showU FAQ
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How long is the license good for?
- There is no time limit on the license.
I don't have access to a Web server. Can I still create and use showU exercises?
- Absolutely. You don't need a Web server to create exercises; just a graphics program to store GIF files and a text editor. To use showU exercises, just put the showU applet software in a directory on your hard drive (or even a local file server) and put the exercise HTML and rules files you develop in the same directory. Then open the HTML in a Web browser. (Web browsers can access files on your disk just as if they were on the Web.) The only trick involved is that the HTML and rules files must go in the same directory as the applet software to avoid problems with browser security restrictions.
Can I build more than one exercise with the same graphics?
- There are two things to think about here -- the technical considerations and the pedagogical considerations. From a technical perspective, the software will run with any validly constructed set of graphics and rules you specify. So all you need to do is create a new rules file and a new HTML page which refers to the new set of rules, and you have a new exercise. The new files can even be in the same directory as earlier exercises. Now from a pedagogical point of view, the issue is whether there is another exercise that makes sense with the graphics you already have. If the answer to this is "yes," (and it often is) then just create a new set of rules for the new exercise, and proceed as usual.
Can I control the feedback more closely? What are the limits on controlling the feedback?
- As described in the showU 1.0 Exercise Developer's Guide and Reference (delivered when you buy the product), you have a great deal of control over each message in the exercise feedback. Nevertheless, there are some limitations at this time on just how precisely you can control the feedback, mainly because there is no customizable control structure for the messages. Each time a student clicks "compare," the entire list of error messages is generated. Also, each rule is a separate graphical constraint, without any additional logical constructs such as AND or OR. Building these types of capabilities is definitely on our "to do" list for future versions of showU.
I'm running Netscape on a Mac and some things aren't working. What's going on?
- The Mac/Netscape Java environment is one of the buggiest in the industry. Frankly, we just don't recommend it. At this writing, Apple recommends that you use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser for your Mac. The new MSIE for Mac uses Apple's own state-of-the-art Java environment. Get it for free at http://www.microsoft.com/mac/ieoeinfo/default.htm.
I'm on AOL and when I load the demo I get a very strange looking page. What's going on?
- According to AOL, the latest version of their graphics compression software
can interfere with Java graphics, causing applets to display images incorrectly or not at all.
To avoid problems, follow these instructions from AOL to turn off the use of compressed graphics:
- Click on "My AOL," select "Preferences," and click on the "WWW" icon.
- On the "General" tab (which will be showing), find "Temporary Internet Files" and click "Delete Files."
- Click on the "Web Graphics" tab, find "Use compressed graphics," and turn it off (unchecked).
- Click "OK" at the bottom of the dialog box.
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