Author Archives: Jared Stein

smt2 and Usaproxy set up on fresh server

I paid for a new, experimental web host today with shared Java hosting (4java.ca) where I’ve begun to set up Usaproxy and smt2 along with a few openly licensed reading texts. Work in progress at Optop.us Project
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Reading Research Text Search, Pt 1

Began searching for an appropriate core text for reading research. Began with Wikipedia but ended up migrating to Connexions. Have downloaded and upacked several EPUB files from Connexions and re-uploaded to own server. Will need to edit, hyperlink, and format docs. Also analyzed one text for readability using Flesch with varying results. Will post those [...]
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Infrared Safety

Began looking for articles on the safety of infrared exposure, especially in eye tracking scenarios. So far results are mixed or difficult to generalize to eyetracking. The biomedical research enters into the wild and crazy world of animal subject research: “Animals from these two irradiated groups were subdivided into two subgroups; one of them was [...]
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USAProxy Setup Failed

First attempt at running USAProxy on a simple LAMP install has failed, primarily, I think, because I don’t really understand how Java is supposed to work on a web server. This will need a nice Saterday afternoon of troubleshooting, I think. But, unfortunately, not this Saturday.
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DIY Eye Tracking Hardware In

Purchased hardware to test the ITU GazeTracker oss, including Thorlabs camera, lens, IR filter, and two IR lights –details forthcoming Successfully up and running in office on Win XP, sans log files. Will troubleshoot next week.
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Diagram of Types of Reading, Take 1

I’ve been trying to sort out types of reading processes (aka “styles”, aka “strategies”, aka “patterns”) that relate to differing goals. Let me summarize a handful of key identifications and distinctions that have been made in the research literature: Carver identifies 5 “gears” of reading: scanning, skimming, rauding, learning, memorizing Lunzer identifies four processes: scanning, [...]
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DIY Eyetracking

Professional-grade commercial eyetracking systems can cost $15,000 (EyeTech) or more (Tobii). Renting is cheaper–about 10% of the retail cost of these systems for a month–but still considerable. And while commercial eyetracking software has advanced significantly in the last few years (e.g. headgear no longer required) and is continuing to advance at an impressive pace (e.g. [...]
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Forced mouse tracking of reading behavior

I just had the wacky idea that I could force users in an experimental situation to engage in movements that help track their reading behavior in a web browser. This method would employ Javascript and CSS–in short, the script would obscure text outside of the foveal vision area–the readable foveal vision area would be centered [...]
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A Diagram of Reading Media

I was in diagramming mode this afternoon, thinking through different aspects of the processes and interactions of reading. One sketch led me to the following simple visualization of printed vs. digital media. This draft excludes forms and modes, and may only be useful as a component of my own understanding:
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To have real-world value…

“According to many educational researchers and contrary to the arguments of those pushing for experimental research as the gold standard, the messiness of real-world practice must be recognized, understood, and integrated as part of theoretical claims if the claims are to have real-world explanatory value. From this perspective, examining teaching and learning as isolated variables [...]
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