Tool of the Month: NanoGong

What is it?
Nanogong is a Moodle tool that allows teachers to differentiate instruction for learners. Teachers can provide students with audio recordings of course content. They can also create activities where students can submit recordings for others to hear in Moodle.
Teachers can use it to:

• Provided verbal descriptions of course content
• Make announcements
• Give detailed, verbal directions to activities, assignments, or assessments
• Listen to student responses
• Provide students with verbal feedback

Students can use it to:

• Listen to descriptions of items contained in Moodle, directions, and teacher feedback
• Submit verbal responses to discussion forums and assignments
• Respond verbally to the teacher and peers

See NanoGong in action!

   

 
Technical Requirements
NanoGong requires Java 2 Runtime Environment 1.4.2 or above. you can download it here.
Additional hardware and software requirements for using NanoGong can be found here.

How do I get started? As a Teacher?
1.     Sign into your course.
2.     Turn on editing.
3.     Decide how you want to use NanoGong.   

NanoGong Icons or Buttons

        Option 1 

Decide if you want to use NanoGong to communicate information out to students by             posting an audio recording in a news forum, or to describe a label, or to add directions        to an assignment. Follow the direction below.

1.  Locate the item where you would like to add an audio recording.
2.  Select “edit”.
3.  Locate the "speaker" icon in the formatting toolbar above the text editing box.
   
4. The computer might ask for permission to “run” this application. Select “run”.

5. 
   

   
   

   
   

   A "recording" box will appear. When you are ready to record, click on the red button.
   
6. While recording the red button will change to the pause button. When you are finished recording, click on it.
7.  Listen to your recording by clicking on play button. 
8. When you are satisfied, click on insert.
9. The speaker icon will appear in your text editing box.
10. Scroll down and click “save and return to course”
11. Your audio recording has been added. When students click on speaker icon the a player box will appear and they can listen to your recording.

        Or

Option 2 

Decide if you want to have students submit audio recordings for an activity or assignment. Follow the directions below.

1. Go to “Add a resource”.
2. Select “NanoGong Voice Activity”.
3. Name the activity.
4. Provide students with instructions. (Note: You can use text or you can add your own audio recording using the process described in Option 1.) If it is the first time your students have used NanoGong, it might be a good idea to insert a NanoGong tutorial video.
5. Change any settings (availability, grading information, groups, access, etc.) to meet your needs.
6.   Select “Save and display”.
7. The assignment has now been added to the course.
8. Listening to student audio submissions.
9. Go to the NanoGong Activity.
10. Select “Show recordings of each student for entering feedback” and a list of submitted recordings will appear below.
11. Locate the name of the student you want to and click on the speaker icon next to the name.
12. A box player box appear. Select the play button to listen to the recording.