Transcript Using MathML in Blackboard/WebCT

Using MathML in
Blackboard/WebCT
Bob Mathews
Director of Training
Design Science, Inc.
[email protected]
Why MathML?
• Accessibility
• Ease of re-use
• Re-size math with browser text re-
size (but not via the Equation Editor)
• Better resolution than images
• Can copy from other sources
• existing documents
• web pages
Entering MathML directly
• Blackboard offers the MathML Editor.
• IE-Win:
• Others:
• WebCT requires a work-around.
Quirks: Blackboard
• Doesn’t allow whitespace in the code.
• <math> <mi> x </mi> <mo> = </mo>
<mfrac><mn>1</mn><mn>2</mn></mfrac>
</math>
Quirks: Blackboard
• Doesn’t allow whitespace in the code.
• Doesn’t allow spaces at all – hence no
attributes:
• <math>
<mi>x</mi><mo>=</mo>
<mstyle mathcolor=“red”>
<mfrac><mn>1</mn><mn>2</mn></mfrac>
</mstyle>
</math>
Quirks: Blackboard
<m:math>
<math
display='block'>
• Doesn’t
allow whitespace in the code.
<semantics>
<m:semantics>
• Doesn’t
allow spaces at all – hence no
<mrow>
<m:mrow>
<mi>x</mi><mo>=</mo><mfrac>
<m:mi>x</m:mi><m:mo>=</m:mo><m:mfrac>
attributes.
<mn>1</mn>
<m:mn>1</m:mn>
• Be<m:mn>2</m:mn>
careful copying & pasting from
<mn>2</mn>
</mfrac>
</m:mfrac>
other
apps (MathType, WebEQ, etc.)
</mrow>
</m:mrow>
<annotation encoding='MathType-MTEF'>
</m:semantics>
</m:math>
</annotation>
</semantics>
</math>
Quirks: Blackboard
• Doesn’t allow whitespace in the code.
• Doesn’t allow spaces at all – hence no
attributes.
• Be careful copying & pasting from
Only these
other apps (MathType, WebEQ,are
etc.)
okay
• Choice of MathType translator options
Quirks: WebCT
• Biggest quirk is that WebCT requires a
work-around.
• No easy way to insert a formula into
Activates
an answer slot.
Equation
Editor
• It is possible to insert images, but it’s
not easy.
• It’s also possible to insert MathML, and
that’s a little easier, but still quirky.
MathML in WebCT
• Must be entered via an applet tag:
<applet name="0" code="webeq.Main" codebase=""
archive="/webct/jar/WebEQ2Applet.jar" height=XX
width=XX align=middle >
<param name=color value="#FFFFFF" >
Different rules than
<param name=size value="18" >
Blackboard
<param name=controls value="false" >
<param name=eq
value="[MathML goes here]" >
<param name=parser value="mathml" >
<param name=title value="[Give equation a unique name]" >
</applet>
MathML in WebCT
• Must be entered via an applet tag.
• It’s a good idea to save this code to a
file on your hard drive.
Another way…
• MathPage
• Word + MathType
• Only works for course documents,
assignments, etc.
• IOW, not for assessments, e-mail, etc.
Another way…
• MathPage
• Click the “Export to MathPage” icon:
• Fill in the dialog:
• Title
• File name
• Math “target”:
• XHTML + MathML
• MathPlayer (IE Behavior)
• Multi-browser (UMSS)
• Click OK
Another way…
• MathPage
• Click the “Export to MathPage” icon:
• Fill in the dialog.
• Zip & upload the files.
• Full instructions in our tutorials:
• Using MathType with Blackboard:
http://www.dessci.com/en/support/tutorials/mt_bb
/tutorial.htm
• Using MathType with WebCT:
http://www.dessci.com/en/support/tutorials/mt_webct
/tutorial.htm
Sing it up…
• Easier for you to use IE (student
•
•
•
•
•
browser doesn’t matter, as long as it’s
Java-capable).
Know the quirks.
Blackboard includes a MathML editor.
WebCT requires using an applet tag.
Both allow uploading a MathPage.
See the tutorials on our web site.