Comments on: News #40 - Premium Learning Center 2.0 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/ Learn Japanese with Daily Podcasts from Tokyo Whether you are Japan-bound or a seasoned speaker, our lessons offer something for everyone. We incorporate culture and current issues into each episode to give the most informative, both linguistically and culturally, podcasts possible. For those of you with just the plane ride to prepare, check our survival phrase series at Japanesepod101.com. One of these phrases just might turn your trip into the best one ever! Yoroshiku O-negai Shimasu! Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:13:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: Eran http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49232 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:07:27 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49232 Mina-san, I have added some instructional text to the "Browse All Lessons" page. Hopefully, it clears up some confusion. We will continue to look for ways to make the interface more user-friendly and intuitive. Thank you John-san for the great suggestion! Eran Mina-san,

I have added some instructional text to the “Browse All Lessons” page. Hopefully, it clears up some confusion. We will continue to look for ways to make the interface more user-friendly and intuitive.

Thank you John-san for the great suggestion!

Eran

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by: Jean-Michel http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49231 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:04:36 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49231 Eran-さん, The Select none button is ok, but, in my opinion, it is misplaced, outside the Filters frame. One thinks it somehow applies to the lessons listed below, not to the filters. Even John Briggs was fooled by this !… :wink: Jean-Michel Eran-さん,
The Select none button is ok, but, in my opinion, it is misplaced, outside the Filters frame. One thinks it somehow applies to the lessons listed below, not to the filters. Even John Briggs was fooled by this !… :wink:

Jean-Michel

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by: John C. Briggs http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49222 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:54:25 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49222 Eranさん Thanks for the information. I didn't notice the "select none" button. One thing that I have learned about filters is that they can be very frustrating when you don't realize that they have been applied. Perhaps some RED text at the top that says "FILTERS HAVE BEEN APPLIED" would help. Thanks John Eranさん
Thanks for the information. I didn’t notice the “select none” button.
One thing that I have learned about filters is that they can be very frustrating when you don’t realize that they have been applied. Perhaps some RED text at the top that says “FILTERS HAVE BEEN APPLIED” would help.
Thanks
John

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by: Eran http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49200 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:26:18 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49200 Jean-Michel-san / John-san, Great feedback folks! We certainly could have been a bit clearer. I'll throw up some simple instructions as an interim solution. Like anything new, it can take a little bit of getting used to, but I think once you get the hang of it, you'll really like the functionality available in the Lesson Directory. As for the "Save Filters" button, you are both 100% correct with your understanding of its functionality. Finally, if you only want to select one lesson, you don't have to click 10 buttons. You can simply click the "Select None" button, which will turn all categories off, and then click just the button of the category you want shown in the directory. I hope this helps. Eran Jean-Michel-san / John-san,

Great feedback folks! We certainly could have been a bit clearer. I’ll throw up some simple instructions as an interim solution. Like anything new, it can take a little bit of getting used to, but I think once you get the hang of it, you’ll really like the functionality available in the Lesson Directory.

As for the “Save Filters” button, you are both 100% correct with your understanding of its functionality.

Finally, if you only want to select one lesson, you don’t have to click 10 buttons. You can simply click the “Select None” button, which will turn all categories off, and then click just the button of the category you want shown in the directory.

I hope this helps.

Eran

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by: John C. Briggs http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49162 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 16:51:01 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49162 Jean-Michelさん, I just looked at this. It certainly could be clearer. The buttons change color from red to gray. red=included gray = not included. How are we supposed to know that. Perhaps green=included red = not included Like a traffic light However, I think that the more common way to do this is with checkboxes. If the icons had a checkbox that showed it was included, it might be clearer. This could be done by changing the GIFs. The save filters button does seem to do what you suggest. ジョン Jean-Michelさん,
I just looked at this. It certainly could be clearer. The buttons change color from red to gray.
red=included
gray = not included.
How are we supposed to know that. Perhaps
green=included
red = not included
Like a traffic light

However, I think that the more common way to do this is with checkboxes. If the icons had a checkbox that showed it was included, it might be clearer. This could be done by changing the GIFs.

