tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34018008841561498362014-03-31T10:38:44.163-05:00the connexions blogThe Connexions Blog is an official source of news, information, discussion and speculation regarding Connexions (http://cnx.org), an open-education resource site founded at Rice Univeristy. This blog is operated by the Connexions Community Development team. It is a fun way to keep up with the site's ongoing development, learn more about how to create content on Connexions and engage the growing community of authors and students using Connexions.Connexionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16171483436323628966noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-4324383121011247722013-07-09T08:47:00.001-05:002013-07-09T08:47:32.130-05:00New Features Added to Connexions for Android <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pDijg2Oulno/UdwUFOFAgFI/AAAAAAAAAnA/2Ji0I6S3kX0/s1600/Screenshot_2012-10-25-14-15-28.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pDijg2Oulno/UdwUFOFAgFI/AAAAAAAAAnA/2Ji0I6S3kX0/s1600/Screenshot_2012-10-25-14-15-28.png" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>Connexions for Android was updated over the weekend. The lastest version adds two new features and an enhancement.<br /><br />The new features include<br /><br /><ul><li>Email addresses and links to web pages in a Note are now clickable and open in the device web browser.</li><li>The bottom Actionbar (blue bar of buttons at the bottom of the screenshot) now auto hides when the content is scrolled. This allows for more reading area</li></ul><div>The downloading of EPUBs and PDFs has been enhanced so it uses the standard Android Download Manager. This brings improved notifications on the progress of the download and better performance. There is also an added link in the Menu to "Rate this app". The link makes it easy to go directly to the Play Store and add a rating.</div><div><br /></div><div>Connexions for Android is available in the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.cnx.android" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a>. If you are using any of the OpenStax College books or Connexions books, they are available in the Android app. If you have used the app and found it useful, please add a rating to the app. Any suggestions or feedback is greatly appreciated.</div><br /><br />Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-33770332834537345852013-04-17T10:55:00.001-05:002013-04-17T10:55:44.345-05:00Connexions Conference Sprints<br /><div class="p1">We are holding 2 days of Sprints on April 24 and 25 following the 2013 Connexions Conference which is on April 23. The sprints are an opportunity for you to work directly with the Connexions team, contribute your time and effort to Connexions and to have fun. You don't need to attend both days. Show up and leave as you like. We have tasks for all skill levels and you don't need to be a programmer. </div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">The <a href="https://trello.com/board/cnx-conference-sprint-tasks/5165b415d79268e16d00559b" target="_blank">list of tasks</a> is on Trello. </div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1"> Just click on a card (white box) to see the details of each task. If you are attending the conference, we hope you will stay for the Sprints. If you are in Houston, but not attending the conference, you are welcome to join us at the Sprints.</div>Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-34354951151208188312012-11-05T16:46:00.001-06:002012-11-05T16:46:56.518-06:00The SXSWedu speakers and sessions have been announced, and all three of our proposals have been accepted!<br /><br />We'll be presenting at SXSWedu March 4-7, 2013 in Austin, Texas, so check the link below to see all the sessions and register to attend. If you do plan to register, November 9th is the discount deadline.<br />http://sxswedu.com/schedule/sessions<br /><br />The original proposals for our three talks can be read at the panelpicker pages below.<br /><br />Advances in Open Textbook Publishing Technology<br />http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/15359<br /><br />Open Education: Still A Chasm to Cross<br />http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/8716<br /><br />Personalized Learning Systems: Worthy of the Hype?<br />http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/15113<br /><br />Here's what we stand for, and what we hope to bring to SXSWedu:<br /><br /><object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nOExdnESMkY?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nOExdnESMkY?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Ryan Stickneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202035852602721982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-10407517316723568102012-10-30T15:28:00.000-05:002012-10-30T15:28:21.626-05:00Connexions for Android 3.0 Released<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9c7GHdLl-Cs/UJAbXO4tGFI/AAAAAAAAAbs/LjWQOoJ_lIk/s1600/lens.