Quiz-n-Spell© - the Quiz Master

Frequently Asked Questions

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Part I - General Issues, all Versions

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USERS TIP:  Users have told us that the best way to enter a list by typing is to type in all words, definitions and hints before doing any recording.  After the list has been typed in, then sit with the microphone in one hand, and the mouse in the other and, starting with the top word in the list, select each word - be sure to click on/in the Word section to activate the record button - and record it.  After recording it, be sure to play it back to test how it sounds before moving on to the next word. Be sure to click the black, square Stop button after recording, and before playing it back.

Question or Problem

          Answer

Here is a tutorial that covers the essential operations of Quiz-n-Spell.

Here is a brief tutorial on using Microsoft Windows, and more tips and tricks.

Here is a tutorial on this subject using Microsoft's Notepad.

Here is a tutorial on this subject using Microsoft Works.

Here is a brief tutorial on using Microsoft Windows, and more tips and tricks.

Perhaps your oldest child can enter the lists for the younger ones.  Most children pick up on how to edit the lists very quickly.

Also, you might check to see if your friends, neighbors, relatives or teachers have Quiz-n-Spell word lists and might be willing to share them.

Neighborhood highschool or college students might be willing to enter the lists.

He will probably find the 'quiz buddy' (or 'study buddy') capability very useful.

NEW!  The 'quiz buddy' (or 'study buddy') feature is now fully integrated (the latest update is available on the Quiz-n-Spell update page).  The quiz buddy feature includes a button ["Q. B."], and another keyboard shortcut to go back one word [<Alt><b>].

To use Quiz-n-Spell as a quiz buddy (or study buddy), he can build a list of words/terms, record a suitable prompt (or a blank prompt), record suitable leading phrases or questions instead of the actual words or terms, then simply practice the list.  But instead of typing the answer, he can just click the "Q. B." button, or use the <Alt><q> key combo, to  visually check the answer (press the <Spacebar> to close the answer window, or click the <OK> button), and move to the next word or term.  This is an extremely powerful, and fast, way to practice and learn a list of terms.

There is also a hidden key combination, <Alt><b>, to go 'back' one word.

Quiz-n-Spell is a Microsoft Windows only program that will run in the VirtualPC program for Macs.

It has been installed and a successful test was run on VirtualPC ver 6.0, running on Mac OS X, ver 10.2.3.

It is recommended that if you intend to run the Quiz-n-Spell software on a Mac, that you have a newer computer with lots of RAM, plus OS X.

There is no immediate plan to build a Mac version of Quiz-n-Spell, though it hasn't definitively been ruled out, either.

If you presently own a copy of Quiz-n-Spell, either Personal or Network, see the Quiz-n-Spell Update-Patch Download Page.

You can purchase the latest copy of Quiz-n-Spell HERE.

Yes.

For this, you or your son  needs to click the large 'S' to start the Student's session, then click the "Set TTS" button and select a different voice.

You can preview the other 'voices' that are available by selecting one from the list, then clicking the 'play' button (just above the "About TTS..." button).

When you have selected a voice, click the "Done" button to accept the new choice.

There are two parts to audible playback.  One is microphone volume, and the other is speaker volume.  Quiz-n-Spell has volume sliders to control both microphone volume and speaker volume.

First, be certain that the hardware speaker volume is turned up.

Recording:  In the "Edit Word List" dialog box, move the volume control slider to the top position, and try recording again.  The volume control slider in this list box controls the microphone volume, while in all other Quiz-n-Spell dialog boxes, the volume control slider controls speaker volume.

Playback:  Next, be sure that the playback volume slider control in the relevant Quiz-n-Spell dialog box is positioned at or near the top of the slider control.

Quiz-n-Spell is designed so that the text-to-speech engine automatically pronounces the each word in the list.  However, if you record the pronunciation of a word, then Quiz-n-Spell saves that recording as a .wav file.

During Word List Editing, Student Practice and Test sessions, Quiz-n-Spell first looks for a .wav file that corresponds to the currently selected word.  If it finds one, then it will use that recording rather than the text-to-speech (TTS) pronunciation.

The problem arises when the recording is flawed in some way.  In such a case, it is best to quickly go through a Practice session with the list and make a note of each word that is inaudible (you can check which word it is by pressing <Alt><k> to peek), then close the Practice session, open the Admin dialog and select and edit the list.  Re-record each of the problem words.

Be sure to click the black, square Stop button after recording, and before playing it back.

One common way to lessen or eliminate poor recordings is to type in all words, definitions and hints before doing any recording.  After the list has been typed in, then sit with the microphone in one hand, and the mouse in the other and, starting with the top word in the list, select each word and record it.  After recording it, be sure to play it back to test how it sounds before moving on to the next word. 

Sure.  Just open the "Prompts..." dialog from the Word List Editor, then enter the name for the new prompt, maybe "Blank".

Then record a very short blank prompt.  Click the red 'Record' Button, then immediately click the black, square, 'Stop' button.

Click "Done", then when the "Prompts..." dialog box closes, click the Word List Editor "Save" button to save the new prompt with the list.

Yes, Quiz-n-Spell automatically puts misspelled in a list that can be used in a variety of ways:  it can be added or merged to a master list of trouble words; it can be merged into the next list the student is [or students are] learning; or it can be added to a current misspelled words list.  Remember that 'words' can mean phrases, too. 

There are eight misspelled word lists available in the Personal Version, and eight misspelled word lists available for each Instructor Group in the Network Version

During Practice sessions, the student should press the keyboard <Enter> key after spelling the word or phrase.  Clicking the 'Next' button will cause Quiz-n-Spell to 'skip' to the next word.  

This behavior is by design.

The reason for this behavior is that older students may want to use Quiz-n-Spell strictly as a quiz buddy (or study buddy).

Quiz-n-Spell is shipped as a CD-ROM product, with the complete Help file on the CD in HTML format available from the CD menu.  There are also three versions of the Help file available in the CD's 'Media' subdirectory (open 'Documents' under the long numbered subdirectory), and with a printable tutorial.  

The Help manual is a complete, step-by-step, illustrated, full-color, file that can be printed out by you.  It is over 40 pages in length.  Also, when you first start Quiz-n-Spell, the "View All..." button will open a browser window with the entire on-line manual in an easy to navigate hyper-text, browser document.  

Additionally, every window in Quiz-n-Spell has context-based help available by either clicking the "Help..." button, or by pressing the keyboard <F1> key.