Dear MathCityMap users,
there is currently a problem with the Android 11 version of the MathCityMap app. Fortunately, our IT team has already been able to identify and fix the cause of the problem. An update can now be installed in the Google Play Store, which makes the app run smoothly again.
We apologize for any inconvenience this disruption may have caused. Please feel free to write to us at info@mathcitymap.eu if we can assist you with any technical difficulties.
Your MCM Team
The October update includes some changes to the web portal. An essential point is the synchronization of list and map view. What does that mean? Previously, the tasks and trails that were visible on the map were not necessarily part of the list. As a result, the list displayed content from different places and possibly different languages.
With the new update, the currently visible map section is linked to the list. Accordingly, only tasks and trails can be seen in the list that can also be found in the current map section. This has the advantage of obtaining relevant data for your location. In addition, much less data must be loaded, which increases the speed of the web portal.
If you want to get an overview of all your tasks, a button (globe icon) on the right edge of the map will help. This zooms on the whole world and thus represents all your content.
Ahoy mateys! A new exciting feature for MathCityMap is now available both in the App and Web portal – Narratives. Narratives carry the app users away to new thematic settings. The route creators can optionally enable a specific narrative for each of their routes, the narrative gets automatically applied and can be experienced after downloading the route in the App.
The App’s text (such as task descriptions, hints, answer feedback, etc.), is replaced or expanded with dialogue lines from the narrative assistant: a companion that travels alongside the player and aids in their quest. The App’s graphical elements (banners, backgrounds, the map, etc.) are replaced with elements allusive to the narrative.
And so, we present the first narrative: Pirates!
In this narrative the player is a pirate Captain that seeks to collect as many coins as possible and find the trail’s treasure! They are accompanied by their trusty parrot, Perry. Perry will help them solve riddles, getting them closer to the treasure one enigma at a time. When all the riddles are solved, the Captain finds the treasure!
To enable a narrative on a route, go to: Portal > Routes > My Routes and select the route. Then, on the route’s details click “Edit”, scroll down to the “2. Settings” tab and select the desired narrative from the dropdown list. After this, you just have to click “save” and the narrative will be applied. From that point on, when users download your route, they will have a new adventure awaiting for them.
Our objective is to provide the MathCityMap App users with fun experiences that feel distinct, fresh, but still follow the general flow of the original math trail solving experience. As such, narrative routes will immerse the users in a small story and improve their motivation to continue solving the tasks and try even more routes.
Today’s update extends the web portal with an important new feature. The mobile version of the portal (e.g. on mobile devices) now automatically starts in the so-called “draft mode”. It is a reduced and light weight view that displays the map and a plus button at the bottom right hand corner. Clicking this button allows to quickly create a task draft. Just add a picture via your smartphone and click on the “Get position” button to automatically set your position. The task draft will be accessible in the “My tasks” area. This features allows users to quickly create a task draft while they are outside that can be polished and finished later on at home. There is still the possibility to use all web portal functionalities on your mobile as well – just switch to “Default mode”. For more information take a look at the attached tutorial video.
Today’s update fixes a bug that has been around since the beginning of the portal and that you’ve almost gotten used to:
Images that were taken upright were not interpreted correctly by the portal and therefore displayed in landscape mode. This should be fixed right now!
After improving the task and trail details in our last portal update, this update focuses on the toolbar. The main aim of these updates is to get MathCityMap on a well established technical level and to make sure that a higher amount of data do not affect the functionality.
You might have already noticed that the MCM website has recently changed. In this article, we want to inform you about the most important changes.
The most obvious are the layout and design changes. The MCM surface has received a new design, both in the portal and on the website. As part of the changes, we included the new logo, updated the slider images, and implemented a responsive layout, which makes the website useable on mobile devices. In the box of the right sidebar, the languages Italian and Greek were recently added. In addition, there is a MCM Twitter channel where we inform you about current events such as training courses, our European MoMaTrE project or topics related to Mathtrails. We are looking forward to welcome you as our followers. Our tweets can be found in the box “Social Media”.
We are currently working at full speed to rebuild the portal to a modern framework in order to develop the project faster in the future, and in order to be able to better maintain it. In spite of extensive testing, bugs may occur in this process, so please let us know if you notice something. Trails and tasks have been restructured with the latest updates. The individual boxes are now divided into sections. Tasks have received a new box. It is called “About the Object” and provides space for information that is not directly related to the Mathtrail task. In the app, the entered data are displayed below the actual task so that interested users can find out more about the object (e.g. historical or cultural information).
Another change concerns the processing of already existing tasks and trails. Prior to the update, each field had to be changed by clicking on the “edit pen” and then saving it. This has now been changed through two different views of a task or a trail. When the details are opened, you can view the task and its data as well as possible actions (e.g. publishing or sharing for a group). Through clicking on the “Edit” button on top, you can edit all boxes directly and then save them.
A few months ago, we added a table of math symbols to the tasks. When you click in a text box, an “omega” icon appears next to the text box. If you focus the symbol with the mouse, the table appears. Clicking on the desired symbol inserts it into the text field.
The most exciting extension we are currently working on is the so-called “pedagogical trails”. These should allow the teacher (with the approval of the students) to follow the progress of the students. In addition, push messages will be introduced to help groups in the solution process and to better organize and control the process of the mathtrail. The following points are also still on the to-do list:
It has been a bit longer since there was a bigger update of the MCM web portal. But now it is time and it brings two major innovations with it.
The Task Wizard allows you to create complete tasks with a few clicks. The author has to find a suitable object in his environment, take a picture of it and collect the necessary measurement data. The remaining entries, such as the sample solution and notes, are automatically generated and inserted by the wizard. At first, a set of 12 task templates from the topics slope, number, volume / weight and combinatorics are available. The templates originate from our collection of blueprint tasks and can be formulated on objects which, according to experience, occur almost everywhere:
• Handrail of a Staircase
• Ramp
• Stone Wall
• Paving Stones
• Advertising Pillar
• Large Stones
• Wooden Trunk
• Water basin / fountain.
The task wizard will be expanded step by step. Suggestions for new task templates from the community are gladly taken up! To start the wizard, you just have to click on “New Task” in the portal, then select the magic wand and afterwards you can start.
For a time-consuming, but still good trail, we recommend about 5 own tasks, which are individual and unique for the place, mixed with 5 tasks from the task wizard.
Tasks and routes now have a so-called “Quality Traffic Light” which reflects the technical quality of the element. The traffic light is located in the area where the picture is displayed. By clicking on the traffic light, you can see which criteria are already fulfilled and which can be improved. To ensure that our public tasks and trails continue to be of a high quality, only tasks and routes that show the green light can be submitted for publication.
• In the route view, the path within the route is also displayed. The starting task is marked with a blue circle.
• Tasks can now be added / removed to a route using a button (“Add / Remove”) in the task preview. This should facilitate routing.
• Quotation marks and line breaks in hints, sample solutions and task texts are now displayed correctly.