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9c7GHdLl-Cs/UJAbXO4tGFI/AAAAAAAAAbs/LjWQOoJ_lIk/s1600/lens.png" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>Connexions for Android 3.0 is out and has a great new look. <br /><br /><ul><li>The menu items are now in the top Actionbar. Select the button with the 3 dots as seen in the screenshot to see a dropdown of options. </li><li>Search is easily available from almost every screen. Select the Search button and enter your search terms.</li></ul><div>One bug fix was included. It was causing the app the crash when viewing Favorites in Android 3.0 and above.</div><div><br /></div><div>The new version is available in <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.cnx.android">Google Play</a>. If you are using the app, please leave a comment or rate the app. We would love to get your feedback.</div>Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-40625703831649055022012-09-18T09:14:00.002-05:002012-09-28T10:58:14.229-05:00SXSWedu Panels AcceptedThree of our panels were accepted for voting by SXSWedu, the education conference in Austin, TX. Please vote for us!<br /><br /><br />Advances in Open Textbook Publishing Technology<br /><a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/15359">http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/15359</a><br /><br />Personalized Learning Systems- Worthy of the Hype?<br /><a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/15113">http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/15113</a><br /><br />Open Education: Still a Chasm to Cross<br /><a href="http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/8716">http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/8716</a>Ryan Stickneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202035852602721982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-62349658633751096912012-08-22T08:38:00.000-05:002012-08-22T08:47:29.074-05:00Google Summer of Code 2012 Comes to A Close<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ipNU2bHdrsE/UDTgbANqvHI/AAAAAAAAAaM/VwamRgbT_I4/s1600/gsoc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ipNU2bHdrsE/UDTgbANqvHI/AAAAAAAAAaM/VwamRgbT_I4/s1600/gsoc.jpg" /></a></div>Connexions was very fortunate to have 4 <a href="http://code.google.com/soc/" target="_blank">Google Summer of Code</a> (GSoC) students this year. All of their projects were completed successfully so we will be releasing their enhancements in the coming months.<br /><br />Alasdair Corbett of Scotland wrote a new Android app, QuizCards. QuizCards pulls in the glossary terms from a module and creates flashcards. The user can use 3 different modes to study with or create their own cards. It should be available in the Google Play Store later today.<br /><br />Debajyoti Datta of India worked on a much needed project which will help us do a better job of asking users for a donation when they download a PDF or EPUB from Connexions. He did several enhancements beyond the original scope of the project. These will give our users a visual of the reach of Connexions and encourage them to donate.<br /><br />Saket Choudhary, also of India, wrote a new importer for Kathi Fletcher's OERPub project. The importer allows users to create a module with an embedded SlideShare or Google Presentation. Professors and Authors can now easily add supplemental slides to their Collections. The code for this has been released in Connexions and in Kathi's project.<br /><br />Ye Yanchao of China developed a Mobi file generator for Modules and Collections. Mobi is the file format used by the Amazon Kindle. We will be wiring his Mobi generator into Connexions so users have an additional choice to download along with PDF and EPUB.<br /><br />The Connexions staff would like to thank Google and the GSoC students for their teriffic work.Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-13432359999880223122012-08-09T08:56:00.001-05:002012-08-09T08:56:59.713-05:00Connexions Android App Gets Updated<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIlqcQcqKjc/UCO_NxXOarI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/PzSiHdrhb8s/s1600/copy_screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIlqcQcqKjc/UCO_NxXOarI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/PzSiHdrhb8s/s1600/copy_screenshot.png" /></a></div>The Connexions for Android app has a couple of new features.<br /><br /><ul><li style="text-align: left;">Users can now copy content from a chapter in Android 2.3 and below. The copied content can be pasted into a Note in the app or into another app. To copy, select the Copy icon from the Actionbar at the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions in the popup message. The Copy feature works by default in Android 3.0 and above, so the Copy icon is not displayed in the Actionbar for those devices.</li><li style="text-align: left;">Notes can now be shared. Send your notes to yourself or classmates using email, texting or any app that will share plain text. To share a note, open the Note Editor and select the Share icon from the Actionbar at the bottom of the screen. A list of available applications to share with will be displayed. Select an application from the list and the note will be copied to the app.