FAQ: RoboBlocky™
For questions about connecting and running hardware Linkbots using RoboBlocky™, please see the "FAQ: Linkbot Labs and Linkbots" page and/or the "FAQ: Linkbot Troubleshooting" page. Connecting and running an Arduino board is covered on the "FAQ: Arduino and Robot Sensors" page.
Yes, it's available here (requires instructor account). It provides answers to a wide range of questions.
Teachers who have a RoboBlockyâ„¢ instructor's license can create a class with space for up to 40 students using the RoboBlockyâ„¢ Class Management System. They then create a registration link or QR code. When students click on the link, it opens a page that gives them the option to sign in via their school account (Google, Microsoft, Facebook, or Clever). Once they sign in, they are enrolled in the class and will have full access to class assignments and RoboBlockyâ„¢'s student curriculum and features. After being enrolled in the class, on later visits students sign in using the RoboBlockyâ„¢ sign-in page and their school account. (They only need to use the registration link once.) The RoboBlockyâ„¢ Instructor's Guide has detailed information on creating classes, enrolling students, creating assignments, etc.
If a school or school district uses a firewall or other security measures, the following sites need to be whitelisted:
roboblocky.com
www.roboblocky.com
webch.roboblocky.com:8080
barobo.com
www.barobo.com
c-stem.ucdavis.edu
softintegration.com
www.softintegration.com
Yes. You can find RoboBlockyâ„¢ in the Clever App Gallery here.
Information on setting up RoboBlockyâ„¢ with ClassLink can be found at the ClassLink help pages here and here. RoboBlockyâ„¢ logo images, including a square one for ClassLink, are available at https://roboblocky.com/about (scroll down to the bottom of the page).
1. Creating and Posting an Enrollment Link for Students to Enroll in a RoboBlocky Class
The easiest way for students to enroll in a teacher's RoboBlockyâ„¢ class is for the teacher to generate an enrollment link or QR code that students can click on and be automatically enrolled in the class. Information on generating this link is in the "Add and Manage Students" chapter of the RoboBlockyâ„¢ Instructor's Guide.
2. Posting RoboBlocklyâ„¢ Assignments in an LMS
There are two basic methods to post a RoboBlockyâ„¢ assignment within an LMS:
Method #1: After creating a RoboBlockyâ„¢ assignment with one or more activities, the teacher can copy the student URL for one of the activities within the assignment and then add the link to their LMS page for students to click on. To copy the student URL for an assigned activity, the teacher must first activate the Student View option by clicking the green "Add Myself" button on the class's Manage Students page (see the Instructor Guide lesson on Add Yourself as a Student).
Once the teacher has added themselves to the class as a student, they will see the class listed on their My Classes page in the My Classes as a Student section. (See the Instructor Guide lesson on Student View of Assignments.)
Clicking on the blue Assignments link on the right side will bring up the student's view of the class assignments. Click on the link for the desired assignment to open it, then copy the URL. (Or right-click on it and choose "copy link address" from the pop-up menu.)
Then post the link on the class LMS page.
VERY IMPORTANT: To do this, you must use the link to the problem on the Student View version of the Assignments page, because it has a special code that identifies it as an assigned problem for that particular class. When the student uses this link to open the problem, it will include the "Submit" option. If you copy the link to the same problem that is listed on the teacher's version of the Assignments page, or on a RoboBlocky curriculum page, the link will not have the special code. These types of links will open the problem in question, but it will not have the option for students to submit it as an assignment.
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Method #2 to add RoboBlockyâ„¢ assignment to LMS: If the LMS allows it, the teacher can create an iFrame and embed the student view of the page for the assigned RoboBlocky activity into an LMS assignment page.
NOTE re. "Not Authorized" message: If a student tries to access a RoboBlockyâ„¢ activity via a link posted in an LMS or elsewhere, but the student has not yet signed in to RoboBlockyâ„¢, they will see a "this activity is for authorized users only" type of message. If they then click on the "Sign In" button at top right and go through the RoboBlockyâ„¢ sign-in process (using their school account's Google, Microsoft, or Clever sign-in), the activity will be displayed for them.
RoboBlockyâ„¢ has several settings to reduce the number of options and features displayed, in order to minimize distractions. For example, there is a "Simple View" checkbox below the grid area:
When the Simple View box is checked, only the most-used block menus, and most-used code blocks within those menus, are displayed. To see all the menus and code blocks, simply uncheck the Simple View box.
In addition, some lessons and activities are set up to display only the code blocks that are needed for that lesson/activity. For example, an activity that only needs driveDistance and turn blocks might look like this:
If you click the button for the menu that is displayed ("Robot 1" in this example), then it toggles on the full display of the menu's code blocks:
Clicking the menu button again will toggle it back to the minimal display.
Finally, there is a "Min View" checkbox just above the grid on the right. Selecting it will result in a very minimal display, used for activites with young students:
In Google Chrome, click "Preferences" under the "Chrome" menu, or click the "three vertical dots" menu at the top right of the window and choose "Settings" in the menu. A "Settings" window should open. Click the "Advanced" option and then choose "Downloads" from the submenu. It will allow you to change the location for downloaded files.
In Internet Explorer, when you download a file it lets you select whether you want to download to your default download location or to a new location. Please note that Internet Explorer cannot save the Grid.
In Microsoft Edge, select Settings and more ... > Settings. Under Downloads, select Change. In the dialog box, select a new location for your downloaded files.
In Safari, under the "Edit Menu" click Preferences and then the General tab. Locate the "Save downloaded files to" section, click on "Downloads" > "Other"..., and then browse and indicate your new download location.
The size of the grid is 360 px by 360 px. The image that is drawn on the background can be any size, but if it is too small, the image will be stretched, and if it is too large, the image will be reduced.
The grid in the background image may not match the grid in the uploaded blocks. For example, the background image may display the grid at 24×24 inches while the XML file that is loaded to display code blocks in the Workspace has the 36×36 inches option set.
Check that you assigned this student to a group and that you assigned homework to All Students.
Turning on the sound on your computer may help. Also, having a lot of browser tabs open can slow things down.
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