[recycledelectron]

This is going great! Voilla! Instant lecture-in-a-reader!
Below, I'll detail what I'm doinf, and I'll include a few (numbered) suggestions on how to improve the reader for e-learning.

Organization: I currently use one SD card per class (e.g., MIS 115, MATH 5300).

(1) Folders would eliminate this hassle. Dual memory cards are still critical, as a prof could hand out the semester's notes and such on a memory card. Text books could be sold on SD cards.

(2) Before we can mandate this, it has to support vision impaired students. We need several screen sized. 6" and 9" will be a start.



I've found that the entire class can be down-sized to a PRS-505. I record the class on a pocket recorder, and snap photos of the board as the prof writes. (think math class: chalk board.) Later, I play the audio and view the JPEGs that are photos I snapped of the board. It recreates the lecture.

Right now, I'm the gadget geek - a reader, a note pad, a camera, and a audio recorder. This needs to be consolidated. With imagination, it could be improved.

(1) I use an external recorder to grab audio. Sony makes these, so why not integrate it into the eBook reader? I need a QUALITY internal mic, and an external 3.5mm mic jack (for a wireless lapel mic, for example.)

(2) An intelligent audio filter should remove pen clicks, breathing, etc.

(3) The reader should take dictation, so I can search the lecture and find the instances of "homework" then listen to that bit of audio.

(4) Adjusting the audio is a pain on the PRS-505. I'll miss a bit, and have to spend 10 minutes trying to figure out which audio file I was on, and where I should be. With a touch screen, let me tap the speaker, and I can adjust which audio file I'm on, what position, the volume, etc. Then get rid of the external volume control.

(5) USB host - I need to grab pics from my camera. There's a standard for cameras to let you snap pics over USB. IF the reader supported that, I could start the audio recording, plug in my tripod-mounted camera to the reader, and snap pics. (also, I need to plug in an honest keyboard occasionally, I need Ethernet once in a blue moon, I need to read of my 2.5" USB HDD, I need to print to a USB printer)

(6) I match the pics of the board to the audio, and the only standard way to do this is by splitting and merging audio, while renaming audio and picture files. I need to do this in the reader.

(7) After snapping pics of the board, I have to crop them. I would like to do this in the reader.

(8) I should be able to export my audio and pics to a SWF file, for upload to a class web site.

(9) The suspend/resume in the middle of an audio file, in the middle of a slide is great! Everyone copy Sony here.



I ripped the book.

(1) Pairing with a published that sells text books would be ideal. Thompson is the only choice. They published the text for this class, and (together with Course Technology) they publish 90% of the books I teach out of. Thompson is now owned by Microsoft, so the computer tie-in is assured. Because the reader is closer to a camera than a laptop, it should not be cursed with CE.



I also take notes on a pad, that I scan after each class.

(1) A touch screen would let me take notes on the reader, as opposed to using paper and a scanner.

After these improvements, I'd have a reader, and a small tethered camera on a tripod.



Last class, we were covering MatLab, and needed the manuals. I had them in my PRS-505 already. I just pulled them up and browsed them.

(1) TTS (text to speech) would let me listen to books while I'm driving.

(2) Let me lock it while it's off, or while it's playing an MP3.

(3) Support more formats. One book the prof loved was only in PS format. (Think Jinke)

(4) A better zoom and pan on all formats. When I can handle 24" x 36" cad drawings, I'll be happy.



Open-book quizzes are a concern for me.

(1) Add Wi-Fi so I can hop on the school's network to access Blackboard or WebCT to take the quiz.

(2) I need a very configurable search tool. I need to be able to search my notes and the one required book first, then to look in a dozen reference books second.



Andy