</li></ul><div>There are some additional bug fixes in this release as well. The app can be found in the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.cnx.android" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> and on the <a href="http://cnx.org/android/splash.html" target="_blank">Connexions site</a><a href="http://./">.</a> If you use the app, let us know what you think about the changes at android at cnx.org.</div>Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-48306435837396363652012-07-03T08:44:00.000-05:002012-07-03T08:44:40.085-05:00Connexions Loses Print PartnerOur longtime print partner, Qoop.com, has shut down and is no longer in business. We learned of Qoop's decision late yesterday. We are working on securing a new print partner and will post an update as soon as we have something in place. Until then, we have disabled buying a printed version on all collections. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and are working for a quick restoration of print services. If you have further questions, please email us at cnx at cnx dot org.Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-60835357993807425952012-02-24T15:00:00.004-06:002012-02-24T15:07:53.518-06:00My Experience at the Connexions Conference 2012<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fUtmS3iLyMI/T0f7lMi_6uI/AAAAAAAAAmo/_xXWulbYWrA/s1600/IMG_1087.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 475px; height: 354px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fUtmS3iLyMI/T0f7lMi_6uI/AAAAAAAAAmo/_xXWulbYWrA/s320/IMG_1087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712811268784515810" border="0" /></a><br /></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> 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unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif][if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-style: italic;">Guest post by Hans Voss, the 2012 Connexions Conference Scholarship Recipient.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Hello! My name is Hans Voss and I’m guest-blogging today on the Connexions blog. Last week I attended the Connexions Conference at Rice University as a recipient of the conference’s student scholarship. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity as the conference was a truly unique experience.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">I’ll tell all about my trip to Houston, but first, a little information about myself: I’m currently a graduate student at American University in Washington, DC, earning a Master’s in Public Administration. I also work as an intern at <a href="http://www.achieve.org/">Achieve, Inc.</a>, an education nonprofit here in DC dedicated to making college and career readiness a national priority so the transition from high school graduation to postsecondary education and careers is seamless. I was brought on at Achieve to support our work in OER. Achieve has developed a series of rubrics that measure various aspects of OER quality, including alignment to standards. To implement these rubrics, we partnered with the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education, to develop an OER Evaluation Tool that is embedded in their <a href="http://www.oercommons.org/">OER Commons</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"> </span>website, an online OER repository. You can learn more about this project <a href="http://www.achieve.org/oer-rubrics">here</a>.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Considering my involvement with OER at Achieve, I jumped at the chance to attend the conference in Houston. I had never been to Houston before (the 75 degree weather in February was a treat!) and I was definitely impressed by Rice University’s campus—it’s absolutely gorgeous. At the conference, I was able to meet activists, educators, administrators, and others who work in the OER arena.</p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">One of the things I found especially interesting was how technology-focused the conference was (as a student of political science and public administration and I have to admit that much of it was over my head!). I’m accustomed to thinking about the content and quality of OER from an end-user perspective, so the technology focus of the conference was both a welcome change of pace and complement to my daily work. Steve Midgley and Greg Grossmeier did a fabulous job explaining metadata and paradata sharing through the <a href="http://www.lrmi.net/">Learning Resource Metadata Initiative</a> and the <a href="http://www.learningregistry.org/">Learning Registry</a>, something that affects Achieve’s OER work, but that I don’t think I fully grasped until hearing their presentation.