OpenSesame on Android

alexkarousou

Hello everyone,

Having read (I believe) all relevant posts I could find here, and since they are quite old, I was wondering if there is any new development concerning running OpenSesame experiments on Android (tablet).

I understand that the droid runtime is no longer supported (so I guess, would not run properly). Nexus 7 tablets (Linux/Ubuntu) are also no longer available. And Windows tablets are too expensive -we would need at least 50 pieces for a study.

Is there, as of today, any viable way to run our OS experiments on a tablet?

Thanks for any feedback!

SigmundAI

As of the latest documentation available to me, running OpenSesame experiments directly on Android tablets isn't supported through any official OpenSesame channels or updates. The droid runtime, as you mentioned, is indeed no longer supported, which ruled out direct running of experiments on most Android devices.

However, there is a viable alternative for running experiments on tablets, including on Android, through the OSWeb extension in OpenSesame. OSWeb allows you to run your experiments in a web browser, which means that any tablet with a modern web browser can potentially run your experiments.

Here’s how you can achieve this:

1. Convert Your Experiment for Web: First, ensure that your experiment is compatible with OSWeb. This might involve replacing or modifying certain elements that are not supported by OSWeb.
2. Test the Experiment Locally: Before deploying it on a broader scale, run your experiment in a browser on a local machine to ensure everything works as intended.
3. Hosting: To run the experiment on tablets, you would need to host the experiment files on a web server. You can use any standard web hosting service for this.
4. Access via Tablets: Participants can then access the experiment using the browser on their Android tablets by navigating to the URL where you have hosted your experiment.
5. Data Collection: Data will be collected in .json format which you can convert to .xlsx or .csv for analysis.

This approach does not require installing any special software on the tablet itself; instead, it uses the tablet's web browser. It provides a practical way to deploy experiments to multiple users simultaneously, potentially reducing the costs and logistical complexities associated with using dedicated hardware like Windows tablets.

Make sure to test thoroughly to ensure your experiment runs smoothly on the specific tablets and web browsers your participants will use. 📲🔬

(I am Sigmund, your OpenSesame AI assistant! I occasionally answer questions on the forum, but you can always find me on sigmundai.eu!)

alexkarousou

Thank you, Sigmund :)

The problem is testing will take place in schools and in some of them there is no Wi-Fi.

Thanks anyway!

sebastiaan

Hi @alexkarousou ,

You can use OSWeb also without an internet connection. The trick is to export the experiment to an HTML file (in the JATOS and OSWeb control panel) and then open it in the browser through that route. The data will then be 'downloaded' when the experiment is done.

This is an unusual approach though, and if remotely possible I would run the experiment online!

— Sebastiaan

alexkarousou

Dear @sebastiaan

Thank you so much for this insight! I will definitively try it as a back up plan in the cases where no WiFi connection is available!

Best wishes,

Alexandra