Why is Laulima not used with Adagio?

The easiest and the quickest answer to this question is "That's because I developed my own course management system." But please read on.

The development of my online Japanese course started in 1998. This was when you have started to see online courses here and there. But University of Hawaii didn't have any course management system (such as Laulima). That's why I needed to develop my own course management system, Adagio.

I develop everything from scratch with Prof. Yokoyama at Akita University in Japan. After my own system has been completed, Univ. of Hawaii started to use WebCT, and then Sakai system (Laulima). I actually used WebCT and Laulima but I found it extremely slow and cumbersome. What I can do with my Adagio server in 5 minutes could take up to 20-30 minutes with Laulima. I don't see any reason I need to switch to Laulima.


Why doesn't the instructor unsubscribe me from the mailing list even if I asked him to do?

In the past, the instructor removed students who dropped the course in the middle of the semester. However, mistakes do happen. What happened was someone, who didn't drop the course, was unsubscribed by mistake. This caused a great deal of confusion for the class. Ever since this incident, the instructor doesn't consider it a good idea for him to remove anyone. The best way, and there's no room for mistake, is for each student who drops the course to unsubscribe themselves from the mailing list. The instruction (simply send an e-mail to the specified e-mail address) is given at the bottom of the every single e-mail sent from the mailing list. As long as you are on the mailing list, you are still required to follow the course rules. It is your responsibility to remove your name from the mailing list. Not doing so, is your agreement to follow the course rules.

Maybe a guidebook to Adagio can be sold at a bookstore?

Selling a guidebook at a bookstore might be good, but there are some drawbacks. Since I change something about Adagio almost every semester, it would need to be changed every semester. This means everything must be sold out when each semester is over. The bookstore requires the department to buy back the leftover books which will not be used the next semester. A few years ago, the department spent close to $5000 to buy back the leftover books, consequently each faculty is strongly encouraged to order only the minimum number of books. Now, I could order only the minimum, maybe 15, but this might cause some shortage. Requesting them to make a few extra copies right after the semester starts could take up to one month. Since the purpose of the guidebook is to provide a general guide to the course and to help you understand Japanese typing, etc., waiting for a month defeats the purpose of such a guidebook. This is why everything is on the web.

What do I need to do when I take a chapter/lesson test/exam at a computer lab?

At KCC, you have to go to the testing center. You have to show your picture ID before you can use the computer there. I strongly suggest that you contact the testing center to double check what you have to bring and show them before going to the lab to take the test in case they change the procedure and hours.

You will access the the chapter/lesson test/exam through the course portal. You can only access from the lab. Don't try to access from someplace else. The Adagio server can tell from which IP address you accessed the test page.

You have to check out headsets from the testing center because there's a listening comprehension section.

How can I make my computer display Japanese?

Click here to find out how to make your computer Japanese ready.

I cannot display Japanese on a web browser (Firefox, Explorer, etc.)?
Click here for the instruction.

I installed Global IME from Microsoft, but I don't know what the icons mean.
Click here for the explanation.

I cannot send e-mails in Japanese.

The easiest way is to use an Apple Computer and use the software called "Mail" which is bundled with Mac OS X. When you change your Mac to the Japanese mode, you can start typing in Japanese. You don't need to set anything!
Those who use Windows are not as lucky as those who use Mac. Click here for the instruction. If you still cannot , you haven't followed the instructions exactly.

How can I play sound files?

Almost all of the sound files are in the flash format. Unless you installed the flash plug-in to your browser, it's not going to play the flash files. Click here and download the flash plug-in free and install it. The most videos are in the QuickTime format. You have to have a QuickTime plug-in installed. Click here for free download and install it.

I cannot display PDF files correctly. What's wrong?

Apple computer uses shouldn't have this problem. It's because the build-in software "Preview" can display the PDF file.

For Window uses, however, Adobe Acrobat Reader may not have been installed by default. If that's the case, you need to downlaod Adobe Acrobat Reader to display PDF files. Click here for free download. If you still have problems, it's highly possible that you have several versions of Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Check your computer and delete old versions of Acrobat Reader.

"I joined the class late and missed all of the e-mails in the first week." or "I accidentally deleted e-mails with the test URL." What can I do?

This is exactly why we use the mailing list is used. The mailig list is not just a mailing list. It stores all of the e-mails exchanged so you can go to the bulletin board and look at what you missed. So, click here to go to the bulletin board section and login. You have to make an account with the UH listserv in order to log in.


I cannot make any web recording (video or sound). Help!

Click here for the web recording FAQ page.