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">A highlight of the conference was definitely hearing about the great achievements of <a href="http://www.siyavula.com/">Siyavula</a> in South Africa. If you haven’t heard, this <a href="http://www.shuttleworthfoundation.org/">Shuttleworth</a>-funded organization has developed mathematics and science textbooks that the South African Department of Education is distributing to students for free—an impressive accomplishment! Other highlights from the conference include the <a href="http://www.openstaxcollege.org/">OpenStax College</a> launch, learning about badges in coordination with OER, and Kathi Fletcher’s presentation on OER APIs. Badges and APIs are both topics in OER that were unfamiliar to me before attending the conference. Both could have great impacts for OER projects, especially as it relates to displaying and measuring learning from open resources, as well as sharing and creating OER in easier ways. Learning about topics like this certainly expanded how I think about OER and the different ways groups can contribute to open education. </p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing">Finally, it was great to be in the company of others so committed to the same goal: promoting openness in education. Considering all the changes going on around us—both in technology and education—it’s certainly an exciting time to be working in open education. </p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"> </p>Daniel Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11990058310537198704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-52146094484976513822012-02-14T21:54:00.000-06:002012-02-14T21:54:09.572-06:002012 Connexions Conference Day 1The Connexions Conference got started today with a Connexions Consortium meeting at Rice University. The day long meeting was followed by a Welcome Dinner for the conference attendees. The main conference starts tomorrow!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IxBqm8jnaDc/Tzsp-kVskZI/AAAAAAAAAT4/1u_7kMUPveg/s1600/2012-02-14_09-13-37_267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IxBqm8jnaDc/Tzsp-kVskZI/AAAAAAAAAT4/1u_7kMUPveg/s1600/2012-02-14_09-13-37_267.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Consortium meeting begins</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktPidMLhIdI/Tzsp_PVUMsI/AAAAAAAAAUA/bSwLPpOvygM/s1600/2012-02-14_12-46-34_455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktPidMLhIdI/Tzsp_PVUMsI/AAAAAAAAAUA/bSwLPpOvygM/s1600/2012-02-14_12-46-34_455.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at McMurtry College</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-80yq_OK40fs/Tzsp_bJRStI/AAAAAAAAAUI/GeMRnD1sDBI/s1600/2012-02-14_13-30-04_750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-80yq_OK40fs/Tzsp_bJRStI/AAAAAAAAAUI/GeMRnD1sDBI/s1600/2012-02-14_13-30-04_750.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest Speaker Karien Bezuidenhout of the Shuttleworth Foundation speaks to the group.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OBNougNlFQ/Tzsp_2dDAAI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/i8rLnjIuiGo/s1600/2012-02-14_14-17-21_398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9OBNougNlFQ/Tzsp_2dDAAI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/i8rLnjIuiGo/s1600/2012-02-14_14-17-21_398.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tech Committee breakout meeting</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w9dWgKQT9FE/TzsqAC1vyBI/AAAAAAAAAUY/kV2ET5-x6Yg/s1600/2012-02-14_18-46-15_525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w9dWgKQT9FE/TzsqAC1vyBI/AAAAAAAAAUY/kV2ET5-x6Yg/s1600/2012-02-14_18-46-15_525.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chatting before the Welcome dinner at Hull House at Rice University</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sk7jmv_2o2c/TzsqAqc7F3I/AAAAAAAAAUg/7FaML2bQ22M/s1600/2012-02-14_18-46-50_562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sk7jmv_2o2c/TzsqAqc7F3I/AAAAAAAAAUg/7FaML2bQ22M/s1600/2012-02-14_18-46-50_562.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kEtAibgAJEo/TzsqA-ZnmQI/AAAAAAAAAUo/fVUtMH7LhqQ/s1600/2012-02-14_18-47-07_242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kEtAibgAJEo/TzsqA-ZnmQI/AAAAAAAAAUo/fVUtMH7LhqQ/s1600/2012-02-14_18-47-07_242.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YS0_7zUjpU4/TzsqEZgvECI/AAAAAAAAAVA/KFgG6AuArwM/s1600/2012-02-14_19-02-42_133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YS0_7zUjpU4/TzsqEZgvECI/AAAAAAAAAVA/KFgG6AuArwM/s1600/2012-02-14_19-02-42_133.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich Baraniuk, Connexions Founder and Director, welcomes attendees to the dinner</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-22530656825021658532012-02-01T16:31:00.000-06:002012-02-01T16:31:25.011-06:00OpenStax College Goes Live!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jMa1FAENU6A/Tym7b4lucmI/AAAAAAAAATw/fUpQj6v_NFA/s1600/osc_logo_open_graph.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jMa1FAENU6A/Tym7b4lucmI/AAAAAAAAATw/fUpQj6v_NFA/s1600/osc_logo_open_graph.png" /></a></div><a href="http://openstaxcollege.org/" target="_blank">OpenStax College</a> is our new textbook initiative. Free peer reviewed textbooks that are readable and accurate. The site went live today so check it out.