|
TaskStream @ Purdue University
TaskStream is a full commercial web-based application that will fulfill our needs for electronic gate assessment portfolios, personal portfolios, instructional design, and many other applications into the future. It can be found at: http://www.taskstream.com/
Here are some answers to common questions that students may have:
- Why do we have to have a TaskStream account?
- How do I get my account?
- If I have transferred from another University that uses TaskStream, can I use that account?
- How much is a TaskStream Subscription?
- How do I get a video into TaskStream?
- Can I access my files once I leave Purdue?
- I have questions about the size of my files, or TaskStream says my files are to big.
- How do I know how much space I have left in my TaskStream account?
Here are some hints that will help you avoid problems that have occured in the past:
1. Why do we have to have a TaskStream account?
In order to obtain a teaching license in the state of Indiana at Purdue University then you have to do a portfolio. An electronic portfolio system makes this task much simpler. It was decided by the leadership of the College of Education that TaskStream is the system that we will use for this purpose. TaskStream is also used by the College of Education and others involved in the Purdue Teacher Education program to provide information to our accrediting bodies.
2. How do I get my account?
You purchase an account directly from TaskStream at their website http://www.taskstream.com/. Purchasing the subscription directly through TaskStream will cost $105 for 4 years, and you also have other subscription length choices. You will have choices as to the length of subscription term. For current TaskStream subscription rates check out: http://www.taskstream.com/pub/sub_rates.asp. If you sign up online and don't have the courses you need in the "My Programs" area of TaskStream, send email to edit@purdue.edu and be sure to include your full name, and your major.
If you prefer not to use a credit card then you can go to the Boiler Copy Maker in the Purdue Memorial Union. The price for purchasing a subscription is posted there.
Remember that TaskStream is not tied to your Purdue career account information, so remember to change your password often.
3. If I have transferred from another University that uses TaskStream, can I use that account?
You can transfer what organization you belong to within the TaskStream system by talking to a TaskStream representative at 1-800-311-5656. Once you have been moved to the Purdue "group," email edit@purdue.edu so that we can verify that you are enrolled in the proper courses inside the system.
4. How much is a TaskStream subscription?
TaskStream is a resource for class just like a book. But unlike books where you have to buy new ones each semester, you just have to purchase your TaskStream account once! TaskStream is also not associated with the Purdue computer network, so when you graduate it doesn't go away like your career account. You keep the account for as long as you maintain an active subscription.
The full listing of rates and length of subscription are:
| Single Semester |
$25 |
| One Year |
$42 |
| Two Year |
$69 |
| Three Year |
$91 |
| Four Year | $105 |
| Five Year | $119 |
| Six Year | $129 |
5. How do I get a video into TaskStream?
Having video in your TaskStream portfolio is a very powerful thing, but it does involve a little work. First off, you need to get your video in a digital form. You can accomplish this in a number of ways. You can:
- Check out a flash based camcorder from the TRC to record directly to a digital file.
- Record to a MiniDV (digital) camcorder and capture the video over firewire using Windows Movie Maker
- Take your VHS tape to the DLC and work with them to capture it to a digital file using Windows Movie Maker
- Use flash camcorder from the TRC and record your video off a TV while you play it using conventional means (VCR, DVD player)
You can get help with all of these digital media related tasks by going to the Digital Learning Collabratory. When capturing your video, please use the following settings:
- Capture at a bit rate of 256 kbps or less and to a WMV file
- If possible use Windows Movie Maker (this comes free on Windows XP and Windows Vista computers)
- Keep the file size of the video to under 20MB.
Once you have your digital file you can put it in your TaskStream portfolio. To do that, you have a couple of options. You can either store it in your Purdue Career account, and then link to it from TaskStream, or you can upload it directly into you TaskStream storage space. A couple of considerations:
- You have 100MB of storage in your TaskStream account that comes with your subscription, and you can purchase more for a small fee.
- Your career account will cease to exist after you graduate. For information on your career account visit: http://www.itap.purdue.edu/tlt/careeraccount/index.cfm
6. Can I access my files once I leave Purdue?
The short answer is: of course. The long answer is: depends on how you want to do it. You have a couple of options with regard to your portfolio.
The most simple is to continue to purchase or renew your TaskStream subscription. As long as you continue to renew your account, it is completely yours with full access to all of the features and tools.
Your other option is to use the "Pack It Up" feature within TaskStream. This tool is inside the "Resource Manager" section of TaskStream. For information on how to use that tool view the Resource Manager Guide.
7. I have questions about the size of my files, or TaskStream says my files are to big.
When you sign up for TaskStream you start out with 100MB of storage space to last their career. While that is a lot of space, it is not unlimited. With the increasing sophistication of our courses and the inclusion of rich media into the your artifacts, care must be taken on how that media is generated. If video is required then here are some rules of thumb:
- The video should have a maximum resolution of 320x240. This may look small on a computer screen, but this is the native resolution of broadcast television.
- The video should be encoded at 56kbps or 128kbps, and 256kbps maximum . This provides web-friendly playback.
- The file should not exceed 25-30MB
Similarly, PowerPoint presentations and other Office documents can become quite large, with all the embedded graphics and other media. TaskStream has a size limitation of 20 MB for non-Video documents. If your Word or Powerpoint document is larger than this, you will need to cut its size down. There is a tool within PowerPoint that can help with this. By compressing the pictures in the file you can save a lot of space. Here are some directions common ways of reducing file size:
You can also use a tool such as WinZip to compress your documents to a zip file prior to uploading them. For many documents, this can be a significant size difference.
If you are scanning a document that is not a picture, try to scan it to a PDF file rather then a jpg or a TIFF. PDF files are typically smaller in size and easier to read, print, and share than a jpg or tiff for documents and forms. For help with digital media related questions, visit the Digital Learning Collabratory at http://dlc.purdue.edu.
8. How do I know how much space I have left in my TaskStream account?
In order to find how much storage space you have remaining in your TaskStream account, you use your "Resource Manager." Click on the link titled "Resource Manager" on the left side of the screen. Once inside click on the tab labled "Manage Online Storage." On that screen it will tell you exactly how much space you are using and how. It will also give you the oppurtinity to purchase additional storage space.
Questions or comments? Please feel free to
contact us: edit@purdue.edu
|
Robert Evans
Director, Office of IT
Managing Director, TRC
bob@purdue.edu
(765) 496-1819
Mike Eldridge
Coordinator of Distance
Education and User Services
eldridge@purdue.edu
(765) 49-40944
Christian Mattix
Database System Administrator
and e-Portfolio Coordinator
cmattix@purdue.edu
(765) 494-3416
Wesley Shoop
Site Specialist, User Services
shoopw@purdue.edu
(765) 49-42658
Alex Noguera
Site Specialist, User Services
anoguera@purdue.edu
(765) 49-42659
Teja Josyula
Webmaster,
edit@purdue.edu
(765) 49-67323
Brenda Hash
Clerk,
Technology Resources Center
trc@purdue.edu
(765) 49-45677
Karen Hearn
Clerk,
Technology Resources Center
trc@purdue.edu
(765) 49-45677
Yue Pan
Graduate Programmer,
Administrative Databases
ypan@purdue.edu
(765) 49-42658
IEducation IT Voice:
(765) 49-42658
TRC Voice:
(765) 49-45677
TRC Web Site:
 |