The save filters button does seem to do what you suggest.
ジョン

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by: Jean-Michel http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49150 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 16:14:07 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-49150 Is it just me? it took me a while to figure out how to use the filters in the "Browse all lessons" page. I thought pressing one button would display just the corresponding lessons, whereas is does just the opposite. Of course, "filter" is filter but this does not look very natural to me : if you want to study beginner lessons only, you must click 10 buttons ! And what is the purpose of the "save filters" button? Does it retain the configuration of buttons for the next time you come back to this page? Jean-Michel Is it just me? it took me a while to figure out how to use the filters in the “Browse all lessons” page. I thought pressing one button would display just the corresponding lessons, whereas is does just the opposite. Of course, “filter” is filter but this does not look very natural to me : if you want to study beginner lessons only, you must click 10 buttons !
And what is the purpose of the “save filters” button? Does it retain the configuration of buttons for the next time you come back to this page?

Jean-Michel

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by: Eran http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-47600 Sun, 28 Jan 2007 15:24:18 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-47600 Jean-Michel-san, Thanks again for the great feedback! We will definitely take your points into consideration as we plan out the next phase of work for the Learning Center (already in the works) :wink: Our rationale behind "globalizing" the "My Kanji Bank" and the "My Word Bank" was the fact that they neither belong to the Lesson Specific or the Reference Material side since you can add words/kanji from either section. Also, since they are widely used, we decided they should be "global" and easily accessible from every page in the Learning Center. I hope this helps and please chime in with other great suggestions and experiences. All the best, Eran Jean-Michel-san,

Thanks again for the great feedback! We will definitely take your points into consideration as we plan out the next phase of work for the Learning Center (already in the works) :wink:

Our rationale behind “globalizing” the “My Kanji Bank” and the “My Word Bank” was the fact that they neither belong to the Lesson Specific or the Reference Material side since you can add words/kanji from either section. Also, since they are widely used, we decided they should be “global” and easily accessible from every page in the Learning Center.

I hope this helps and please chime in with other great suggestions and experiences.

All the best,

Eran

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by: Jean-Michel http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-47578 Sun, 28 Jan 2007 14:45:41 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-47578 Eran-さん Sorry about the informal track. I must have looked up a lesson which lacked it. :oops: If I may add one more remark about the aspect of the "lesson specific" page : to my taste, some of the navigation buttons are too big and eye catching : this is particularly true of the"Make the lesson complete" button, whose function is neither vital not of frequent use. It could safely be placed somewhere at the bottom of the option list. Also "Browse all lessons" is not really an option *within* the "lesson specific" tab but would deserve a tab of its own (perhaps not enough space for it, though…). Finally, the "My Kanji Bank" and "My Word Bank" buttons are not very useful because these options are already in the popup list. To me, having the same option given in two different places (especially when they are close to each other) always makes me wonder whether they might be somehow different and I end up feeling unsecure. All this is only cosmetic and, admittedly, a matter of taste. Eran-さん
Sorry about the informal track. I must have looked up a lesson which lacked it. :oops:

If I may add one more remark about the aspect of the “lesson specific” page : to my taste, some of the navigation buttons are too big and eye catching : this is particularly true of the”Make the lesson complete” button, whose function is neither vital not of frequent use. It could safely be placed somewhere at the bottom of the option list.
Also “Browse all lessons” is not really an option *within* the “lesson specific” tab but would deserve a tab of its own (perhaps not enough space for it, though…).
Finally, the “My Kanji Bank” and “My Word Bank” buttons are not very useful because these options are already in the popup list. To me, having the same option given in two different places (especially when they are close to each other) always makes me wonder whether they might be somehow different and I end up feeling unsecure.
All this is only cosmetic and, admittedly, a matter of taste.