<br /><br />We will be talking more about OpenStax College at the Connexions Conference in a couple of weeks. <br /><br />You can follow OpenStax College on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/103261547764896874045" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/openstaxcollege" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=openstaxcollege" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-16150406930825038622012-01-23T19:51:00.004-06:002012-01-23T20:04:51.727-06:00Want a free Connexions T-Shirt?<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YQHbBF60lrA/Tx4QXuBcrfI/AAAAAAAAAmM/K_m7F34HueM/s1600/x.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YQHbBF60lrA/Tx4QXuBcrfI/AAAAAAAAAmM/K_m7F34HueM/s320/x.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701012177974767090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next week, we are going to be having a contest!</span><br /><br />Here's the scoop.<br /><br />Next week, January 30th - February 3rd, 2012, we will ask a Connexions related trivia question on <a href="http://twiter.com/@cnxorg">twitter</a> everyday. First to answer correctly by @replying to us on Twitter gets a free t-shirt!<br /><br />This week we will be sharing some of the facts you will need to know in order to answer the questions correctly. So, keep an eye out for hints on <a href="http://twiter.com/@cnxorg">twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/cnx.org">facebook.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Unfortunately, we are only able to ship domestically. If you have any questions about this contest, please email dcwill@cnx.org.</span>Daniel Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11990058310537198704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-17687626847215010782011-12-23T15:11:00.000-06:002011-12-23T15:11:02.587-06:00Version 2.0 of Connexions for Android Released<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjsLvfIsyts/TvTqynX1ezI/AAAAAAAAASA/6IdKoCoJ5yY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-19+at+4.37.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjsLvfIsyts/TvTqynX1ezI/AAAAAAAAASA/6IdKoCoJ5yY/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-12-19+at+4.37.11+PM.png" width="119" /></a></div>Connexions for Android has been updated to version 2.0. The app has been modified to be friendlier to those that have never heard of Connexions. The use of Connexions jargon has been minimized so users can immediately understand how to use the app and what is available via the app.<br /><br />One defect was also fixed on this release that was causing the app to sometimes crash when downloading a PDF or EPUB file.<br /><br />The app can be found in the <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=org.cnx.android" target="_blank">Android Market </a>and on the <a href="http://cnx.org/android/splash.html" target="_blank">Connexions site</a><a href="http://./">.</a> If you use the app, let us know what you think about the changes at android at cnx.org.<br /><br /><br />Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-14638223927283961292011-12-15T14:30:00.000-06:002011-12-15T14:30:09.394-06:00How to report a site problem to ConnexionsThe Connexions team works hard to make our site as error free as possible, but as with all software sometimes problems will occcur. To those of you that have taken the time to report a problem in the past, thank you! We cannot improve our site without that kind of help.<br /><br />We frequently get problem reports this time of year as students are preparing for finals. We want to provide the best tech support that we can and good error reports go a long way in helping us do that. To create a good error report, follow these 4 simple guidelines.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SVchxsLEkKs/Tuoi2nLLjeI/AAAAAAAAARg/rV3ykgjSPhk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-15+at+10.39.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SVchxsLEkKs/Tuoi2nLLjeI/AAAAAAAAARg/rV3ykgjSPhk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-15+at+10.39.11+AM.png" /></a></div><br /><br />1. <b>Use the "Report a Bug" link to let us know about the problem.</b> The Report a Bug link creates a ticket in our system so that we have documented information about when the problem occured and where in the site it occured. We need this information so we can recreate the problem. If we cannot recreate it, it is very difficult to fix.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fZJkzVv81aw/TuolBjjizkI/AAAAAAAAARo/iOCZ7vqmk9A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-15+at+10.45.34+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fZJkzVv81aw/TuolBjjizkI/AAAAAAAAARo/iOCZ7vqmk9A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-15+at+10.45.34+AM.png" /></a></div><br />2. <b>Always fill out the email address field in the Report a Bug form.