Creating StudyMate Activities from Existing Content
If you’re like most teachers, you’d love to add interactive activities and games to your online courses, but you don’t have the time (or perhaps, the skill) to do it. Well, no more excuses! StudyMate makes it easy to create exciting, Flash-based activities from existing content and course materials.
There is no single method for converting the many formats of digital content to StudyMate. But listed below are some of the common types of data that you might have available to you. You might be surprised at how much of your current "stuff" can be transformed into StudyMate activities -- in just a few minutes.
Before getting started, though, if you’re not already familiar with the types of activities that can be created with StudyMate, take a look at
the sample activities provided on this page. These will illustrate the end results of your effort.
OK, let’s get started.
1) Importing Respondus Files
An earlier newsletter article (www.respondus.com/update/sm-import.shtml) gives a detailed explanation of how to open Respondus files with StudyMate. Without question, this is the easiest way to get existing content into StudyMate because the process is nearly seamless.
How to do it
> Start StudyMate
> Click Open
> Click Browse, change "Files of Type" to "Respondus Files & Archives"
> Highlight and select the Respondus file
> When prompted, confirm the conversion options that are shown and click OK to complete the file conversion.
Note: The "Import Wizard" in StudyMate can also be used to import a Respondus file.
2) Respondus Test Bank Network (Publisher Test Banks)
Test banks for hundreds of the leading textbooks in higher education are available in Respondus format, including those from Pearson Education and Thomson Higher Education. Instructors who adopt a participating textbook can download these files (at no charge) with their StudyMate software. This is truly an easy way to create student activities based on content from your textbook.
How to do it
> Go to www.respondus.com/testbanks and submit a request for the test bank that accompanies your textbook. The publisher will authenticate your adoption and send you an email containing the file code and password for downloading the file.
> Start StudyMate
> Click Open
> Click Download Test Bank
> Enter the File Code and Password provided to you by the publisher and click Download
> When prompted, confirm the conversion settings and click OK to complete the process.
Hint: Once the test bank is in StudyMate, use the "Quick Copy Wizard" to select items from the file.
3) Importing Multiple Choice Questions in MS Word or Rich-Text format
StudyMate can easily import multiple-choice questions that are in MS Word, rich-text, or text format. The user guide describes the formatting requirements for the original document. These requirements are very basic and many documents require no changes before importing them with StudyMate.
How to do it
> Make sure the original document is formatted to the requirements described in the StudyMate user guide (see the "Import Wizard" section)
> Start StudyMate
> Click Import Wizard
> Select "MS Word, rich-text..." and click Next
> Select "Multiple Choice" and click Next twice
> Browse to and select the document to be imported
> Select from the additional options shown
> Click Finish to complete the import process.
4) Importing Glossaries in MS Word or Rich-Text
Glossaries are available on thousands of topics, and many textbook publishers make them available to adopters in electronic format. Once a glossary is placed in MS Word or rich-text format, it is easily imported by StudyMate. (Glossary terms can be used with such StudyMate activities as Flash Cards, Pick a Letter, Fill in the Blank, etc.) The StudyMate user guide describes the formatting requirements for the MS Word file -- which is as simple as placing the "term" on one line and the "definition" on the next.
How to do it
> Make sure the MS Word or rich-text document is formatted to the “glossary” requirements described in the StudyMate user guide (see the “Import Wizard” section).
> Start StudyMate
> Click Import Wizard
> Select "MS Word, rich-text..." and click Next
> Select "One Answer (Glossary)" and click Next
> Select "Standard Format" and click Next
> Browse to and select the file being imported
> Select from the additional options shown
> Click Finish to complete the import process.
5) Importing Glossaries from WebCT and Blackboard
Do you already have glossaries in WebCT or the Blackboard Learning System? They can be imported directly by StudyMate.
How to do it
> From within WebCT or Blackboard, select the “Glossary” tool and select Download
> Start StudyMate
> Click Import Wizard
> Select "MS Word, rich-text..." and click Next
> Select "One Answer (Glossary)" and click Next
> Select WebCT Glossary Format or Blackboard Glossary Format and click Next
> Browse to and select the file being imported
> Select from the additional options shown
> Click Finish to complete the import process.
6) Importing Exams from WebCT, Blackboard, eCollege
In order for StudyMate to import a WebCT, Blackboard, or eCollege exam, you’ll first need to "retrieve" the exam using Respondus 2.0. So locate a copy of Respondus (even if it means downloading a 30-day trial version from www.respondus.com) and then follow the steps below.
How to do it
> Start Respondus and click the "Retrieval..." menu. Select "Retrieve Questions" and proceed to download the exam from the online course. Save the file and exit Respondus.
> Start StudyMate
> Click Open
> Click Browse, change "Files of Type" to "Respondus Files & Archives"
> Locate the Respondus file that was created in the first step, in a sub-folder of c:\Respondus Projects\ if you accepted the default settings when installng Respondus.
> When prompted, confirm the conversion options that are shown and click OK to complete the file conversion.
Hint: An earlier newsletter article (www.respondus.com/update/sm-import.shtml) describes how to open Respondus files with StudyMate. It includes a detailed description of how question types from exams are converted to the template approach used by StudyMate.
7) Importing Exams in IMS QTI Format
Many e-learning systems can export assessments in the IMS Question & Test Interoperability format. This increasingly popular XML standard is supported by systems such as Desire2Learn, Questionmark Perception, and WebCT Vista. StudyMate will import a QTI file and retain the multiple-choice and true/false questions during the conversion.
How to do it
> Start StudyMate
> Click Import Wizard
> Select "IMS QTI..." and click Next
> Browse to the QTI XML file and select it
> Additional options can be selected at this point
> Click Finish to complete the import process.
Source: Respondus, Inc. (www.respondus.com)
Originally Published: November 17, 2004
< Back to list of articles