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by: Eran http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-46920 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:01:19 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-46920 Jean-Michel-san, Thanks for the spectacular feedback and your kind words. I am glad you like the new layout and that you feel we're taking a step in the right direction. I will address your suggestions one by one... <blockquote>… the duplication of information between the left column and the main panel when one first accesses a lesson. The instructions in the right frame are useful only till one gets used to different options, then I find it is merely distracting. Perhaps a checkbox could be used to prevent it from appearing when it is no longer needed.</blockquote> The detailed explanations provided in the right panel are aimed at individuals that are new to the Learning Center and its features. The idea was to give people more than one way to navigate to a particular feature. Having said that, I can see how they can seem redundant and even distracting once you know your way around. I really like your suggestion of creating a user-defined setting that hides/shows the details of the right panel (which usually means that you'll see it in a future release). ;) <blockquote>Another point is that I could not find how to access the informal track from the learning center.</blockquote> The informal audio is track is available in the left panel, right panel, and Lesson Directory BUT only for lessons that have informal tracks. As you know, not every lesson has an informal track. I can say with certainty that you were probably looking at a lesson that does not have an informal track. <blockquote>…it would be nice if the system could remember which lesson you studied the last time and take you back there directly (at least as an option) at your next visit.</blockquote> Another great suggestion but not an easy one to implement… I'll see what can be done here. Thanks, Eran Jean-Michel-san,

Thanks for the spectacular feedback and your kind words. I am glad you like the new layout and that you feel we’re taking a step in the right direction. I will address your suggestions one by one…

… the duplication of information between the left column and the main panel when one first accesses a lesson. The instructions in the right frame are useful only till one gets used to different options, then I find it is merely distracting. Perhaps a checkbox could be used to prevent it from appearing when it is no longer needed.

The detailed explanations provided in the right panel are aimed at individuals that are new to the Learning Center and its features. The idea was to give people more than one way to navigate to a particular feature. Having said that, I can see how they can seem redundant and even distracting once you know your way around. I really like your suggestion of creating a user-defined setting that hides/shows the details of the right panel (which usually means that you’ll see it in a future release). ;)

Another point is that I could not find how to access the informal track from the learning center.

The informal audio is track is available in the left panel, right panel, and Lesson Directory BUT only for lessons that have informal tracks. As you know, not every lesson has an informal track. I can say with certainty that you were probably looking at a lesson that does not have an informal track.

…it would be nice if the system could remember which lesson you studied the last time and take you back there directly (at least as an option) at your next visit.

Another great suggestion but not an easy one to implement… I’ll see what can be done here.

Thanks,

Eran

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by: Jean-Michel http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-46901 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 20:56:39 +0000 http://www.japanesepod101.com/2007/01/24/news-40-premium-learning-center-20/#comment-46901 Congratulations for the excellent revamping of the learning center. Everything looks so much more logical, now. The only thing I did not find entirely convincing is the duplication of information between the left column and the main panel when one first accesses a lesson. The instructions in the right frame are useful only till one gets used to different options, then I find it is merely distracting. Perhaps a checkbox could be used to prevent it from appearing when it is no longer needed. Another point is that I could not find how to access the informal track from the learning center. Finally, it would be nice if the system could remember which lesson you studied the last time and take you back there directly (at least as an option) at your next visit. Apart from that, I am quite enthusiastic about the new design. Obviously a big leap forward for JPod101. Well done, folks ! Jean-Michel Congratulations for the excellent revamping of the learning center. Everything looks so much more logical, now.
The only thing I did not find entirely convincing is the duplication of information between the left column and the main panel when one first accesses a lesson. The instructions in the right frame are useful only till one gets used to different options, then I find it is merely distracting. Perhaps a checkbox could be used to prevent it from appearing when it is no longer needed.
Another point is that I could not find how to access the informal track from the learning center.
Finally, it would be nice if the system could remember which lesson you studied the last time and take you back there directly (at least as an option) at your next visit.
Apart from that, I am quite enthusiastic about the new design. Obviously a big leap forward for JPod101. Well done, folks !
Jean-Michel

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