</b> Without an email address, we cannot contact the user for additional information. We received a Report a Bug ticket today from a professor having problems with our site while the class was taking an open book final. An email address was not included in the ticket so there was nothing that could be done other than checking that our site was working for me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QnS74C08HM/TuomRgCVB9I/AAAAAAAAARw/-PXDmqBpDHU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-15+at+10.54.02+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="31" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QnS74C08HM/TuomRgCVB9I/AAAAAAAAARw/-PXDmqBpDHU/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-15+at+10.54.02+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />3. <b>Always include the Problem URL in the Report a Bug form.</b> Without the URL, we cannot know which of our 1200 collections or 19,000 modules the user is having trouble with. The form will autofill the URL field with the URL where the Report A Bug link was clicked. This is very helpful except when a user has returned to the Home page or is on a help page. Check the autofilled URL to make sure it is the URL for the collection or module with the problem.<br /><br />4. <b>Give a detailed description.</b> Let us know what you were doing, what happened, what Operating System you are using (Windows, Mac or Linux) and what browser you are using (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.). All of this is very important for us when we try to recreate the problem.<br /><br />These four key pieces of information can help us give you a quick response to your problem. Even without the info, we will do our best to help. <br /><br />Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-47272099722437703652011-12-09T08:53:00.001-06:002011-12-09T09:06:50.381-06:00Connexions Improves IE9 Support<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YtowuKG0hNY/TuIg-8EygeI/AAAAAAAAARU/8mLy19VR-d4/s1600/Internet_Explorer_9.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YtowuKG0hNY/TuIg-8EygeI/AAAAAAAAARU/8mLy19VR-d4/s200/Internet_Explorer_9.png" width="200" /></a></div>On Wednesday, we released an update that improved the performance of Connexions in Internet Explorer 9 (IE9). Before this release, math was not displayed correctly in IE9 and the math rendering could sometimes cause IE9 to become unresponsive.<br /><br />This new release corrects the math rendering issue, but did not solve all of the IE9 problems. We will continue to work toward improving our performance in IE9. More information is on our <a href="http://cnx.org/help/techsupport/browsers">Browser Support page.</a><br /><br />The release also contains 2 other additions.<br /><br /><ul><li>A Google +1 button is now displayed on all content next to the Facebook and Twitter buttons. Users can show their appreciation for a module or collection by giving it a +1 or by sharing it on Google+. Giving a module or collection a +1 can improve its ranking in Google search results.</li><li>We added a link to our new Google+ page in the footer of most non-content pages.</li></ul>Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-3497427389378884082011-11-08T08:26:00.000-06:002011-11-08T08:26:10.039-06:00Connexions is on Google Plus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RcPJ0Tsdfvo/Trk6NFQ5s5I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/fLSZo2BHjFk/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2011-11-08%2Bat%2B8.17.41%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="109" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RcPJ0Tsdfvo/Trk6NFQ5s5I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/fLSZo2BHjFk/s200/Screen%2BShot%2B2011-11-08%2Bat%2B8.17.41%2BAM.png" width="200" /></a></div>Connexions is now on <a href="http://bit.ly/cnx_gplus">Google+</a>! Add us to your circles to get the latest news and updates. Google+ is another way to stay informed about everything Connexions just like <a href="https://twitter.com/cnxorg">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/cnx.org">Facebook</a> and our blog.Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-37704040340828484262011-10-31T15:56:00.000-05:002011-10-31T15:56:58.653-05:00Now Share Content with Friends in Connexions for Android<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y2sHCrdJLqw/Tq8GW2lAPII/AAAAAAAAAP0/062SGhE_OzI/s1600/cnxandroid-content-screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y2sHCrdJLqw/Tq8GW2lAPII/AAAAAAAAAP0/062SGhE_OzI/s200/cnxandroid-content-screenshot.png" width="133" /></a></div>Connexions for Android Version 1.8 has been released. It adds some nice features that make the app easier to use.<br /><ul><li>ActionBars have been added to the bottom of the Web View and the Note Editor to put the most popular actions at your fingertips. In the Web View, adding a note, sharing, downloading EPUB and PDF files are on the ActionBar. Saving a note, exporting a note and deleting a note are on the Note Editor ActionBar. An example of the Web View ActionBar is at the bottom of the screenshot in this post.</li><li>Users can now share content they like in the app via other Android apps (email, sms, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Use the Share button on the Web View ActionBar to bring up a list of apps installed on your phone to share with.