UTIPS Solutions

The equation editor is a necessity for math teachers to write assessments. The editor in UTIPS has worked in the past, but with the update to EDesk 2, the equation editor is broken. It is on the list of items to address and fix, but what do you do in the meantime?

I have written up the steps to create equations in the new Microsoft Office 2007, but the process will work if you have any version of an equation editor on your computer. We will create an image for the equation in a sneaky way... by using a screen capture program that is free and very easy to use called Jing.

Follow up:

I have just learned that Word 2007 is a little different than past versions on how it handles equations. The Equation Editor is MUCH more easy to use and powerful, but I don't see a way to make your equations an image that can be used in UTIPS. So... I am going to direct you to one of my favorite new pieces of software. It is called Jing, and it is an EASY way to take screen captures and turn them into images you can use. OK, here we go:

Step 0: Head to Jing and download and install the software for your computer. Make sure that Jing is running after you have installed it. It can stay running as long as your computer is on and you can access it by clicking on the little floating "sun" icon. You may want to watch the Video Tour to see how it works:

Step 1: Launch Word 2007 and once it is up, click the Insert tab (the links I have included have screen shots to illustrate the steps):

http://screencast.com/t/P1FKHwrj

Step 2: On the far right side of the Insert "ribbon" you will see a box called Symbols where you can insert just a symbol like sigma pi, or build an equation. Click on Equation. There are some pre-built equations for you to use, but you will probably want to click on Insert New Equation:

http://screencast.com/t/Rm8ZA4xF4

Step 3: The ribbon will now change to show a multitude of different symbols and operations and you can simply type in your equation, using the buttons in the ribbon for the special items that you can't just type in.

http://screencast.com/t/Wlb8YZ5v8

Step 4: OK, now that you have your equation written, we are going to use Jing to create an image for it. Hover your mouse over the Jing "sun" and click the cross-hair icon.

http://screencast.com/t/4DeUWsgY

Once you have the selection tool, draw a box around your equation by starting on one corner of the text, then do a click-hold-drag to the opposite corner. When you release the mouse, Jing will show you the selection that you just made with options to capture an image or video, and then options to redo the selection or cancel what you are doing. Click on Image.

Step 5: The Jing editor will now appear. Here you can add arrows, explanation text or highlight your selection. These options are available at the left of the window. On the bottom are the file options. Let's give it a name like "Test 1 Problem 1" or something else descriptive like that. Then click File to indicate that you want to save it to your computer, then click the button with the box and the arrow pointing at it - Save.

http://screencast.com/t/lr32pRBfe

Step 6: Save the file to a location on your computer that you will be able to find. The best thing may be to create a new folder for this test in your Documents folder and save them all there.

Step 7: Now, head to UTIPS and log in. You can add a question to a test that is already created by selecting the test, then hovering your mouse over "Question" in the bar just below the UTIPS logo and selecting "New". You can also create a new test and add questions to it.

http://screencast.com/t/xapM6nOenc

Step 8: Stay with me, we are almost home. In the question editor window that appears, type in the prompt for the question, like "Please solve for y." Now, to insert the image, click on the Media button to the right of the text area and then choose New... Click on File Upload.

A file selection window will appear, and you will need to browse to the location that you saved the Jing image in Step 6. Click "Upload" after the file has been chosen. To indicate that you have been successful, there will be a very small thumbnail version of the image/equation beneath that Media menu (The link below is a video this time).

http://screencast.com/t/1N5MlLYHK

Step 9: Fill in the A, B, C, & D choices, check the box next to the correct answer, and click the Add button. You will now have your question with a custom equation in this test. Repeat the above steps for each additional question.

I know that it seems like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, it will go rather quickly. Please let me know if you run into problems or if I need to clarify any of my instructions.

Good luck!