What can CORA do for me?

[geekischic]

We are working hard on CORA (Classroom Observation Recording App) that makes it easy to record and analyse your observations - click here for a video demonstration.

You can use CORA online or offline on just about any computer, tablet, phone or browser.
 
CORA makes it easy to record your classroom observations in a structured way, then automatically analyse and export them to a worprocessor or spreadsheet.

No more scribbly old notes you can't find or read when you come to do your writing up!!



HELP - BETA TESTERS NEEDED!
The program is still under construction and we only have a limited range of observational categories and decriptions in there. We'd really like feedback to help us develop the format and content so that it will best meet your needs.

WHY SHOULD I BETA TEST?
As well as getting to use the program before anyone else, beta testers also get access to a private forum board where they can get help, share ideas and shape the program so it does what they want!

WHAT COMPUTER EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

• a Microsoft Windows or Apple Desktop or Laptop or Netbook
• an Apple or Android Tablet or Smartphone

HOW DO I TAKE PART?
If you'd like to take part in beta testing please use our contact form .

[elaine]

I really like the idea of this, can it be adapted with my own categories in the first few mins of an obs, then used in this format for the remainder of the obs. time?
There will never be enough space on a ticklist to cover all possible behaviours that might be spotted but the most frequently occurring can be predicted once in the context and the vicinity of the target child.

Could the characteristics of surrounding other adults/ children be added and the context of the obs. too?

[geekischic]

Hi Elaine

Thanks for posting and with some brilliant ideas   

I think your suggestions would be really useful additions for everyone so I'll get to work on a draft and post as soon as it's ready.

My initial thoughts are to have a maximum of 10 rows of description boxes (including some empty ones) to keep the screen compact as possible for tablets, but add in an Edit button which wil allow you to change a cell when you click on it, instead of recording.

That's the theory anyway 

I'll get to work on that and post here when I've got a draft ready for people to try.

[geekischic]

Thanks to Elaine's help, the next beta version (0.70) of CORA is now available for testing by registered beta testers who will be able to see the appropriate button at the top of the forum page (we've left a link to the previous version (0.66) there as well for now).

The differences in this new version are that:

• after you choose your category of descriptions, but before you click Start
• or if you click Pause during an observation
• clicking on any of the descriptions (even the blank ones) will bring up an edit box so you can alter/add them to suit. Click Close to close the edit box and leave the comment as it was, or Close and Save if you want to save your new comment and use it for that observation.
• you can now enter some details about context in the bottom text box (now headed Context/Comments) and the program will store these and add at the beginning of the summary

NB there are also now two buttons at the top of the screen to start off another set of observations.

• New (as before) resets all the description boxes and lets you start again with the built in list
• Same starts again, but continues to use the changes to descriptions you have entered during that session

[james]

Hi Stuart,

How can you access this when offline?

Best wishes

James

[geekischic]

Hi James

Firstly, download the free Dropbox app to your tablet (a simple Play Store/Itunes search should find it).

Let me know when it's installed and I'll send you a link to our Dropbox folder so you can access CORA offline.

Dropbox is necessary for running the web page off line - it's a great program anyway and gives you free cloud storage space for your files and photos as well.

UPDATE
Please see new post (Reply #8) below for a quick and easy way to use CORA offline without the need for Dropbox

[maj]

Hi Stuart

Yes CORA is very useful and interesting.  I assume you will add other observations? At the moment it seems to be behaviour heavy.  However a lot of our work as EP might involve other observational issues (i.e. social communication, purely learning behaviours in various classes etc). 

Maj

[geekischic]

Yes CORA is very useful and interesting. I assume you will add other observations? At the moment it seems to be behaviour heavy. However a lot of our work as EP might involve other observational issues (i.e. social communication, purely learning behaviours in various classes etc).

As you say Maj - what I've tried to do with this (and the other programs) at this stage of development is offer a 'shell' with sample content for feedback on the 'shell' itself and also contributions people would like to add to the content (which will be given full acknowledgement of course!).

It is possible to have these in a database for on line use, at the moment I'm trying to make CORA usable both on line and offline from the same web page - not as straightforward as it may sound, as a web 'standard' on different hardware, operating systems and browsers are still some way off being that believe me

As a result I want to try and build a good basic set of comments into the page at this point for everyone to use.

If you've got any you'd like me to add it's really easy, just see  this topic.

[geekischic]

As people may not always have access to a wireless or 3G connection when carrying out an observation, here are some new, simpler instructions for using CORA off line on your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone:

• Connect to the page via this forum as usual in a tab on your web browser when you are on line and leave it open.
• When you go off line you should still be able to use the page in that tab and all the buttons in the page will work as usual, as long as you
• DON'T try to refresh the window e.g. by pressing F5
• DON'T use the back button

We've tried this on a range of browsers and hardware and no problems so far, but please post below if you have any!