</li><li>Fixed two defects that were reported by users.</li></ul>The app can be found in the <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=org.cnx.android">Android Market </a>and on the <a href="http://cnx.org/android/splash.html">Connexions site</a>. If you use the app, please send us some feedback at android at cnx.org or add a comment or rating to the Android Market. We would love to hear from you.Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-59604774440758466882011-09-27T09:59:00.002-05:002011-09-27T10:02:42.287-05:00World Innovation Summit for Education recognizes Connexions as leader in education<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1fhFe_b29g/ToHlf-8mI8I/AAAAAAAAAYU/zw7z-O3xkKM/s1600/wise3.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 100px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1fhFe_b29g/ToHlf-8mI8I/AAAAAAAAAYU/zw7z-O3xkKM/s320/wise3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657054944589915074" border="0" /></a>(September 27, 2011) – Rice University’s Connexions project has been recognized as a leader in education by the <a href="http://www.wise-qatar.org/">World Innovation Summit for Education</a> (WISE), an initiative of the Qatar Foundation. <p>Connexions, a popular online education site that attracts nearly 2 million visits per month, was chosen from hundreds of projects as one of the six 2011 WISE Award winners.</p> <p>The annual WISE Awards are designed to identify, showcase, and promote innovative educational projects from around the world with the goal to spread best practices and build the future of education. The theme of this year’s WISE Awards is “Transforming Education: Investment, Innovation, and Inclusion.” </p> <p>Connexions is an open education initiative founded in 1999 by <a href="http://cnx.org/member_profile/richb">Richard Baraniuk</a>, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical Engineering at Rice University. Connexions is a global repository of small “Lego-block” like modules. Modules can be used and reused to create customized learning materials like e-textbooks and courses. Connexions currently houses nearly 20,000 modules organized into over 1,100 free courses that are available for free online and at a very low-cost in print.<br /></p><p>Click <a href="http://www.wise-qatar.org/node/10044">here</a> to link to the press release!<br /></p>Daniel Williamsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11990058310537198704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-3520332366282510022011-09-19T10:16:00.000-05:002011-09-19T10:16:14.446-05:00Mobile CNX.ORG Updated<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uNiR-SUgrnk/TndXQrlOdpI/AAAAAAAAAO0/u2ATDIoAV4s/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-19+at+9.45.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uNiR-SUgrnk/TndXQrlOdpI/AAAAAAAAAO0/u2ATDIoAV4s/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-19+at+9.45.13+AM.png" width="130" /></a></div>The <a href="http://mobile.cnx.org/">mobile version</a> of Connexions has been enhanced to improve content display on smartphones. The site has a slightly different look that fits the screen size of a smartphone.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w2rlXLb_FUs/TndYTtTn_sI/AAAAAAAAAO4/MxIEgdmz16Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-19+at+9.56.52+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w2rlXLb_FUs/TndYTtTn_sI/AAAAAAAAAO4/MxIEgdmz16Q/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-19+at+9.56.52+AM.png" width="130" /></a></div>The Table of Contents for Collections has also been modified to allow sections to be opened and closed to reduce the amount of scrolling needed. The new Table of Contents is displayed in the screenshot on the right.<br /><br />Feature Phone (non-smartphone) users will also notice a smaller Connexions header which allows more content to be displayed "above the fold". This puts more text on the screen which is important on a small screen size.<br /><br />These enhancements were funded by the <a href="http://collegeopentextbooks.org/">College Open Textbooks</a> project and we are thankful for their support. You can see the changes by visiting m.cnx.org, mobile.cnx.org or by clicking the link at the top of this post.Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-26976404691655704432011-09-09T10:48:00.000-05:002011-09-09T10:48:29.476-05:00Take Notes in Connexions for Android<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pRv0Z6xrEIc/TmozN27FrTI/AAAAAAAAAOw/Rd0BUT78ol4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-09+at+10.38.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pRv0Z6xrEIc/TmozN27FrTI/AAAAAAAAAOw/Rd0BUT78ol4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-09+at+10.38.54+AM.png" /></a></div>Now you can take notes on the go as you read your favorite Connexions content in the Connexions for Android app. Just select the "Add Note" menu item and a note editor will open. Notes can be exported as a text file to your phone's SDCard or memory so you can move your notes off your phone. There are also some bug fixes in this release.