog wheel by the Language menu in Wikipedia and this is where you can choose to change the look of the fonts.

The letters are more defined at the base which means they can not be easily switched to represent another letter or cause a confusion between letters as can occur with some types of dyslexia.

Computer Science Student  – University of Southampton.

Evernote for Research

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EvernoteEvernote is the “most useful app. Good layout and easy to organise my notes and research. Able to synchronise with laptop. I can use a notebook for each of my modules. I find the ability to synchronise whatever I input on iPad with laptop. Excellent for storing notes which were made earlier, easy to find, no more searching through pages in books. Far superior to Notebook+ and Notebook. This app really met my needs.”

EM University of Birmingham iPad project

 

Evernote is available for Windows, Mac, Android and Blackberry.

YouTube video –How to clip web pages to Evernote from your iPad

iPlanner UK for categorising events

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iPlanner UK “is useful for planning my time and I like the different symbols which can be used to categorise events.”

iPlanner UK

This iPad and iPhone app costing 69p provides a quick overview of planned events with an annual, monthly, weekly and daily view option.  It allows you to keep records on how many hours have been spent on certain categories so can be used for project management. Calendars can be printed.  It is available for Android but not with all the same features.

MA University of Birmingham