Content creation: Hot Potatoes™ JCloze
Hot Potatoes™ - JCloze
Why use JCloze?
A JCloze activity is one that allows gaps in text for learners to complete, whether in one word or an entire sentence. A cloze procedure is a test of reading comprehension and the responses reveal mastery and understanding of concepts.
Clues from the context or a supply of words can help the learner complete the activity.
Any number of correct answers can be specified for each gap. A hint can be added so that a letter or clue is given, although the learner will lose marks each time a clue is requested.
How to create a JCloze activity
The following instructions will help you create the simple JCloze activity shown above. (A video animation, showing steps 3-5, is available. See the instructions below.)
1. Start Hot Potatoes™ (Start > All Programs > Hot Potatoes 6) and double-click on
JCloze.
2. Type the title: Their, there and they're.
3. In the main section below type the
following text:
a. The car is over there.
b. Rob and John lost their coats.
c. They're the best students in the
class.
d. The children ate their burgers
quickly.
e. Their Mum gave us a lovely present.
4. Highlight the word there in the first line. Click the Gap button. The Gapped word alternatives dialogue box opens to enable you to enter clues or an alternative acceptable answer.
5. Repeat the procedure. Highlight the words in the text and click on Gap.
6. Save the completed activity (File > Save As) on your E-Guides USB memory stick. Note that the file is a .jcl type. This is the file you will need to open if you want to edit the activity.
7. To enable the interactive exercise it must be saved and converted to HTML. (File > Create Webpage > Web page for v6 browsers) or click
on the icon on the toolbar.
8.
Once the HTML file has been saved a View or upload the exercise dialogue box opens. Click View the exercise in my browser.
Need help? Look for the video tutorial showing steps 3-5 on your E-Guides USB memory stick. Go to the section ‘Content creation’, open the ‘animations’ folder and then double click on the hpcloze.swf file.
Now that you have tried a JCloze activity why not create another one?
You could also look at ‘Using a Data’ projector on SDELC (http://www.sdelc.co.uk) Module 7.0: E-learning content – sourcing and creating > Information about using Hot Potatoes > JCloze: Gap fill exercises > Using a data projector. For further information on content creation you can view SDELC Module 7.0: E-learning content - sourcing and creating. Follow the instructions to create the more advanced editing and configuration instructions to improve feedback and on-screen instructions.
Suggestions for use
The following are examples of learning materials produced using Hot Potatoes™ JCloze. Cloze or Gap Fill exercises can include pictures and sounds. This French Dictation exercise has sound and gap fill at http://uregina.ca/LRC/HotPot/French/Elementaire/exercises/L/l083.htm.
Further resources:
· Computer Networks: http://www.iw-chameleon.org.uk/sict/ict13.htm
· Astronomy: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/cloze/stars/
· Animals: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/cloze/animalgroups/
· Spring Cloze and others: http://bogglesworldesl.com/cloze_activities.htm
E-Guides training programme 2007 - 2008