<br /><br />The app can be found in the <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=org.cnx.android">Android Market </a>and on the <a href="http://cnx.org/android/splash.html">Connexions site</a>. If you use the app, please send us some feedback at techsupport at cnx.org. We would love to hear from you.<br /><br /><br />Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-86896309581549927432011-07-28T08:36:00.002-05:002011-07-28T08:42:04.059-05:00Connexions for Android UpdatedConnexions for Android was updated today to correct a bug reported by users. The update is available in the Android Market or on our <a href="http://cnx.org/android/splash.html">website</a>. If you have used our Android app, we would love to get some feedback on your experience. Please email us at techsupport at cnx.org.Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-4067738202845289142011-07-26T09:41:00.002-05:002011-07-26T09:46:16.732-05:00Calling All Authors! The Connexions Community Google GroupAre you a Connexions author or thinking about being one? Join the <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/connexions-community">Connexions Community Google Group</a>, the place where authors can meet and share tips with other Connexions authors. Having trouble with the Word importer? Can't get your YouTube video to display in Connexions? Find answers here, or help other authors with authoring tips you know. Check it out!Avery Murphynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-86800543213507740262011-07-18T10:35:00.006-05:002011-07-21T13:08:04.628-05:00Everyone Loves Webinars!Like summer seminars? Then you'll love <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/7/prweb8635248.htm">these summer webinars</a>! On July 19 at 2pm EDT, Connexions (along with SoftChalk, IMS Global, and MERLOT) will host the first of four webinars in a series about the Open Educational Resources Movement, or OER. The webinars will provide plenty of insight on what exactly OERs are, why they are so efficient, and how they can be produced and executed. Anyone interested in learning more about what makes OERs (and Connexions) so remarkable is invited to attend. Hope to see you there!Ravennoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-41271182033412504972011-06-06T10:55:00.007-05:002011-06-06T11:12:16.049-05:00Version 1.6 of Connexions for Android Released<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UisOUdGIjYs/Tez4ylGU1bI/AAAAAAAAAMg/Ayj38svRgls/s320/Screen%2Bshot%2B2011-06-06%2Bat%2B9.11.27%2BAM.png" style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615136383259956658" />This new release contains some small changes.<ul><li>Corrected a user reported bug that was sometimes causing a force close when viewing a lens.</li><li>Added Recently Published Content as a selection on the Content tab.</li><li>Added a small animation to lens listings.</li></ul><br /><br />You can <a href="http://cnx.org/android/splash.html">download</a> the app directly from Connexions or from the <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=org.cnx.android">Android Market</a>. If you try the app and find it useful, please leave a comment in the Android Market.Ed Woodwardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968025681200810430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401800884156149836.post-22175276013577864752011-05-26T21:52:00.003-05:002011-05-26T22:11:22.929-05:00Authoring Tips: Embedding powerpoint presentations<p>You just spent a week pulling your slides together and gave the presentation of your life. Now you are feeling bounteous and want to share your presentation with the world. Good for you.</p><p>The CNXML markup that Connexions uses does not natively support powerpoints, which is why <a href="http://blog.cnx.org/2011/03/including-your-original-document-in.html">we suggest</a> using one of our editors to convert your information to CNXML -- paragraphs, lists, images, and all. That makes it easily searchable, it can be read by screen readers and other devices, and our system will generate a professional PDF and EPUB version of your module along with the online version.</p><p>If you still want the interactivity of the original presentation, you can embed that into the online version, and use an <a href="http://blog.cnx.org/2011/05/authoring-tips-how-to-size-images.html">alternate print image</a> to place a static image in the PDF in its place.</p><p>To do this, upload your presentation to <a href="http://www.slideshare.net">SlideShare</a>, or another third-party site that will give you code to embed into another website. SlideShare creates flash objects for embedding, which CNXML can include as a <a href="http://cnx.org/eip-help/flash">child of a <tt><media></tt> tag</a>. Copy the <tt>src</tt> URL into the CNXML code, and voila! A dynamic module in Connexions.</p><p>Want to try this yourself? Check out our <a href="http://cnx.org/content/m12660/latest/#slideshare">help page</a> which explains where to find the embedding code and copy it in to your module.</p>Natalienoreply@blogger.com1