--- Forwarded Message from Greg Kessler <[log in to unmask]> ---

>From: Greg Kessler <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:02:24 -0500
>Subject: Re: #9576.1 Anyone using the Gong Moodle Module?
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum    <[log in to unmask]>

Hi All,

I ran a java/tomcat server for Gong (generally within moodle, but sometimes outside  
of it) very soon after Gong was released until 2009 and it was typically reliable,  
but we had started having problems associated with the old/end-of-life versions  
of Tomcat and Java that Sue mentions. Of course, it is worth mentioning that this  
server was running under my desk for this sole purpose not centrally managed by  
the university. I introduced Gong to the ESL department at Ohio State a few years  
ago and they began using it on a very large scale and were extremely happy with  
it. For the two years we used it we had very heavy use and certainly fewer failures  
than our campus-wide Blackboard system is accustomed to.

Anyway, we had been using nanogong that entire time as well, but initially it  
didn't include the activity module. For the past couple years we have been using  
only nanogong. Unlike Gong it requires no external server, just a very light applet.  
It has required a little bit of attention when upgrading to a new version of Moodle,  
but otherwise it has been very reliable and our teachers love it. In some cases  
we have teachers who have requested a Moodle site only to use the nanogong activity  
module. In fact, we have used it (along with Apple's free iChat software) to replace  
all the functionality of our audio labs so we never needed to justify the expensive  
upgrade from cassette labs to a digital lab.

The nanongong activity creates a nicely organized table of student recordings  
with a space for comments from both teacher and student. Further, with the htmlarea  
nangong patch you can use it anywhere in Moodle where you can see the HTML editor.  
That was a major improvement for us and it gets used a lot. Of course there is  
now also PoodLL as well for recording audio and video. We have found that to be  
useful, but it is a bit more of a bandwidth hog.

Hope this helps,

Greg
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Kessler                                                                   

Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
http://ohiou.edu/linguistics/people/Kessler.html
http://call.ohio.edu
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