Language Lab Software

[edublogger]

Hi all,

 

We're using a really expensive language lab application, but only using a small selection of features, so I want to change to something else.#

 

Our requirements are:

 

 

• We want students to be able to record audio through a headset and share it with a teacher.
  
• We want the student and teacher to be able to talk through a headset individually and as a group.
  
• We want to be able to monitor the student desktops as they work.
  

 

These things don't need to be all in one application, but it seems to me that there must be a more cost effective way to do these things.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[mavhc]

Seems like something someone could write in python in about a week, VNC has python bindings, pyaudio can do real time voice chat, read in computer names from an AD OU with ldap

[edmokeski]

Used to work in uni language labs, converting them from tape decks to PCs. Never saw the point in these packages. You could meet your requirements pretty quickly w/

- audio recording app (e.g. Audacity) and something like Google/MS Classroom, iTunes U, VLE, etc. for "handing in" the files (or Google Drive / OneDrive for "sharing" them to a teacher)

- Skype or Skype for Business? Google Hangouts? Sort of depends on whether you're of Office 365 school, GAfE school, or neither.

- Standard lab monitoring/management software. ARD or Apple Classroom for Macs, or something like LanSchool for Windows machines, although I can't recommend for or against that one in particular as I've not used it

[Norphy]

Used to work in uni language labs, converting them from tape decks to PCs. Never saw the point in these packages. You could meet your requirements pretty quickly w/

- audio recording app (e.g. Audacity) and something like Google/MS Classroom, iTunes U, VLE, etc. for "handing in" the files (or Google Drive / OneDrive for "sharing" them to a teacher)

- Skype or Skype for Business? Google Hangouts? Sort of depends on whether you're of Office 365 school, GAfE school, or neither.

- Standard lab monitoring/management software. ARD or Apple Classroom for Macs, or something like LanSchool for Windows machines, although I can't recommend for or against that one in particular as I've not used it

 

The point in these packages is that it's easier to use for the poor sod who's got to teach the class. Do you really want to hold a teacher's hand going through all of these different packages or would you rather just put something in designed from the ground up to do the job?

 

My old place uses Sanako in their language labs. I wasn't a fan but the teachers seemed to like it when it worked.

[Leehilton90]

We use sanako in our language lab. It can be a pain some times, but for the most part it works with no problem. The teachers here think its wonderful.

[unixman_again]

If you use Moodle, then MEDIAL | Media Library Software will do what you want (and a whole load of other stuff that you probably don't want)